The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-04-28
The Situation at Wardner, Idaho,
Is Not at All Encour-
aging.
BOTH SIDES ARE FIRM
A Conference Is to Be Held with
Miners-Armed Men Stationed
at Ore Dump.

strike is on, so 1t was declared yeStef-
day by order Of the Miners union. AS
the result all the men Of the Last
Chanue quit work last evening and the
mine is shut down. The union makes
a demand for 80. 90 for both muckers
and miners. It was expected that the
owners would accede to this, but today
it is reported that Sweeney. who has
lately arrived, declared that he would
pay So and $3.50, and would never
grant the unions demand. This comes
as a great disappointment to the many
who were confident that the Last
Chance would %sympathize with the
union. Mr.. Sweeney is to meet the
miners and will confer with them.
Much is said to hang upon the issue of
this meeting and it is still hoped that y
peaceable settlement may be made.
The Bunker Hill has discharged all
men suspected of belonging to the
union. Some were on.unionists, bat
have since joined, declaring that there
was nothing else left them. More than
14O union men have quit work upon
this mine, but $50 are still tallying
there, and many of the townspeople
hope that these n.unionists will keep
it in operation until the trouble is over.
The Bunker Hill also offers SO and
So. SO to muckers and miners, respect
lively, but will not recognize the union
at all. Their men have been stopped
upon the way to work and a very few
Of the timid ones turned back by the
union men. Most of them, however,
60 armed and say the whole union will
not stop them. The union men say
that help is expected from up the can.
yon, and many hint that in case Of re.
fusal upon the part of the mine owners
they will surely resort to force. The
sanguine ones still hope that trouble
may be averted.
The Bunker Hill and Sullivan have
stationed armed men upon the ore
dump, at the mouths of the tunnels and
at the mill to guard the property in
case of violence. The leaders Of the
union are making every effort to make
Wardner a union camp, and it has been
heard said that they will do SO or ruin
the town. Whether they mean a bust.
ness disaster or a destruction Of prop
erty is hard to say, but the general fear
is of a repetition Of the trying times
during the previous strike, and perhaps
worse on account Of the scarcity of
troops. The outcome Of the next few
hours is of the greatest moment.
Wardner, Idaho, April 25.-The la.
Dor strike continues with no evidence
of weakness on either side. The min.
ers have decided to concentrate their
fight on the Bunker Hill and Sullivan,
which employees about 400 men.
Twenty n%on-union men yielded to the
pleas Of the strikers and came out from
that mine today. After a long meeting
this afternoon union miners to the
number of 400 marched in a body to
the Bunker Hill and Sullivan and tried
to induce the night shift to come out.
With a few exceptions they were unsuc-
cessful. During the day Charles
Sweeney of the Last Chance met the
central committee, composed of dele.
gates from the Burke. Gem, Mullan
and Wardner unions, and offered to pay
union wages Of $3. 80 per day to min.
ers and $3 per day to other men work.
ing underground. The central commit.
tee accepted the proposition, but the
Wardner union rejected it and the Last
Chance remains closed.