Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-19
FIGHT RACES HOT:
In the Coal Producing Regions Of
the Mountain State.
DIaGERs ARE WAITING FOB DEBs.

Other Agitators Have Only . Temporary
Eject on Them-Operators and Railway
Omcials on the Stump Also and Local
Interests Waging . Hot Fight Against .
Strike-Strikers in the Pittsburg District
March Against Working Miners.
Cincinnati, July 19.-The Commercial
Tribune's special from Wheeling, w.
Va. says: Just why it is SO may be a
myFtery to some. but it is a fact never
theless that Eugene v. Debs win be able
to do more just now toward bringing out
the miners in the Paramount region than
any other man. A big meeting at Mon
ongah yesterday demonstrated this when
a local miner got up ard declared that
as soon as Debs came into the region the
men would strike. and that his influence
would be greater than all the offers Of
the operators to pay bonuses on coal
mined. This sentiment was loudly
cheered. The organizers at work there
admit that he must be brought into the
field and last night it was announced
that he will be at FairmOnt tomorrow.
Everybody wants to hear Debs Yester-
days meeting at Willow Tree school
house for hte Monongah miners was a
success as to numbers and enthusiasm,
but there was a serious cooling off Of en-
Tthusiasm after the meeting was over
and the organizers departed.
The Willow Tree Meeting.
The Monongah men will wait until to-
morrow when Debs is advertised posi-
lively to come, before taking any action.
AT yesterdays meeting by actual count
there were 324 men present, of whom all
but ten were Miners and all but about
twenty Monongah men. There was loud
cheering and lots Of it, and when a vote
to strike was called for everybodyrose
and the cheering lasted FIVE minutes.
After the meeting, however, fully fifty
Monongah men said they would go to
work as usual in the morning. The men
at O'Donnell's, Aurora, Pennington and
Bates mines are still out and will not go
back.
oOperators Looking for Strike.
The operators expect all Fairmont to
De out at the end Of the week or sooner
They threaten to close their coke ovens
and put the negroes and Italians into the
mines and this means positive trouble
and possibly blocdshed. The operators had
men at yesterday'smeetingt taking notes of
SNeAS thiAS S<4O anu zone. Coal Is too
badly needed. however, for any of the
miners to fear dismissal. The strike sem
timent is growing slowly, and Thursday
Is The limit generally placed upon work.
The railroads are rushing things and
1000 cars of coal are being shipped In
the Norfolk and Western region yester-
day the strikers made gains in some Sec
tons and losses in others. Big mass
meetings were held in Flat Top yester.
day and it looks as though four more of
the largest mines would be idle soon.
though the men dislike to give up the
good pay they are now making and are
vaciilating between desire and what
they feel to be duty.
Local Interests vs.. Labor Unions.
At Thatcher yesterday after the de.
parture of the organizers for Flat Ton
and Pocahontas, the strikers under the
influence of speeches by operators and
railroad officials voted to return to work.
Organizers viii be sent back among the
men. The Elkhorn operators believe
their men will return by tomorrow. The
contest between the representatives of
the labor organizations and the local in
terests throughout the region is terrific.
but the strikers seem to have the best
Of it.