New-York tribune., 1900-09-20
BREAK IN COAL STRIKE.
OPERATORS SEE 4 SPEEDY
ENDING.
MANY MEN TO RETURN TO WORK To-
DAY, THEY sAY-sTTUATION STILL
CRITICAL IN SOME DISTRICTS.
IsY TELEGRAPH TO rzz rRrsrxzI


statement is correct. the first break in the big
strike is the poInt OF taking place and Il IN
dicates to them a speedy ending They believe
that as soon as the men strike begin
70 return % work the heart OF the revolt from
the operators rule viii fail The reports re-
ceived by the mine owners in this city to-day IN
dictate that many ~ the men are already tired
OF the strike. and. feeling that it cannot be sue
cessful as it stands. want 70 work The
Pennsylvania Coal Company has received appli-
cations from 420 men for work and protection:
the Moosjc Company has been asked by 1JO men
This afternoon 40 Lithuaniaus met in the
cellar Of their church at Mahanoy City and de-
cided to return 20 work. They are Philadelphia
and Reading men. The miners from summit
branch after marching 70 WIliamstown and
failing To get the men there 10 strike. marched
back and decidsd 10 90 work in the morning
At the Burnside CoIliery at Tamaqua CPhiIadsI-
phia and Readingl. 80 men have promised 70
60 back 70 work in the morning The fremont
and Tower City mines OF the Philadelphia and
Reading, the Lost Creek AM Cranberry mine.
and the Lattimer Of Pardee. are all working
with more men to-day than they have had
since the strike began. the men in the Shenau-
dOah region refuse TO quit work, and the striE-
ers failed signaIly 70 get the men al the West
End district 10 90 out The operators give this
array Of facts this evening as evidence that the
strikers ara beginning to lose ground. and thar
10 Offset this they have made but slight gains
at a few places One OF the operators said this
afternoon
7 consider the situation encouraging The
complete tie Up predicted has not mater1alized
and the strike mas not long 10 last While II Is
seemingly general here. il must by means
be considered lasting. for the larger percentages
OF Jne men nave gone OUT sOIeiy 70 ma out Ine
unions strength They now see the situation
clearly and are willing TO return rather than
deprive themselves Of further earnings The
fact that the men in the lower end have not
come out with JEem has had a discoUTagtnG
effect on the real strikers. and their ranks viii
speedily lessen The mine workers are resOrtinE
TO every means possible to bring the SChuyikill
and HazIaton men out but I do not think they
viii succeed IF they remain at work in the
lower region do not think the strike viii last
longer than the middle Of next week The third
days outlook is certainly a very gloomy one TO
the strike leaders
on the other hand the strikers report sub
stantiaI gafrs in the Hazleton district and the
closing OF the Harvood Mine. the shutting down
oS the No. 6 and Hoyt shafts OF the PennsyIva-
mia Coal Company. at Pittston, this morning;
the reduction in the forces at several coIHsries
in the SchuyIkfII region and slight Increase IN
the Tamaqua region They assert that the
conditions ara growing more favorable each day.
The operators dispute the claim OF President
Mitchell who asserts that 11S00O men are On
strike. AMI say that betwees- $500 and 5000
men are out In this region the strikers made
gain by inducing the men at the Hoyr and No
shafts of the Pennsylvania Coal Company. AZ
Ptttston. to remain away from work, and these
men did SO this morning; but their appeal later
to Vice-Prezident Thorne for work and protec-
tion was evidence OF their feeling The West
End Coniery worked all day with full force.
and remains thorn in the side Of the union
being the only coIIiery in all the upper coal
! field where any work is being done
FAILING To START \ UNION
Last night President Nichols and four organ
fzers failed in their efforts 10 start n union and
met with little favorable response 10 their sf-
forts interest the men in strike matters, Only
| thirty out Of the five hundred attended the
meeting This morning when The breaker
whistle blew at O'Clock the union people. num-
beriug about fifteen. went toward the river
| bridge leading TO the breaker Many men were
halted on the way 10 work and asked 10 20 on
strike and become members Of the union. but
all refused 10 listen except ten. and went %
their work as usual Work was delayed about
| thirty minutes. due 10 the stopping OF the men.
| The Polish employees of the mine held a picnic
| on Saturday, when several labor leaders wanted
70 address them on the strike question; but the
| PoIanders refused 10 permit 1t. claiming that
they had good Jobs and did nor want 10 strike
The labor leaders insisted on speaking. where
/ upon the PoIanders drove them out of the grove
/ with a fusiIade OF stones. The company fears
no trouble with its men If they are let alone bJ
/ the labor leaders The vasherv is being run
night and day. and the breaker "a kept busy
/ nearly all day
/ The merchants of ShickshInny are with ths
company and derounce strike talk in hitter
/ terms. They say t the men quit work they viii
/ Quit giving them trust. Just now caravans o.
/ farmers wagons numbering as high as thirty
/ in a row at one time. pass 10 and fro through
4 Shickshinuy hauling the winter supply OF coal
Many OF these farmers come from as far as thirty
/ miles back OF Shickshi2ny. where coal cannot -
+ transported by railroad The only place IN this
district where there has been serious trouble Il
/ at the North American Coal Company washery.
/ along the mountain near Luzerne Borough The
/ men there have been driven from their work BY
/ strikers from adjoining mines. and the officials
/ have made a second appeal 20 Sheriff Harvey
/ asking him 70 send deputies 10 guard the wash
/ cry. They claim that yesterday tWO men wsFs
/ severely injured during an attack made by ths
/ strikers but refuse 70 give their names. The
/ sheriff has been in the HazIet9n district all the
week. has not answered their demands, and
/ they have been compelled 10 stop work They
/ saw however that they pay taxes and viii have
I protection Except for This case and the
/ quest OF the Coxes I'm the Haz-stou region.
/ sheriff Harvey has had no demands for aid He
has not decided whether IN either case II Is nee
/ essary 70 send men
/ WOMEN ASSAULT a WATERMAN
/ A vatchrnan at the Mount Lockout couiery oc
! the Temple Iron and Coal Company was as
sau,ted by a number ~ women this morning.
i They bornbarded him with stones. Tin cans and
/ overrfpe fruit until ne was compelled TO take
/ refuge in the Office This has been the only
+ case of violence in the last days. and il is