Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1900-10-18
MARCHING STRIKERS.
A. CLASH WITH STATE TROOPS
NARROWLY AvERTED.
The Newspaper Correspondents and
Women Lead the Line OF March to
Panther Creek va1ley-Met ON the
Road After an all Night Tramp,
and at the Point of the Bayonet,
Driven Back-Strikers Crestfa1len
at Their Failure.

Lansford, Pa, October 1s.-About 1896
men and sixty women and girls marched
eighteen miles from the Southside Hazle-
ton region during the night for the Pan
ther Creek valley, where they expected to
close all of the ten collieries of the Le-
high Coal and Navigation Company. but
lust as the weary marchers were nearing
their destination this morning they were
met on a mountain road by three conpa-
MES of infantry and, at the point of the
bayonet, were driven back four miles to
Tamaqua and dispersed. Another crowd
Of 300 strikers from the N0rthside OF Ha-
zleton also marched here and succeeded
In closing the company's No. / colliery at
Nesquehoning. near Mauch Chunk. be-
fore it was scattered. The presence Of the
soldiers was entirely unexpected. ana the
strikers were much crestfallen that they
failed in accomplishing the object OF the1T
long march.
It was probably the most exciting morn.
ing that the Panther Creek and Nesque-
honing valleys have ever experienced
Strikers were scattered over the various
roads and companies of soldiers were
scurrying in all directions, heading Off the
marching men. The troops were patient
men were very careful not to commit
overt acts in the presence of the troops.
For a moment just after the two forces
met on the road in the darkness it looked
if clash would come, but the good
sense of the men in charge Of the strik-
ers prevented possible conflict.
The marchers came down like two ar
mics. The Southside army concentrated
at McAdoo and the order to march was
given at 1890 last night. There were sew
eral fife and drum corps and brass band
in the line. The women and girls WG"e
conveyed in two large OmnibuSes. Five
carriages, containing newspaper CORE
spondents who had been trailing along at
the rear of the procession, were requested
to take the lead. so that they would not
Interfere with the plans Of the strikers.
Following the newspaper men came the
two conVeyances containing the women.
and then followed a long line Of Hunga-
rians italians, Slavs and EngliSh-speak-
ing mine workers.
At a point half a mile from Coaldale
there Is a sharp turn in the road, and as
the newspaper men rounded it there came
a command of "Halt.' and about fifty feet
in front of them were soldiers, who were
stretched across the road with bayonets
fixed Sheriff Toole of Schuylkill county
was with them. The commander of the
troops. speaking to the waiting crowd
said: IN the ma me OF the people Oh tne
State of Penns ylvanla, l command you tt
diSperSe and return to where you came.
The strikers began to protest that they
could not be stopped on public highway
and many Of them showed disposition tt
resist the soldiers. The officer in charge
of the troops however. kept his men il
position and the strikers, seeing that The
soldiers evidently meant business. slowly
began returning toward Tamaqua.
Mother Jones, who was in the crowd
vehemently protested against the actor
of the trCOIs in stopping the marchers
but she was shut eff and ordered to moV'
on. The women had to be almost pushed
along so slowly did they walk. They con
tinually jCered the soldiers. calling then
all kinds CT ramcs and threatening then
with punishment If they should ever visi
McAdoo. 1t took from o'clock until t
drive the crowd back to Tamaqua.
While all this had been going on tn
NorthsiGe marChers had everything thei
own way in the Nesquehoning valley
They reached there after o'clock am
succeeded in rersuaGing enough men t
remain away from the Lehigh Valley Goa
and Navigation COn?pany's No. l collier,
to compel it's shut down. General GObil
sent two ccmpa nies of soldiers over ther
and soon had order restored.