The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-01

Now that the Archibald mines has
closed down for an indefinite period,
the momentous question which natur-
ally arises is, What next? For several
months past the hours worked In the
collieries about here have been short
and the wage return consequently
small. Then when one woulG expect
some picking up" of the anthracite
coal trade, orders come to close down
certain collieries for an indefinite
period. West Scranton which Is essen
TALLY a centre for this trade, so far
as the working is concerned, naturally
feels the first effects and for that rea-
son the expectancy of the mine work.
ers as to the future had reached high
pitch.
The main reason for the slack work
consequent upon the shutting down OF
certain collieries seems to spring from
the desire upon the part of the COM
panies who control the anthracite out
put to remain within the listed pro-
portion of each company's tonnage.
The figures for the tonnage of the fis-
cal year of 1897 show a falling off Of
about 100000 tons as compared with
1896, and yet the output exceeded the
which would have relieved this con-
gestion has been delayed this spring,
therefore active, and, in sense. severe
measures are natural result.
The Archibald mines, which were or
dered closed indefinitely the first of
this week, is owned and operated by
the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern company, and the purpose of the
rpt rpr OH &c c1p 11N ch
company operates up and down the
valley over an immense area. Many Of
the workings, however, are mined on
the royalty basis, part of which must
be paid whether operations go on or
not. These collieries will, of course, be
operated and the ones to stop will be
those which are owned in full title by
the company. Out of this latter class
the first ones to be stopped will be the
ones which will cost the least to re-
main idle and little figuring gives
one an idea of what that means here
abouts.
Though orders We're given a few
weeks ago to prepare for the introduce
tion of several needed repairs at the
Archibald Colliery, yet almost upon the
heels of this order came the one to
cease operations altogether. The miners
removed their tools, the mules have
been removed, and what was an i'm
mense hive of industry is now silent.
About 700 men and boys are thus out
of employment. Only a handful of
men, about ten in number, will be re-
tanned to care for the property. This
action adds one more name to the list
of those now idle. The Sloan, just
| across the Keyser creek, has been idle
for several weeks on account of sink
ing Of the shaft to a lower vein, and
the same reason causes the idleness of
the Central, distant about mile and
a half
Out of the 700 employees thrown idle
about So per cent are foreign-speakin
They will not be given employment
elsewhere except in a few instances.
Wherever feasible in other workings
the foreign-s speaking element will be
displaced and the idle American work
men given the places. In fact, orders
will soon go into effect along these
lines and many Of the Archibald
breaker boys will be given work at the
Pyne and Continental, which are two
other adjacent collieries.
1t is rumored that the oxford, Cay
uga and Storrs will be the ones next
in line for stoppage in this section,
Already news comes that several col
lierieS down the valley have been
closed, and all for an indefinite period
The Archibald mines had a capacity Of
aEcut 500 cars per day of ten hours,
and .aking the average schedule of ten
days to the month, one can easily see
what a falling off there will be in the
output