The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-06
BREAK AMONG
THE INDIVIDUAL
COAL OPERATORS.
Follow in the Wake Of the Big Com
panies and Railroads and Offer
an Advance in Wages! aE
STRIKEApPROACHlNG THE. END
Is the General Belief-Mitchell Will
Call q Joint Convention When all
Companies Make Same Offer.

HAZLEToN, Pm, Oct. 5.-A. Pardee
T. Co.. operating the Cranberry and the
Crystal Ridge mines and employing
about 1000 men. posted notice at its
collieries this afternoon OF an advance
Of 10 per cent in wages. The notice
reads:
"This company makes the follow
Ing announcement to Its mine en-
ployes:
"It will adjust Its rates of wnges SO
rs to pay to its mine employees on and
after October /, and until further no.
tice, net increase Of 10 per cent on
the wages heretofore received"
"NoTE-It Is understood in the
foregoing that powder will be sold to
miners for 81 80 per keg and that
the difference between this rate md
the old rate Of 50 rs shall be taken
into account in figuring the net nd
vance Of 10 per cent noted above for
this class Of work.
(signed.) "a. PARDEE & CO."
This is the first Individual operation
In the Lehlgh region that has granted
this advance and 1t is believed to in
dicate that all OF the Individual opera.
tors have agreed TO pay the advance.
A meeting was held this afternoon in
Pardee's office, of the general superin-
tendents Of all the individual collleries
in this region. 1t Is not known what
action was taken. but 1t is believed
they discussed the question OF posting
similar notices at all colllerlcs.
HAZLETON. Pa, Oct. 5.-The belief
prevalent here tonight that the an
thraclte coal strike is approaching an
end is considerably strengthened to-
day by the action Of the individual op-
orators in following the lead Of the big
coal carrying and coal mining railroads
by offering a net Increase OF 10 per cent
in the wages OF their employees. The
first break among the individual oper-
i ators In this district was made to-day
when y. Pardce. {; Company. operat-
Ing the Cranberry and Crystal Ridge
/. coll!eries. offered its employees a 10 per
( centnct Increase IN wages and n reduc-
tlon In the. price OF powder to 81 80 per
keg. The decrease In the price of pow
der Is to be taken Into account In the
advancing OF the wages. Tint four
more Of the Individual mine owners will
make the same offer Is hardly doubted.
superintendents Invited.
1t was learned to-day that before the
advance was made public by the Par
dee company. several of the general su-
perintendents OF other individual coal
companies were invited to the Pardce
companys office In this city for the
purpose. OF giving their views on the
proposed offers.
These representatives did not say
what their companies, would do, but 1t
was learned that the consensus of opin-
3 ion was that II the mine owners wish
to Keep their collleries in operation they
would have to increase the wages of
their men. None OF the superintend-
ents at the meeting would say anything
In regard to the report that the conl
carrying roads had made concessions
to the individual operators in the mat
ter Of freight rates. The representa-
tive OF the Associated Press was told
tonight by prominent mining official
who would positively know II the rail-
roads had conceded anything. that rs
far rs he knew the railroads had not
reduced the rates to any individual
company in this region
Strikers Standing Firm.
President Mitchell. OF the United
Mine Workers, Is much Interested in
the advance made by the Individual
companies. bur would say nothing for
publication. There Is strong belief
here that Mr.. Mitchell is waiting for all
the coal companies in the anthracite
region TO offer the 10 per cent Increase
before he will call joint convention
to consider the proposition. Mr.. Nit
chell would gay nothing on this par
t'cular subject. He has all along ndvo-
Gated unity Of action and It Is this that
strengthens the opinion that he Will call
the convention after all the companies
have made an offer. lie continues TO
say that the strike cannot be settled
without convention and he Is waiting
on the operators.
In the meantime the men now on
Strike. said 70 number $4,000. are not
waverlnG under the proffcrcd lncrense
in wages.
In the l.acklwnnna and Wyoming
districts not mine is working. The
conditions remain about the same In
the Lehish Valley region. while in the
schuylkilI district more men have laid
down their tools and quit.
Everything Closed Down.
SCRANTON, Pa, Oct. 5.-Therr ia no