Evening star., 1900-10-11
Indications That the Miners Strike
Will Be Continued.
CONVENTION MEETS TOMORROW
Prospect That the Radical Element
Will Control 1t.
OPERATORS MEETING ALSO
Special From q Stan Correspondent.

SCRANTON, Pa, October lion the eve
of the miners convention which is TO de-
eide whether it Is to be peace or war next
week in the anthracite region all fndlca-
tions point steadily to continuance OF the
strike and the beginning of turbulent
scenes. Only the exeition OF a powerful
influence IA the convention can change the
situation for the better, and at this time
there seems to be no such influence in sight.
People in this region look forward with
the gravest apprehension to the possible
events of next week Any sudden turn in
the direction Of q settlement would be wei
coined as relief from d threatened calamity.
Every one realizes the boundless possibiil-
ties of trouble if the strike keeps up and
extends to other branches of industry which
even now are restless.
For The moment at least President Mitch
ell seems to have lost control of the situa-
tion. The radical element among the
miners have taken the bit in their teeth.
and even Mitchell himself is being swept
along in the stampede.
II has been claimed and reiterated by the
operators that Mitchell promised them'
when The 10 per cent advance was offered,
to use his influence for its acceptance by
the men. 1t is believed that he was in IA
vor of il at first and when he called this
convention.
Mitchell Changes His Mind.
Since reaching Scranton, however, he has
declared that the offer as It stands Is un-
satisfactory to the men and must be amend
ed and broadeEed. He felt the widespread
sentiment existing and increasing among
the workingmen against acceptance, and.
finding it impossible to stem the tide for
the present, is going with 1t.
The principal cause for apprehension In
this region lies in the possibility of the
radical element getting the upper hold in
the convention and making the demands so
strong that the operators will not even con
slider them. The coal operators say that II
ii turns out that way. they will attempt to
start the mines next week. They claim
that there are enough miners opposed TO
continuing the strike. and who want to
work To begin operations, and that they
will no longer allow their properties to
stand idle. In that event 1t will be fight.
The union men will not permit the strike TO
be broken while, as they claim, they are
conducting negotiations for it's settlement.
The coal operators are bringing guards
and arms into the region; deputies are be-
ing sworn into service by the sheriffs of
the several counties; the militia in all the
mining cities under standing orders now
and the armory here is guarded day and
night.
Miners Are Armed, Too.
AS for the miners themselves, they will
not be found defenseless: the little rifle at
Oneida yesterday demonstrated that. Here
tofore ii has always been the miners who
bit the dust when they clashed with the
deputies but yesterday the casualties were
among the latter.
The miners are elated with the success of
the strike movement, and this feeling may
be carried to excess which will lead them
into unreasonable demands. The coal op-
orators were unwilling to believe until 1t
was demonstrated that the strike would be
SO extensive. They have hardly recovered
from their astonishment and dismay.
Relief from the threatening situation lies
in two directions:
First further concessions by the opera
tors
Second the control of the convention by
the conservative miners.
1t is known here that the operators are
now meeting in New York to consider the
first proposition. Strenuous efforts are be-
ing made by the strike leaders to accom-
plish the second result.
What the outcome will be cannot be ac-
curately forecasted at this time. The whole
situation may clear up quickly at tomor-
rows meeting If it does not, 1t will grow
rapidly worse. N o. NJ
HAZLETON, Pa, October III. s. Wentz
& Co., operating the collieries at Hazle
Brook and Silver Brook today posted no.
tees offering a 10 per cent increase in
wages All the companies and individual
operators in the HazletOn district, with the
exception of G.. l.. b. Markle & Co., have
now posted notices of an increase of wages
to their employees.