The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-07-17
THE GREAT STRIKE.
Miners, Operators and Coal Dealers
Out Great Sums of Money.
Nearly Half a Million Given Up by the Dig
gers In Wages-Estimates of Idle
Men-MIners Are Confident and
Operators Waiting.

COLUMBUS, o.. July 12.-The total
number of striking coal miners at
! present, as nearly as can be ascertained,
is as follows: In Pennsylvania, 49, 900;
| in Ohio, 5000; in Indiana. 5000; in
Illinois, q, 900; in West Virginia, 1000;
in other states, $4,000; total, 10000
| The loss in wages to these 110, 900 miners
| is estimated to be 1862, 900 for the week,
figured on a basis that if at work
they would earn IS cents day. This
number of miners would mine not less
than an average of one and two-ffths
tons each day, which would amount to
1874, 900 tons each day, or 924, 900 tons n
week. Supposing that the operator
makes profit of 25 cents ton run of
mine coal. he would be loser by the
strike to the amount of $500, 900.
The railroad companies which
have been transporting this coal to
the lakes, at an average rate of 50
cents a ton, will lose in the neighbor-
hood of 5000, 900. Added to the above,
the loss in wages to railway employees,
doclzmen and lake vessel employees,
loss to coal dealers, etc, will bring the
total cost of the strike for the past
week up to the enormous sum of about
81, 300, 900.
Price of Coal Advancing.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, July Is. - The
miners strike is causing the price of
coal to still advance and yesterday it
was selling at S1.s0, an increase of $50
per cent. since the commencement of
the struggle. The feature yesterday
in matters pertaining to the strike
was the presence in the city of the
Joint arbitration board, which is en-
deavoring by every means possible to
bring to n peaceable conclusion the
strife now in progress The board
held informal sessions and in the in
tervals interviewed quite a number of
operators, the big majority of whom
are in favor of arbitration, provided
all of the operators will abide by the
decision rendered.
Strike May Be Arbitrated.
The greatest interest is now mani
tested in the scheme to arbitrate the
strike question. Labor commissioners
and official arbitrators of the several
states affected are mobilizing in this
city. The state of Ohio is the only one
which has regularly appointed board
of arbitration. 1t exists for just such
emergencies as this, and is naturally
eminently well prepared for the work.
commissioners and industrial statis-
ticians. who are also well able to act
in the capacity of arbitrators from the
natureof.their work in keeping in touch
with the working classes generally.
There is strong indication of n coal
famine confronting the country within
the next ten days. 1t is claimed by
conservative operators that the mar
ketable supply as present, which is
placed at 10, 900, 900 bushels, would be
only able to meet the demands of the
market for about month under ordi-
nary conditions. With the scarcity of
coal already prevailing at the lake
ports, it is claimed the supply will not
last over two weeks at the longest.
Operators Are Waiting.
From the best information obtaina-
BILE, the Pittsburgh operators are in no
hurry to have the difficulty adjusted.
So many of them had stocks on rail-
road sidings which they held for an
advance. Much of this was disposed
of Saturday at a good profit. One
prominent operator said that it would
take another week to determine the
exact state of the market, and by that
time a general cleaning up will have
taken place.