The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-09


the third day of the miners strike finds
| the diggers gaining strength rapidly in
| the Pittsburg district, elating the Of
| ficerS and men correSpondingly. The
| net result of the struggle up to date,
| as cleaned from unbiased, as well as
from partisan sources, is about as fol-
lows $4,000 men idle, an almost total
suspension of work in the mines along
the Monongahela river; suspension
practically total on the Wheeling diVi-
sion of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad,
only about fifty men working there;
all of the railroad mines closed down
with the exception of the M. A. Hanna
& Co. mines along the Panhandle, the
New York & Cleveland Gas Coal COM
pany and a few individual mines which
can have but little effect on the
situation.
The Hanna mines have about one
third of their usual number of men at
work and this slight increase over yes
terday appears to be the only adVan-
tage the operators have gained. The
situation as to the supply cannot be
called serious as yet because there are
from twelve to fifteen millions of
bushels Of the black diamonds in stock
at the various pools along the river
which can be placed in this city at
short notice and, if need be, portion
of it could be shipped to the lakes.
Up to the present time no sign of
unlawfulness has developed among
the strikers, and no evidence whatever
that there will be. 1t is reported that
meeting has been scheduled between
President Ratchford, of the Mine
Workers association, and President
Gompers, of the Federation of Labor,
in this city tomorrow. and the miners
officials announce that systematic
movement will be started to bring out
the diggers now at work for the New
York q Cleveland Gas Coal company.
The miners officers are likely to
meet with a serious stumbling block
of the New York & Cleveland Gas
Coal company to join in the move
ment A visit to the mines today dis
closed the fact that a large number
of the men are opposed to striking
at this time because of their contract
agreement. The officials of the COM
pany say the men have given positive
assurances that they will remain loyal
and are in nowise alarmed over the
claim of the miners leaders that they
will have the men out before the
week closes.
1t is safe to say that the amount of
coal dug today on the Wheeling di-
vision. of the Baltimore & Ohio rail
road would not fill one flat car Such
complete shutdown, as exists in
this DIST let, so soon a ter the inaugu a.
tlon of the strike, is admittedly a sur
prise to the people living in that sec
ton. A number of miners were at
work yesterday, the majority of them
III the pits of the Pfttsburg & Chicago
Gas Coal company at Snowden and
GastonVille, but today it is doubtful
II the diggerS at work along the whole
line would number fifty, all of these at
the GastonVille pit Of the Pittsburg e
Chicago company. A careful review
of the situation proves the assertion of
the miners officials that the Wheeling
division is Solidly advocating the strike
Miners along the line have been
anXiouSly watching the diggers of the
Pittsburg & Chicago company at Gas
tonVille and Snowden. Up till today it
was a matter of doubt whether or not
| they would come out. These men have
all been working under the ironcIad
| agreement, and, as this meant a forfei-
tUre Of 10 per cent of their wages, held
back since the first of the year by
the firm, if they voluntarily quit work
the strikers were in 6oubt as to whether
they could be induced to join the move
ment. AT a meeting held last night,
however, it was decided to come out
for the district rate, and today the
miners We're practically idle. By their
action, it is said, the men will loose
nearly $S,000,000 in percentages.
The miners on the Wheeling division
apparently have no fears in regard to
the length of the strike. A large num-
Der of them were asked how long the
strikers could stand it without suffer-
ing from want. One and all were firm
in the belief that they could scratch
along" for several weeks all right.
About one-third of the full quota Of
diggers was at work at the Panhandle
mines of M. A. Hanna & Co., today.
This is an increase over yesterday
and is due to the fact that the firm
posted a notice to the effect that