The Saint Paul globe., 1897-08-21
OPERATORS REPLY.
A Counter Statement to the Public
Issued at Pittsburg.


PITTSBURG, Pa, Aug. 2O.-The coal
operators in their meeting tonight,
after waiting in vain for an answer
from President Ratchford to their tele-
gram asking for a conference here to-
morrow to arbitrate the strike ques-
ton, issued a statement to the public
shortly after midnight. The statement
was given out after day of waiting
and was precipitated by the following
resolution passed today:
Resolved, That a committee be authorized
in case the miners leaders agree to confer
and no satisfactory basis can be agreed upon
IN said conference to propose that the matter
of the Pittsburg district be submitted to
arbitration, provided the miners put to
work at once, pending the decision of said
board of arbitration.
The operators statement says:
The operators now have exhausted every
effort to make amicabe settlement, but the
miners refuse either to meet in conference
arb1trate. The position taken by Mr.. Ratch-
ford occasions great surprise to the operators.
He insists in bringing in all competitive
states, when he knows the operators of other
states under no circumstances will attend
joint conference. In making this demand Mr..
Ratchford is seeking to delay, in hope he may
be able to bring to his aid all the labor
CARNATIONS of the country and assume such
political influence as will frighten the poll
icians into an insisting upon a settlement
OF the strike without regard to the merits of
Pittsburg district is the key to the situation,
and the operators hold out to him an olive
branch, from which is suspended the key he
sought
Mr.. Ratchford is using the Pittsburg miners
as cat's-paw to scratch political chestnuts
Off the idle coal tipples in this district. He
knows very well that delay in settlement will
deprive Pittsburg miners Of work which will
be done during the winter by miners of the
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa regions. Mr..
Ratchford must arrange conference at once
settlement 9rhjtr9tj trOnb1QS
in the PittSburg coal district he must
stand accused of inconsistency. Pubic opin-
ion will certainly hold him responsible for the
desttution which must inevitably prevail in
the district during the coming week.
Supt. De Armitt stated this afternoon
that there was no truth in the story OF
concentration. He said: 1--WE are not
going to shut down our Oakland or
Sandy Creek mines, but on the con-
trary, propose to operate all our mines
capital. We have plans for the future,
but 1 will not say what they are
Secret work among the miners is to
be continued on a large scale. There
were no men at Sandy Creek camp,
though it is said an effort may be made
to resume there. Operations are also
temporarily suspended at Turtle Creek.
One hundred and seventy-fve men
marched from Camp Isolation at Plum
| creek this afternoon. They marched
to Unity and were stopped at Plum
creek by the deputies. The injunction
| was read to them, but they continued
on to Center, two miles past the dead
line. They then marched to New Texas
and returned with the farmers from
| that section, making a demonstration
| in sympathy with the strikers. The
strikers were joined by their wives, and
! about 500 people were present at a
meeting which was addressed by Mrs.
| jones, of Chicago, Capt. Mckay and
| others -sa..-
Deputy Sam Young telegraphed for
the sheriff to come to the scene Whole
| sale arrests are expected to follow the
arrival of the sheriff, and as both sides
are wrought to the highest pitch there
| is no telling what the result may be.