The Portland daily press., 1900-09-25

slopes today. The United Mine Workers
have been working hard to get the Lat
timer men to quit. The most OF the
other collieries in the Hazleton district,
which have not been shut down entirely,
reported that their working forces had
been more or less increased. This the
labor people declare to be untrue.
President Mitchell in discussing the
situation in the entire strike region to-
night saids
Reports received by me today from
the lower anthracite (SchuylkiII) region,
Indicate that at least 1000 mine workers
joined the strikers today. A large num-
ber of these came from the Reading com
pany's mines. In the Lehigh region
were made large gains. 1 have not re-
ceived definite figures, but 1 should judge
that the number of men heretofore work.
ing and who did not go into the mines
in this district today, numbered between
600 and 800.
''The meeting held on Sunday by the
United Mine Workers at which men who
had not struck were strongly urged to
help in the fight, bore fruit AS whole,
feel more encouraged tonight than [
have at any time since the strike begun
and am confident that within the next
few days the entire anthracite coal field
in Pennsylvania Will be idle. At no place
did we lose man.
In regard to the efforts of Archbishop
Ryan of Philadelphia, to bring about
settlement through arbitration, Mr..
Mitchell said:
Archbishop Ryan Will call upon the
Presidents of the various railroads, which
have mining interests in this region at
the request of the United Mine Workers
ana will tender his good offices in the
struggle. If the officials refuse to meet
His Grace it Will certainly demonstrate
their insincerity in publicly declaring
their willingness to treat with their men
and will place them in the same position
as that once occupied by Mr.. Vanderbilt,
who very forcibIy said that the public
had no interests which a corporation was
bound to respect.
When Mr.. Mitchell was asked If the
striking miners had received any bene-
fits from the United Mine Workers of
America since the strike was inaugurat-
ed. he simply said: "No.''
Mr.. Mitchell was a busy man at the
United Mine Workers. headquarters to-
day. He held numerous conferences
with organizers and others in regard to
the carrying out of plans for continuing
the fight against the operators.
There is not the slightest change in the
situation in regard to a settlement of the
labor war. Neither side has approached
the other and there is nothing in view
which would indicate that anything viii
soon be done in that direction. The
United Mine Workers are still devoting
most of their attention to getting out
the men, while the operators are doing
the best they can with their crippled
forces. Considerable interest is attached
to the answer the firm of G. B.
Markle & Co., viii make to the griev-
ances presented by it's employees. The
firm has intimated that it will make
some sort of a concession to the men,
but refuses to say what it viii be until
tomorrow, when the ten days in which
the firm was allowed to make an answer
will expire. The firm will issue long
statement in which it Will give it's an
swer and this will be made public tomor-
row night. The action of the Markle
firm viii be closely watched by other
Individual operators, and it is believed
by some who are in touch with the stu
alton that If the firm reached a satisfac-
tory settlement with its men, it might
lead other operators to open negotiations
with their employees.
q The MarkIe firm has an agreement
with it's men that If a satisfactory an
swer is not made tomorrow, the whole
matter Is to be left to two men, one to
be selected by each side, to arbitrate the
differences. II they fail to agree the two
arbitrators are to select a third person.
The United Mine Workers are opposed
to arbitration on this plan. President
Mitchell in his statement a few days
ago, said the United Mine Workers ar e
willing to arbitrate If all the negotia
tfons are carried on simultaneous Y.
The entire Hazleton region was ex
tremeIy quiet throughout the day, not a
single case OF violence was reported from
any town. A better feeling now prevails
and the fear of trouble seems to be disap
pearing. The battalion of the 9th regi-
ment which arrived at McAdOo, five
miles from here today AMI which made
a demonstration in that town and sur
rounding country, returned to Shenan-
doah at O'Clock this afternoon.
REAPING A HARVEST.