The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-20
MINERS REFUSE TO YIELD.
oVERTUREs FROM GOAL OPERlT-
ORs REJECTED BIZ sTRIKERs.

OVERTURES FROM COAL
ORs REJECTED BIZ STRIKERS.
The Operators say Now That They win BEAT
tho Nlen by the Use or RaininE Rfachines-
Committee Appointed ts start Zip the Nsines
and to Fight the strikers to tho End.
PTTTsBuRe, Aug. 19.-President Ratchford Of
the coal miners has refused to confcr with the
Pittsburg coal operators. War to the knife"
will result from Ratohford's refusal In the opin-
ion OF Col. W. p. Rend and other operators.
As told in THE sun to-day. the operators
last night officially resolved to start mp
the mines at tho earliest possible moment.
Unoficially, but really representing the wishes
of oil the operators who attended last nights
meeting, several mine owners teleEraphed to
the President Of the United Mine Workers, Mr..
Ra tchtord. at Columbus. and to the President Of
the Pittsburg district, Patrick Dolan, who was
also in Columbus, asking for a conference with
the Pittsburg operators.
Ratchford's answer was awaited anxiouBly
to-day. 1t came. and It made the operators
angry. Ratchford's reply was sont by Patrick
Dolan. who said that he and Ratchford refused
to consent to hold n conference with the opera
tors OF the P%ittsburR district, but that they
would probably consent to hold one II all tho
operators OF the four States Of Pennsylvania.
Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois would take part in 1t.
Said Col. Rend:
THE voice is the voice Of Dolan, but the hand
10 the hand Of Ratchford. Dolan went away
from here last night fully favoring the pro-
has talked him over. Ratchford's reply is
very disinRenuous. He knows very we'll
! that the operators Of Indiana and Illinois
will never consent to hold a conference
with us. Once they belonged to the Interstate
Association Of operators, but they left 1t and
they have since on moro than one occasion re-
fused to do business with tho Ohio and Pitts
burg operators.
"This means war to tho bitter end between
operators and miners. The strikers demand a
% per cent increase in the wages for pick min
ing and . 80 per cent. increase in the wages for
machine mining. with the evident purpose of
destroying the utility Of the machines. But we
will beat them ut their own game. aud will de-
| feat them with the mining machines. We de-
cided last night to reopen the mines. with non
| union labor II necessary. Ratchford's refusal to
confer will only strengthen us in our determt-
nation.
I'm reopening the mines We will start up GER
tain machine mines. We will begin with them
because we shall not need 90 many men to oper.
ate thom. We can easily get enough machinists,
mine bosses. &C., to operate the machines, and
thero will be no trouble to ind plenty Of UNI
bklll0Q lhDOrot9 10 lOhu inc COAL hItcT IL
has been cut. Such workmen will flock
to the mines. for they can mako bot
ter wages than at any other untkilled
occupation. Why. Patrick Dolan himself made
95 q day when no worked for me loading ma
chine-mined coal. OF course not all can earn
that amount, for Pat was an excellent work.
man. but all can average from $3.50 to S5 q day
OF course we'll win the fight. and our success
may be the death knell Of the United Mine
Workers Union.
The operators will probably refuse to deduct
from tho miners wages the per capita tax as
sessed on them by their union. and without the
This money is squeezed from the working
miners min 'rbs and Central ws holg 5A, to % &ae, the co sSSssz
composed of W. P. Rend & Co. the sunda,
Creek Coal Company, the Northern Fuel Com
IN EantIh The last four Years deducted $4,000 from
their miners wages, and part OF this none!
wages. We had to withhold this none!
from our miners, otherwise the oficiH,
would have called q strike. II we succeed II
beating this strike we may refuse to act an!
longer as collectors for the miners officials
our mines without them next week"
At q meeting held this afternoon and to-nigh
the operators completed an organization, elect
ing Peter NJ. Hitchcock President. J. G. bysar
L io%is9 eamm aha e. WAS M; s apDo Ssesd'a ,o pre sns 10,
programme for carrying out the resolution I.
start up the mines; 4 e D{yIsart, W Rend. Z
Zcerbe, and George w. Schluederberg. The com
mittee will report to the general meeting 10
Treasurer Dysart says that the men who nov
belong to the organization represent an annus
production Of 5 o o 900 tons Of eoal. The fund
with which the operators will fight the miner
will be raised by an assessment on the tonnage
Perhaps 1t was because Patrick Dolan left 70
Columbus last night that the marching striker
did not defy the Sheriff this morning and wer,
not arrested; The programme OF marching de
sPl.s VIZ, was n noee carried I 8r out. AT ATT the TS%tIs Cree J
mine the strikers scattered themselves alonl
the road in squads Of two and three. tn
back. The strikers obeSed, and there were NJ
arrests. At Plum Creek the strikers apparently
oGeyed the deputies but slipped around by aid
paths and got to their destination. the Plum
Creek mine.
Ratchford OF the coal miners said today AZ
is no longer q fight against De Armitt. 1t Is n
longer a fight against coal operators. III
tions, q national fight for the preservation @
Mr.. Ratchford said that tho miners woul
would be employed 10 accomplish this result
The Executive Board Of the CMiled Mine Work
ing was held behind closed doors. The questio
under consideration was how to meet the sweeI
burg and in West Virginia. The members q
the committee say that they have not ys
will not complete their labors before tomorrow
They even refuse to divulge tho plans whic
one Of them is to try and induce the ~railroa
employees to refuse 70 haul any coal that
the iniunctions have given them some troubl,
the miners will DO victorious.
MINERS TRIAL IN PRoaRBss.