The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-23
THE DEMMER MILL IDLE.
steel Strikers Speculate Over the
Trusts Intentions.


McKEESPORT. Pa. Aug. -5.--The striE-
ors here believe now that uo attempt VIII
ue made for while yet To- open the
Demmler tin plate mill and most of the
hundreds of men who remained near the
mill the night before last yesterday. and
l last night have returned Ju their homes
| Today only double line OF pickets guards
the plant The strikers came To the con-
cluSiOu that PittsbUrE would be the scene
| OF operation for while vet. when a
! traiUload OF laborers went through here,
and no attempt was made 70 take any OF
/ them into the mill
The appearance Of the train at the Bal
/ timore and Ohio depot created intense ex-
{ element The train included two coaches
filled with blacks and whites Il stopped
/ at the Locust Street depot for a few min
| uteS and the pickets Swa-med about il.
| When il was seen that the greatest num-
| bor OF the men were negroes a murmur
arose
| The negroes stuck their heads out Of the
| windows and, In reeply 10 the queries Of
| the pickets, they told so many conflicting
! stories that the belief became general that
! they were intended for the Demmler plant
! Word was sent 10 DemmIer for the men
| there TO get ready and when the train
| pulled slowly into DemmIer il ran between
/ cordous Of armed strikers six deep all of
! them holding some sort OF weapon. The
! train did not stop. It pulled slowly
! through and went on 10 Pittsburg.
After that excitement had died out it
| was found that there were no men at 4. II
in the Demmlor mill except a Iaborer or
| two, three furnace men. and an eIectri-
clan. There were only three furnaces GO
ing.
! There was a meeting Of the lap weld
crs from the tube mill at Armory Ha'L
last night at which the strikers Of that
department We're o.ranized into the Fed
Grafton of Labor. meeting viii be held
tonight at which L is proposed TO push
the project of forming the Senate OF La
I bor.
Ii is announced that three members of
every mill and trades union I'm this city
Will attend the meeting The men Of the
. Seamless Tube plant will be paid of to-
morrow and it looks now as if the mills
! were Just settlT down fo- a long siege
except the Demmlor plant. OF this mill
one Of the strike leaders said today:
The 0emmler plant is one Of the
/ strongest unioa plau-s of the tin plate
combine and il Will not be given up by the
strikers without bitter struggle. 1 look
forward to an attempt TO start the mil
with no little misgiving. for the old en-
pIoyes are determined 20 intercept any
n'n-uniou men who may be imported
There seems TO be little doubt hut that
some move viii be made by the DeumIer
officials before the present week is ended
think the officials want To try the tenn
per of the strikers before making q direct
attempt When they find now deter
mined tine men are here ! think they will
abandon efforts TO start any OF the Nc
| keesport plants"
The total Of tho money subscribed for
the strike fund today is S552.
Mayor Black arrived home from At
lautic City this morning lie said that his
absence had no significance. Il was
tired he said. ''aud went away for
rest and my wife knew where / was go
ing"
The mules and horses used in the tube
works have been sent out Of the city TO he
kept ou farms until the strike is settled.
This indicates that the tube plant is pre-
pairing for a long shutdown. Many a
striker who would have been reduced 10
beggary by the middle Of next week finds
himself placed beyond want for another
two weeks perhaps By the money that is
being paid out by the mills today But
after that there will be much want and
/ consequent TuUtTluE- " NnaI Is meant br
the announcement that the mills would
pay out the last money a week in advance
is the subject OF considerable discussion.
Some say that they are making anvas
OF their men TO find out how many want
TO return 70 work and how many are for
the strike.
Those who favor the strike It is said
Will De summariIy discharged The others
VIII probably be kept on the rolls, pending
the reOpening Of the mills. Some persons
say that the payment means that a
/ speedy reOpening Of the mills is c0ntem-
plated because Of the payments. but men
in the confidence Of the trust say that
unless Mr. Shaffer capitulates. the tube
mills at any rate, Will remain closed for
Z a long time. When the men are reduced
by want 70 act for themselves the big
body Of reluctant idIers are expected 20
apply 70 the manufacturers for work.
This application vii, certainly be listened
20 and when the str kers themselves have
been forced by the greater body into TAX
ing the same step fl is probable that the
mills will be reopened with a reduction Of
from 10 to 20 per cent IN wages
3 AUTOMOBILE GUN CARRIAGES.