Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-23
is AT FEVER HEAT
Excitement at Pittsburg in Coal
Mining Circles
CAUSED BY THE STRIKERS RAIDR

And BY Those They Are Contemplatine-
De Armitt L. still the Principal Thorn
In the Side Of the Strike Leaders-He
Will Fight the Recently-Passed Screen
Law ~ an Infringement Of the Right Of
Private Contract.
Pittsburg. July 23.-Excitement was
at fever heat in local coal mining circles
yesterday. The operators were appar-
emily prepared for any demonstration,
and before nightfall they were con-
WINGED that matters had taken a serious
turn. Early in the morning about 500
miners from the Finleyville district
marched on the Bunola mines, on the
river, and succeeded in bringing the
men at work out. Sheriff Lowry. Of
ready for duty at a moments notice,
and trouble is looked for at any time.
The deputies are in readiness to 60 to
the mines Of the New York and Cleve-
land Gas Coal company. A march on
the Turtle Greek, Plum Creek and
Sandy Creek mines is expected at any
time. 1t was learned from reliable au-
thority that such a march was in con-
temptation. but would not alike place
until the latter part of the week. At
Canonsburg it was reported that LOCO
men would march to the Cook mines
last night and stay there until the dig
gers came out. Sheriff Clark, of WASH
ington county, was on hand with a large
number of deputies and trouble was ex-
pected il the strikers attempted to force
the men to quit work.
Poor Success in tho Coke Region.
The miners leaders continue at work
in an effort to get the miners in the
Connellsville coke region out, but dis
patches from Uniontown and Dunbar
indicate that they are meeting with
poor success. A Uniontown dispatch
says the leaders are very much dis
heartened and admit privately that
they have failed to create any strike
sympathy. The Redstone miners, it is
claimed, will be back next week. Dun
bar dispatches say there is very little
probability that the coke region will
become factor in the strike. The new
state law to compel coal operators to
weigh the coal before it is screened. and
to pay the miners on it's basis, is to be
tested to its fullest extent. and the
whole uniformity agreement hinges
tors are putting in scales so as to weigh
the coal according to the new law, but
others are preparing to fight It.
DE Armitt Is Against the Law.
Among the latter is w. p. De Armitt.
who says the law can be abrogated by
the right of private contract. and he
intends to test it by the contract he has
with his men. Under this contract he
agrees to pay his men 81 cents per 1000
pounds for coal screened over half an
inch screen. with nothing to he paid for
coal dropping through said screen He
claims that the miners has a right TO
| mine coal to be paid for after screening.
and that the operator can also pay the
miner In this fashion. A member of the
arbitration commission said last night
| that the new anti-screening law would
cut figure in the new agreement, and
the law would be thoroughly tested
before it is Incorporated in the agree
ment.
Arbitrator Are Hard at Work.
The arbitrator were at work among
the Pittsburg operators and they are
trying every means to bring about a
meeting of the operators. So far they
| have been unsuccessful in arranging
for meeting, but it is hoped to ac-
| complish this shortly. Mayor Ford said
yesterday that he had not consented to
call meeting. and that he would not
do so although it had been suggested
to him that such a proceeding would
be the best thing to do under the cir
| cumstances.