The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-10-23
STRIKEMUSTENDSOON
Generally Believed it Will Close
Sometime During the Week.
The Operators Are Losing Their
Trade, and the Strikers Can
Not Afford to Hold Out a
Great While Longer.

SCRANTON, Ia, OcJ. 19.-bepreSeHla-
tives of nearly all the big coal COM
panies of the region conferred here
Thursday and made an agreement to
amend the notices already posted by
attaching the following:
In further explanation of the above
notice, this company desires to say
that it is its intention to pay the adj
vance in wages above noted until
April 1, 1901, and thereafter until fur
Their notice"
The following statement was issued
to the press:
The Representatives of the larger
coal companies, after their meeting
Thursday afternoon, stated in reply to
inquiries that they had offered their
men a ten per cent. advance, as indi-
Gated by the notices they posted; that
this notice specially stated that the
reduction of powder from $275 to
$50 would be considered in arriving
at the wages of their contract min
eIs.
1T was expected when the notices
were posted that the offer was to
stand until April l, and indefinitely
thereafter, but inasmuch as there
seems to be some misunderstanding in
this matter, they have agreed to add
to their notice a clause to the effect
that it is their intention to pay the
advance in wages until April l, 1901,
and thereafter until further notice"
The conference was held in the of
fee of the Temple Iron Co., in the
board of trade building, and was well
attended by the operators.
National President Mitchell. District
President T. B. Nichols, District Sec
rotary John T. Dempsey and National
Organizer Fred Dilcher, of the United
Mine Workers, have all been quoted as
saying that the resolutions of the
Scranton convention contemplated
straight advance of ten per cent. for
all parts of the region, and that the
matter of having this increase made
up in part by decrease in the cost of
powder in these upper regions, where
powder is sold for $2.75 key, was not
TO be agreed to. The powder ques-
ton, they one and all said, was left
out of the present negotiations, with
the understanding that it should form
one of the grievances to be adjusted in
the conferences which the offer says
the operators agree to have with their
men to take up any grievances they
may have"
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Oct. 2Z.-The gem
eral belief here is that this week will
see the windup of the strike The
strikers do not admit this openly, but
it is the feeling that the lockout can
not be continued much longer. Both
sides are expected to make conces-
sions. The operators say they have
none to make, but under certain pres
sure they are expected to make them
nevertheless. The politicians have
had their say in the negotiations
looking toward a settlement, and
now the sales agents of the big coal
companies and the retail dealers in
the big cities are taking a hand.
They are writing and telegraphing
every day to the coal companies that,
unless something is done very soon TO
bring the strike to an end, and an eff
fort made to get some hard coal on
the market at saleable figures, the an
thracite trade viii be demoralized for
years to come and some of it will be
lost forever.
One sales agent writes: %One of
my largest customers tells me that
consumers are getting to like bitumi-
nous coal and that they think they
will keep on using it,
1t is such as these that make the
operators just as anxious to settle
the strike as the miners. But the
strikers must make the biggest con-
cessiOn, and there is every reason to
believe that they will do it before
the week is out Many of the miners
out on strike argue this way: LET
us accept the latest offer of the COM
panies and settle the powder ques-
ton later on. If we return to work
we are sure to get an increase over
the wages paid an the past. no mat
ter how the operators try to figure it
out, and we can afford to bide GUN
time for the settlement of the now
der issue"
Or course, there is some opposition
TO taking this position There are
some strikers who favor holding ont
until every demand is granted. but
this class is not in the majority. They
are men who own their own homes
and have their larders well filled for
the winter. They can afford to hold
out against the companies. but the
bulk of tine miners can not.
President Mitchell is now thoroYOb-
~ acquainted with the condition of
affairs in the Wyoming and Tacka-
wanna regions, and as late as SUNDAY
he told one of the Luzerne county Of
Ulcers of the United Mine Workers
who is in Hazleton that he wodld not
stand IN the way of settlement.
HARDNESS Won KetteIer Mt Home.
Detroit, Mich, Oct. 22.-Baroness
Won Ketteler, widow of the murdered
on, 4. L