Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-02
COAL OPERATORS,
Who Are Not Included Among the Big
Thirteen Of Lake Shippers,

Meet and Take Steps to Form
Coal Exchange-Many Of Them
Favor Paying the 6o-Cent Rate
Demanded by the Miners-Oper-
ators' Representatives Leave for
Columbus to Confer With the Of
fcers Of the Mine Workers
Union-Belief Now Growing That
There Will Soon Be Settlement
Of the Big Strike.
Pittsburg, Pa, September 1.-The
hrst decisive steps toward forming a
permanent organization Of the indie
pendent coal producers Of the Pitts
burg district was taken to-day. A we'll
attended meeting was held in the
Office of the Blythe Coal Company, in
the Iron Exchange building. About
twenty operators were in attendance
The meeting was in large measure
informal, and the situation was dis
cussed in all it's details. There was
an unanimous sentiment in favor of
forming a permanent organization to
be known as the Coal Exchange. A
eenamittee was appointed to report a
plan by which the smaller producers
can be benefited in the way of fairer
prices from lake shippers They are
to make a report which is to give the
objects and the mode of regulating
the organization. The following are
the committee: ]. w. Shields, w. ].
Steen, j. WI Johnson, w. R. Wilson,
and G. W. Hosack. The committee
will meet Friday and make report to
another meeting to be held Saturday
afternoon, when it Is expected to per-
feet the organization. It is claimed by
some that the real object of the meet
ing was to confer with the lake ship
pers with a view of settling the strike
at the 50 cent rate, but this was de-
MED by those that took part in the
meeting. Colonel w. P Rend, the
Chicago operator, arrived in Pitts
burg to-day and will remain for sew
eral days. He said he hoped that a
settlement would soon be reached, and
Il it was not the operators would bring
IN new men.
Il claim to have the right to oper-
lte my own property as l see fit he
said, "the efforts of the officials of the
the miners to the contrtry notwith-
uandlng. This is a right I have and
the law Of the land will protect me-
There is no doubt that if a settlement
Is not reached the operators can get
enough men in a few days to operate
their mines, which they surely will do
The operators have never abated in
their efforts to start the mines and
will no doubt have them running in
a short time"
A big mass meeting was held at Fin
1eyville to-day. 1t is estimated that
there are several thousand persons
present. Many women were in the au-
dience. The object Of the meeting was
to influence the Snowden and CASTOR
vile miners Of the Pittsburg & Chi
cago Gas Coal Company, who have
been notified that they must leave the
company houses or go to work. The
miners officials claim there will be
very few, if any, men who will go to
work in the Snowden and CASTOR
vile mines.
Pittsburg coal operators will meet
the national executive board of the
United Mine Workers of America at s
o'clock tomorrow morning at Column
bus, Ohio. A conference will be held
and it is very probable that the big
strike will be settled, not, however, I'M
til the miners of the Pittsburg district
have a say This, in brief is the stu
alton and hopes are high that settle
ment will follow the conference.
1t may be prevented though by one
side or the other failing to make con-
cessions that seem to be in sight.
w. P. ,Bonney, who represents the
Scott interests, George w. Schleuden-
berg, U. A. Andrews and J. c. Dysart
all boarded the train tonight for CO.
lumbus. None of them would say any
thing for publication except Mr.. Dys-
art. He said: "The miners officials
have asked to confer with us, and we
are going to Columbus for that pur-
pose. That is all l can say"
1t is expected that several of the OPP
orators from Cleveland will also be in
Columbus in the morning.
That the miners officials think IA
yorably of the proposition submitted
by Thomas E. Young on behalf OF the
Senator Hanna interests is very evil
dent. A private message from Dis
trict President Dolan tonight says
the proposition will be considered, but
Ethat he was in favor of standing out
for the 69-cent rate pending arbitra-
ion. If the executive board decided
therwise, he said he would not agree
it unless his constituents were con-
alted. From one Of the operators it
hs learned tonight that some of the
kal officials of the miners are in favor
accepting the proposition and it is
most certain that a convention will
called Whether the miners of the
strict will agree to the compromise
another question. Just now they are
huch elated over the large attendance
at their mass meetings and the firm
ness exhibited by the men. Many are
of the opinion that they can win out
by holding on short time longer, as
the operators must have coal for the
lake trade The operators are anxious
to start. and if settlement is not
reached at Columbus it is known that
they will resume with imported men.
Secretary VIM. Warner issued a let
ter to the miners tonight, assuring
them that no settlement would be
made at Columbus below the 69-cent
rate without first consulting them in
oonvoution