The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-09
THE MINERS TROUBLES
DAVIES COUNTY DISPUTE IN A FAIR
WAY TO BE ADJUSTED.
Conference Between the Governor,
Labor Commissioners and OPP
orators Representatives.

Judge w. r. Gardner, attorney for Cabel
& Kaufman, at Washington, Ind, and r.
F. Strausser, who handles the coal output
Of the company, were closeted with Gov
ernor Mount and the labor commissioners
for over two hours yesterday afternoon.
This mining company has had disagree
ment of long standing with its men, and
the Governor had directed the labor COM
missioners TO go to Daviess county and en-
deavor to adjust the difficulty. The trouble
first arose over what is known as dead
dirt" in the companys mine No. 9. Then
the general strike came, and at it's conclu-
sion the company equipped this mine with
machines and called upon certain num-
Der of men to resume work This they de-
clined to do unless all were taken back.
At this time the company declined to arbi-
trate the matter, but brought number
of men from Kentucky and from their mine
in Pike county and put them to work. This
caused great deal of friction, and the
Governor was anxious to have the matter
Strengthened out
AS result of the conference yesterday
afternoon, the labor commissioners will go
to Washington to-day, with good pros
pect of adjusting the difficulty The repre-
sentatives Of the company intimated that
they would put fifty of the old men at
work at once, and take most of the others
back gradually as their work increased.
There were formerly about $50 miners en-
ployed by this concern, but in operating
one of the mines with machinery they will
not need so many.
special to the Indianapolis Journal from
Washington, Ind says: 1.-The report sent
out from there to the effect that the colored
m X AMI fTlrx NyAr no
streets of Washington armed with Win
chester rifles was somewhat colored. The
leader of the imported miners is c. 5.
Roland, of greensboro, KY, who was a
prominent candidate for state mine inspec-
tor, and who is very intelligent young
man. Considerable feeling is entertained
against him and when he left the miners
quarters Friday he told the men he would
be back at a certain time Not returning
at the appointed time, four of the miners
shouldered Winchester rifles and marched
to town. AT the Cabel & Co. coal office
they learned that ROLAND had just left for
the camp The men then returned. The
boss had got into trouble and they came
to town to furnish him protection
THE impression that the trouble there
involves all of the Washington miners has
gone out and for this reason there is an
opinion that the trouble is OF considerable
magnitude. But as matter of fact it is
confined to No. mine, the capacity of
which is but about $50 men, This mine at
one time employed a large number of men,
DuL us grows smaller Sdc0 year.
AS a result, the mine organization said:
If you do not hire all of the men, you can
hire none. 1t is on this simple proposition
that the whole difficulty rests, and on the
inability of the company to get enough of
the home miners to work the mine. The
miners of No. 8 came out last April be-
ton, it being held by the men that the COM
pany should pay extra for handling dirt.
The company insisted that it could not pay
extra and compete with others. The mat
ter hung fire for some time, when the diff
ference was adjusted. but as the company
could not re-employ all of the men. the 9TH
ers refused to work. The company served
notice on the men that they take their tools
out of the mine by certain date, as 1t
had concluded to introduce machinery in
No. 9. The miners withdrew their tools.
The machinery was put in the mine, and
when 1t was ready for operation the COM
pany notified a large number of the min
ers that it would give them work on appli-
cation. Quite number applied, but the
pressure against going to work was so
strong that they did not take the employ
ment. About this time the company's rep
resentative met with the miners represen-
tative at Terre Haute and offered to leave
the matter of re-employing all of the old
No. 9 miners to the president of the Oper-
ators' Association, the president of the
miners organization and disinterested
person, to be selected by the two W. D.
Van Horn. who represented these miners,
refused. The company proceeded to put
the mine In shape and the few employees
who were thus occupied were met by dele
cations of the miners and dissuaded, and
on a couple of occasions employees were
assaulted. AS result an injunction was
issued by Judge d. ]. Hefron, restraining
nineteen of the men from further interfer-
ence That injunction was made perpetual
as to six of the men last week. In Sep
tenber the company issued its final call
to the men to apply for work, and in the
call said that after three days it would feel
under no further obligation to the men who
refused work About one-third of the idle
men asked for work
"Cabel & Co. now have another mine
ready for the home miners and want them
to apply for work and begin operating it.
There Is talk of violence, but there is little
to be apprehended unless the miners OF
other mines should conclude to take hand.
The negroes, to the number of 125, are we'll
armed and live in block house. where they
can make a determined resistance If as