The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-05
STRIKE OF COAL MINERS PROM
IsEs TO BE STEBBDRN AND
PROLONGED.
NEARLY 100000 ARE OUT.
OPERATORS CAN BE BROUGHT
TO TERMS.
SOME MINES TO z tBE CLOSED
Turning the Strike IntOta lockout
West Not Seriously AZ
fected.

COLUMBUS, o., July 4-TeIegrams
received by President Ratchford, of the
United Mine Workers, today indicate
that the order for a general strike of
the miners has been complied with
generally throughout the mining dis
tricts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Western Pennsylvania and in sections
of West Virginia and Kentucky. 1t
will take several days, however, to
determine with any degree of accu-
rateness the number of men involved.
President Ratchford roughly estimates
the number at 100000, but this is re-
garded as very liberal. He is pleased
with the unanimity shown by the
miners and says that he has the great
est confidence in the successful out
come of the strike. He thinks the
prospects are better than in 1894 when
a general strike was inaugu-
rated. At that time the scale
Of prices was being paid in
many mining localities, notably West
Virginia, where majority Of the min
ers continued at work, and thereby
greatly weakened the strike. He has
hopes that the West Virginia miners
may now be brought into line, mas
much as they are receiving wages far
below the scale and their condition
is not any better than that Of the
miners in other states. The coal pro-
duction Of West Virginia has increased
so rapidly in the last few years that
the output of that state now exceeds
the output of Ohio. During the strike
of 1894 trouble was caused by the ship
ment of West Virginia coal through
Ohio, the Ohio miners endeaVoring to
stop this traffic. The railroad compa-
MES promptly applied to the state for
protection, and almost the entire Ohio
national guard was placed in the
field. President Ratchford does not
believe there will be any repetition
of these troubles in the present strike.
Special efforts are to be made to enlist
the sympathy of the West Virginia
miners. President Ratchford is en-
couraged to believe that this may be
accomplished by the fact that the min
ers have signified their intention to
strike in many places where efforts
to enlist their cooperation have failel
on previous occasions.
President Ratchford has received tel
egrams from a number of Pittsburg
operators asking permission to operate
their mines at scale prices. These re-
quests are all emphatically refused, as
it would work an injustice not only
to other operators, but their miners
as we'll.
AS to the probable duration Of the
strike, President Ratchford says that
will be governed entirely by cfrcum-
stances. 1t will last several weeks
at least. The miners are in a better
position to withstand a long strike at
this time, as a great many of them
have garden products on which to sub
sist, and there will be no great hard
ships entailed such as would follow
strike in the winter. The fact that
there is fair supply of coal in stock
and the demand for domestic consump-
ton is small. will have a tendency to
prolong the suspension. The contracts
for coal for lake shipment will create
the greatest trouble. The bulk of these
contracts are held by Pittsburg opera
tors, but the Ohio operators also have
a fair share. The Ohio operators have
not yet held a conference to consider
the matter, but are considerably wor-
ried. While they say the strike is i'll
timed and likely to fiZZle out, they will
close down their mines for short
time, at least until they can determine
how general the suspension is. A par
tial suspension only in the Pittsburg
district would be ruinous to their bus
mess should the Ohio miners refuse
TO work