Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-07
MANY MINERS IDLE
Situation at the Front q tho BIZ
Strike for Wages.
CONTRADICTORY CLAnrs MADE

the Key Of the Strugxle-About - Per
Cent. Of the River Miners Idle the Day
After = National Holiday-west Wiz
ginis Men Inclined 10 Continue at Their
Work-Appeal to Court.
Pittsburg. July THE strike order Of
the national executive board of the Unit
ed Mine Workers Of America was obeyed
by from 10000 to 5000 of the q 900 min
ers in the Pittsburg district yesterday.
The great struggle is now on in earnest,
and the developments Of the next few
days will determine the success or fail
ure OF the fight for q uniform mining
| rate. Pittsburg Is the pivotal point in
the five states engaged in the contest,
and the success of the local ofiicials in
their efforts to secure q general suspen-
sion in this district will have an impor-
tant bearing on the outcome of the
movement. While it is estimated that at
least two-thirds OF the miners have
thrown down their picks. enough men
are still at work to seriously impair their
chances. unless they can ultimately be
brought out. This President Dolan con-
fdently claims can be done. The opera
tors, on the other hand, are in nowise
disconnected and assert that the strike
cannot succeed. The first break in the
operators ranks was made yesterday
afteroon by ]. w. Steen, OF the o. I. C.
| mines at Rossville. The diggers refused
to work and the mine was closed down,
but a notice was posted that after yes
terday the 69-cent rate would be paid
1t Is net likely that the of ,ials will al
low the men to work uns -. majority Of
ODeratOrq have Qcreod To he min arcs a.
mands.
Miners Are Slow in West Virginia.
In West Virginia the miners have been
slow in responding to the strike order.
A dispatch says that a general strike
in the state Is not probable The men are
not organized and they are inclined to
regard the strike elsewhere as favorable
to their chances Of securing plenty Of
work at good prices while it is pending.
Great pressure is being brought to bear
| upon them by the United Mine Workers
officials to Join the strike, but SO far
without success. The impression among
| both operators and miners in this state is
that West Virginia will be able to sup
ply the demand for coal in the event Of
a prolonged strike. ana that the opera
tors will be justified to offer the miIers
Inducements to remain at work, as 't'
did in 1894. Chief Mine inspector Ps
.says he does not look for much rer.lst !.
to the order He says: IF the West
Virginia miners remain at WORK during
the strike in other states, new markets
will open up for West Virginia coal.
| which West Virginia operators can hold
after the termination Of the strike" This
argument has had great effect with the
miners, and the United Mine Workers
officials may have great difficulty in
persuading them to joinsthe strike.
Chisns of Miners and Operators,
AccoNaing to estimate of the miners'
officials sixty-two railroad mines are
Idle and tWenty-six are still in -opera
ton. The miners officials say the op-
orators Will claim a mine to be in op-
Grafton as long as there ara . two
| men at work. The operators claim that
the Panhandle mines, operated by M.
A. Hanna. where the ironclad agree
ment is In force, worked as usual YES
terday. Tho miners. on the other hand,
maintain that the entire Millers' and
| Thomas Run district, where these
| mines are located. Is out on q strike.
The operators themselves admit that
| there were not the usual number of
men at work IN the Snowdon and Gas
tonvihe mines operated by the Pitts
Il OUA . OAAO OhhS06O SOhupauy, WueTG tn6
ironclad is also in force.
Over so Per Cent. Are Out.
A fair estimate shows that there are
about 10000 of the 1900 railroad min
ers now out. The operators assert that
the river mines are nearly all running.
while the miners officials say they are
all idle. Specials from Monougahela
City say that SOC out Of the 5000 min
ers are on a strike. w. p. Dearmitt,
president Of .the New York and Cleve-
land Gas Coal Company, was emphatic
| In his statements that the strike would
be q failure. I'VE had more men at
work today" said he, than any day
for a number Of years after a holiday. 1
attribute this to the fact that the men
came to work because they did not care
to be identified with this movement.
More than twenty-five mines were
working in the Pittsburg district to-
day."
COURT Is SOON IN THE FIGHT,
ture Strike Violence.
Cincinnati, July IA very important
step was taken here yesterday in con-
i norfiOn with tho roo1 vv,fnarc, v<r;lro