Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-01-22

Totals. 1875 $75.5OO
George II. Law. superintendent of tine
Bristol mill. had orders to run the machin-
ery, no matter how few operatives he could
command. He obeyed these instructions
and had to call upon the police to escort
him from the mill office to Il street ear when
the mill shut down. Although surrounded
Jumps of frozen earth, and followed and
jeered by crowd of 1909 men AMI
women us he walked from the mill
office. The officers had great difficulty
in restraining the excited opera
tives and their symyathizers and could
not prevent an assault upon tho mill win
dows with stones. The few operatives
in the Bristol mill escaped the crowd by
leaving by the rear doors of the mills and
crawling through a hole In the fence. The
superintendent got thorough scare and
said that he woald not open the gates nor
make any attempt to get the help in surrep-
titiously. The Bristol mill consequently
fell into line with the others and was sealed
up tight. Every one, therefore. of the y
New Bedford mills. employing 1875 persons
have suspended operations.
To maintain an unyielding fronts the APP
parent decision of both the manufacturers
and operatives. The mill treasurers have
settled down for IL long wait. have unshipped
weights and belts and pulleys, and 1t Will be
q struggle of non-nterest earning capital
against idle labor. Tho strike will
be test of the endurance OF the mil
lions invested in the mills and the
few dollars that will be paid weekly to
sustain the lives Of those who are lighting
tho battle. With this prospect there is no
reason to expect any settlement for at least
two weeks. The nOn-rnion wearers and
carders deriving no benefits from the funds
Of the organizations will draw their
pay next Saturday for last weeks work.
They will accordingly have money
enough for their support during the en-
suing week, and not until Il week from
Monday will there be cause for immedi-
ate worry over tho source Of the next meal.
After that the non-union operatives will be
put to the most severe straits and II they
can withstand the temptations OF the silent
and empty mills the victory will he greater
than was won at the start. The only fear OF
the leaders Is that there may be no way to
supply food to the non-union weavers and
carders when their own wage OF next Satur-
day has been exhausted. and thus hunger may
make breaks in the now solid ranks OF those
resisting the reduction. There Is apparently,
however, no cause for any family OF strik-
ing operative suffering from lack OF food or
| fuel, us Mayor Ashley states that the city IS
able to take care Of any impoverished peo-
pie, and will do so.
BIDDEFORD, Me-. Jan. Fl The situation
among the operatives Of the Pepperell and
Laconia mills has gloomy outlook, and the
companies are stripping for long fight.
There has been complete shut down in
both mills, not wheel turning In either
place after an hour or two showed that sufti-
| Client help would not be on hand to pay for
running. The speed will not be started in
| any of the mills again until the troubles are
| settled, but the gates will be opened for the
cloth hall eGployes, who are clearing up the
| finished product on hand and the few W )rk-
| men who have been set ut work unhanging
belts and weights and preparing the ma
| chinery for q season OF disnse. Follow
| ing the advice of the officers of the
national organization. the mule spinners
| took no initiative i'm any movement tend
ing toward strike. They are the
best organized Of the 34OO operatives OF
the two Biddeford corporations, ana In
| former industrial troubles here much has
depended upon their action. In the present
instance they were powerless. The money
paid out by the Pepperell and La
COMA mills to their employees every
fortnight is chiefly what keeps Bidde..
ford business affairs moving. and
this shut down is greatly to be deplored by
tiyes did all they could to prevent
strike. though they are firm in the belief
| that the cut down Is unnecessary in Biide-
ford's well managed mills. whose stock has
| so long been quoted far above par. The re-
duction in the York mills, Saco, has gont
into effect. and no resistance will BIO made
by 1900 operatives. The reduction range:
| from 10 to II per cent, and some OF the ma
chinists will be cut, from S11 so to -. The
only disturbance took place in front Of the
Laconia counting room when number oil
cloth hall workers went into the mill 10 take
care of the cloth which had been left when
the strikers went out As they passed into
the building. they were pelted with snow.
balls, pieces Of lee and sticks and greeted
with Misses Deputy Marshal Mogan was
notified and speedily restrained the excited
| operatives.
| LEWISTON, Me-, Jan. 2i-rhe reduction
Of 10 per cent. in the wages Of the cottor
mills operatives OF this city has gone Into Ell
feet and the prospect is dark fol
the mills however, as usual, ex.
cept in the Androscoggin mills. The mills
in this city affected by the cut down
are the Bates. Continental, Hill, An
droscoggin. Bleachery and Dye works.
In Auburn the reduction takes effect in the
Barker mill. A Lewiston operative says the
average pay Of the smart wesvors IN the
Bates mill is now about SO or 81. In the
Androscoggin they are getting q little more
The speeders and card grinders do not gel
as much on an average. 1t Is said but man
who is an operative says that he has earned
$ll.lO in two weeks. The real cause
OF the strike of the Androscoggr
weavers Is not SO much that the wages
have been reduced As that the number o.
looms have been cut down. What will as
much as anything tend to put speedy enc
to the strike Is the fact the grocers have de
cided not to give credit to the people EN-