The herald., 1897-07-19
TROUBLE
BREWING
In the Pittsburg Mining
Region
MANY MEETINGS HELD
And Women Goad the Men to
Action
"A DEMONSTRATION IN FORCE
rs NOT UNLIKELY TO LEAD Tq
BLoODSHED
A DEMONSTRATION IN FORCE
IS NOT UNLIKELY TO LEAD TQ
BLoODSHED
Mining Operators Making Preparas
tions to Start Their Works With
New Men-The Situation
Grows Very Critical
Associated Press Special wire.

PTrTSBURG, Pa, July 1S.-The eventU
ef toda y in he Pittsha1rg mining d!strsc!.
indicate that there Isl trouble ahead.
The strike has been on for two weeks
without cause for alarm in any quarter,
but today the pangs of hunger and mutt
terings of discontent have taken tangt-
BILE form and before morning 1000 men
will have marched on Cannonsburg. tie
objective point being the Boone and Al
lison mines. A few days ago the oper-
ators OF these mines made requisition
on the sheriff OF Washington county Tor
additional deputies. It is supposed that
there are at least thirty deputies at each
mine. we'll armed for any friction that
may take place.
Today the miners Of Millers and Tom
Run district held mass meetings The
men employed in the slope and Bridges
vihle and in No. and No. and Steene's
mines met at Bridgeville- Cecil was the
scene of meeting of LAUREL Hill's No.
2 and No. 4, Creedmore and Bishop
mines and the ddggers employed In the
Standard and Ellsworth mines at Mil
ler's Run also held q meeting. The
gatherings were attended by men. wom-
en- and children. The women did not
lag in the interest taken. Many OF them
openly branded their husbands as cow
ards. They argued that they might AZ
we'll fight as starve. The men said the
victory could bewo provided every coal
miner employed in the esctions where
the Lake was supplied would join the
general movement of idleness.
Plans for bringing out the miners en-
ployed in the Boone and Allison mines
were discussed. Special committees were
sent from one meeting to the other. It
was decided to march on the Cannons-
burg mines tonight.
The Reissing brass band and the Cecil
drum corps were engaged and the march
across the country on. The procession
will be made up of three divisions from
the different sections. They will mobil-
ize at Bridgeville and take up the tramp
of sixteen miles across the country. A
miner who was very enthusiastic over
the plan said there would be at least 1000
men in line. 1t was learned late tonight
that the scheme had been in process Of
formulation for several days 1t was
talked of several days ago and got to
the ears of the operators of the Cannons-
burg mines, hence their decision to in
crease their force of deputies. Whether
the miners will go armed is not known
as yet, but they expect to be at the mines
when the offending diggers are ready to,
go to work and will use every influence
possible to keep them from going into
the mines. Most of the most conserva-
tive of the leaders claim that there will
be no bloodshed. They say that when
the colliers see such big demonstration
they will come out and retain their man
hood. Every effort was made to keep
the movement a secret for fear the dep
uties at the mines would be further in
creased. Just what the result will be 1t
is difficult at this hour to tell. The men
are known to be semi-insane on the
strike question. They have been goaded
on by suffering wives, daughters and
sweethearts, and it appears as If 1t II
the beginning of the end of the strike.
The negotiations to induce the coal
operators of this district to sign uni
formity agreements are still going on.
The commissioners having it in charge
feel as If they would be able to accom-
plish it. Secretary Frank Schmidt said
tonight that the prospects were brighter
than they have been since negotiations
began. He said that within the next few
days powerful influences would be
brought to bear upon the operators with
the strikers in the present condition, the
indications are for successful consum-
nation of the agreement.
AS an evidence that the operators arc
not counting on arbitration, it was an
ncunced tonight by a prominent oper-
ator that if the strike in West Virgins
does not prove successful the Pittsburg
operators will make an effort, early next
week to start their mines at the SO cent
rate, the rate now asked by the strik-
ers They will claim that If they are
willing to pay the price that the law
must protect them in the operation Of
their mines.
RATCHFORD'S VIEWS
COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 1S.-Presi-
dent Ratchford today summed up the
strike situation In an interview as fol-
lows:
'The manner in which the miners are
conducting themselves commends itself
to the country and gives their officers
renewed encouragement and strength-
ems the belief that victory will ultin1ate~
ly crown their efforts.
The history of Industrial strife has
no parallel to the present movement.
Deputy marshals coal and iron police
and secret detectives have been at work,
but their presence has failed to incitS
the miners to acts of lawlessnesp. nor
even to resumption Of work 1heIG