New-York tribune., 1901-07-19
NOT DISCOURAGED AT wILKEsBARRE
WILL SEEK TO GET MEN TO LEAVE MINE
WORKERS UNION.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

IBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUSE.J
Wilkesbarre. Penn. July 1S.-The striking fire.
men here, while disappointed at the action of
the United Mine Workers executive committee
in ordering the fremen who belong to the
miners union back to work. declare that it only
makes their task a little harder, and that now
they will induce the firemen who are in it TO
leave the miners union and join the Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Stationary Firemen. They
report that advices from various parts of the
region where the hremen not yet strike
declare that all of them realize the advantage
to be gained by belonging TO a union composed
Of their own class of workrnen only, and that in
the course of a couple of weeks all of them will
be thoroughly organized fremen. and not as
united mine workers AS to their ability to keep
the mines idle until their strike is won. they
have no doubt.
This evening ]. A. Gerrity. the State secre-
tary. received telegram from President Com
pers of the American Federation of Labor.
profferring assistance and indorsing the stand
OF the fremen. and this has greatly heartened
them. small riot at the Maltby colliery of
the Lehigh Valley Coal Company, at Matby.
across the river from here. is the first violence
since the strike began. and the fremen not
to blame for It, number of breaker boys and
sympa thizers OF the firemen being concerned in
II. The company obliged TO shut down it's
colliery because the union men could not
keep up steam, and this caused a crowd to
gather and hoot the mine workers they
from the mines. A few minutes later.
when the non-union iremen left the boiler
rooms on a change OF shift. the crowd shouted
"Scab"' and threw some stones few OF the
fremen We're struck, but none were seriously in
jured They back TO the shelter Of the
boiler house. and the alarm was sent 10 the
general office OF the company in this city. Chief
Trescott of the coal and iron police and four
men sent to the scene. All were armed
with big revolvers and displayed them freely.
The crowd jeered them. but orderly. and
no further trouble is anticipated.
The Susquehanna Coal Company succeeded
this morning in starting the No. mine by al-
Ing the frerooms with clerks and inducing few
mine workers outside hands, TO take the places
of the striking fremen The strikers leaders
at once filed a complaint with President Nichols
about this and he promised 10 investigate the
matter and remove the men. Their presence in
the strikers places caused much bitterness and
there is considerable friction between the two
unions this account. and owing 10 the order
issued by the executive committee. Most OF the
companies still find it difficult to keep steam
up at their coeries. and the pumps are not
doing all the work the mines require. of
! them being idle half the time.
The Delaware and Hudson brought some nom
union men here from Scranton in the night. and
they registered at the Exchange Hotel. but they
were ordered Several men from other dis
tricts have been placed in the Delaware and
Hudson firerooms to-day, but even they have
been unable to keep the water down. and il is
gaining. The big coal companies put
ting the screws to the individuals and the inde-
pendent companies which granted the demands
of the fremen and a consequence this morn
ing cars refused to the Clear Spring and
the Parrish companies the latter having granted
the demands only yesterday. The company, of
course. could not mine coal This effort to force
the miners into ideness and prevent the fire
reaping the fruits of their effort for shorter
hours shows the anmus of the corporations.
The trust evidently intends to break the fire
mems organization If it can. and in resorting to
such efforts stopping the cars for the small
companies openly displays its intention
A crowd Of breaker boys this evening stoned
the strikers and the non-union men at the
Sugar Notch mine, and struck several OF them.
The strikers doing all they to dis
countenance these assaults and this evening
went to the rescue of the non-union men, and
! drove the boys away. general meeting Of
the stationary engineers and the pumpmen of
the district has been called for Saturday after
noon Pittston.