The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-04
A STRIKE Is ON
AT OIAMONDVILLE
The Mines Have Been Closed Down by
the Company-On9 Thousand
Men Out of Work

For several days past the 1000 men
employed at the coal mine of the
Washoe Mining company at Diamond
vile. Wyo., the mine which supplies the
Anaconda Copper Mining company with
some of its coal have been on a strike,
the strike being ostensibly to secure
higher wages. NJ. Donahoe, general
manager of the company, on Saturday
went to Diamondville and since has
been there. 1t is understood he has or
dered the mine to close down until the
matter can be adjusted.
So far as can be learned, the strike is
the result of the company's refusal to
employ William McAllster, president CT
the Diamondville Miners union, and
one Roberts. member of the union.
The following special dispatch from
Diamondville tells of the developments
there yesterday:
Diamondville. Wyo., Dec. 3.-Not any
change regarding the strike situation.
Mr.. Donahoe, general manager of the
company, arrived here this morning
and has held numerous consultations
with the local officials of the company.
but nothing has been given out so far
for publication. 1t is said. however,
that it has been definitely decided not
to operate the mines until the strike has
been called off.
This afternoon the miners he'd an op N
meeting in the Finnish temperance hall
to place before the public their state
ment of grievances against the COM
pany. The meeting was called to order
by William McAlliSter. president of The
Miners union, who assumed the chair
and kept it during the meeting. The
audience was composed almost entirely
of strikers, their wives and Sympathiz-
ers, and the speeches, with one great
exception, were generally in favor of
the strikers McAllster, Roberts, Gas
pard. Vercell and Palm addressed the
meeting in behalf of the strikers, stat
ing their grievances to be the discrimi-
nation made by the company against
union men, and demanding that the
miners stand together and obtain rec
OgnitiOn and employment for the men,
bers of the union.
J. D. Rowland took the floor and
made the speech which was the no.
table exception. Amid Kisses. slurs
and insults. he roasted the leaders of
the union in d ringing speech, charg-
ing them with being Influenced by self
ish and improper motives in inducing
and fostering the strike. BY shrewd
and pointed questions he forced Rob
ertS and McAlliSter TO admit in so
many words thai the strike was not
on account cf any discrimination by
the company against the members Of
the union, or question of wages gem
orally, but because the company refus-
ed to employ these two particular
men. He stated that these two men
had forfeited their rights of the COM
pany, that the men did HOT deny thiS
fact, but were endeavoring to force
the company to employ them notwith-
standing that their course was selfish
and unjust to their fellow laborers
that When he (Rowland had in a for
mer strike lost his position, and sought
for work for months, he had not
sought to make further tr0Ublc by
such selfish insistences, ncr had he
asked the union TO support himself and
family, as had been done i'll .he pres
ent instance; that h. had auIght work
elsewhere and Clady taken what he
could get to do without asking his
cu-laborers to impoFerish themselves