The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-20
STRIKING MINERS N!!sl.
{ IN LUMBER CAMP


Nick Murtagh, Of Local Base Ball
Fame, Writes a Breezy Letter OF
the Doinss Of a oang Of Carbon
dalians Who Are Cutting Timber
in Cameron County--James Grier,
Pat Rooney and Mart McAndrew
Kill a "Grizzly" Bear-More Of
Their Experiences from Nick O. the
Woods.
Nick MurtaghGNick. the manager or
Murtagh,s base ball Indians-Nick, the
humorous and mirthful, ready reciter
of Shakespeare and Goldsmith-sends
greetings to. CaTbondale friends. from
out of the depths of the wilds of Cam
eron county. In characteristic letter,
he describes the changed life that
score of striking miners are undergoing
cutting timber in the thick Pennsyl-
vania forests.
Nick writes ili free. breezy style,
that smacks of the wild country that
surroatilds. What he says, Is news that
will Interest number of families from
CarttDndale.. so The Tribune reproduces
the tnost interesting and entertaining
partyof his letter. .r..
= ,Perha ps it would be well to make the
preface that the sturdy young men who
are Iii THE camp have sustained the ira
iitiUns uf .Carbondale. They have fig
,,red:in the most thrilling. experience OF
the camp this season. Three of them,
James Grier, Patrick Rooney and Mart
McAndrsw, Killed a bear which tackled
C;rers&, Another, Mart Lynch is the
best l,fsi1 p the woods: he felled the
biggest tree laid low this year, over
seven feet in circumference.
The camp is located in the mountains
at Arksill.
''To these mountains writes Nick. II
wculd have to refer you to Oliver Gold
smith. where he says, in The Deserted
Village: 80
Those matted woods. where birds for
get to sing.
And drowsy bats in clumsy cluster
cling:
Where, at each STEP the stranger fears
The rattling terror of the vengeful
snake
"This is as good description as I
could give. for rattlesnakes are as thick
as grasshoppcrs: but they. are harm
less-if you keep safe distance from
them.
Pat Rooney and Jimmie Grier had
an encounter with. one of the inhabit-
ants of the mountains that they call
now. what do they call them?' Oh, yes!
Grizzly bears. We have so many wild
things here, a man is apt to get wild
himself trying to remember and dodge
them. Had it not been for big Mart
McAndrew, who from the lookout came
to their assistance with an axe and
soon conquered the foe, we might be
in mourning at this writing.
There was great rejoicing in camp.
when they brought in their trophy.
Grier. in describing the combat, said
he would rather tackle Radigan any
time than old grizzly.
LAS for music. we have bear, rattle
snakes, wild cats and whip-o'-wills.
There are sixteen Carbondale boys
here. all working and in good health.
There is plenty of work in this part Of
the country-if man wants it. Our
motto is, Work, Eat and Sleep This
is as good as any, when we're ninety
five miles from civilizations; in the very
center of the wilderness. Most of the
boys intend to stay until after the
strike-and perhaps some will come
hack millionaires. Wages are between
S1.aO and $3.50 day, board thrown in.
Board is as good as they put up in any
hotel in any part OF the country. OF
course, we haven't got indigestion, any
of us. from eating angel food. But
angel food will hardly carry man up
perpendicular mountain. 40
I'm regard to the rumor of our scab-'
bng up here, it is all lie. We were
union men when we left Carbondale,
and we are still union men. and will
continue to be. Some of the hoys went
back home because the work was too
hard for them, or either they didn't
care % tackle it. The man who brought
us mere transported us in style and
TOOK fine care of us. l intend to stay
sail winter, If I can manage to get the
best of the insects that swarm the
camp. We have to use coal oil for the
Tost athletic of the mosquitoes. We
have queer shoes. We wear spikes i'm
the soles. eight or nine inches long, to
prevent us from falling off this perpen-
dicular mountain They are worn laced
to the knee. The price is $5.5C-S3. 70
per hoof
'As ! write, the boys are doing their
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