The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-10-24
MINERS AGAIN BUSY.
Nearly Seventy Per Cent of Galleries
Are In Operation.
ENGINEERS HAVE GRIEVANCE
Many Can't Get Their Old Places,
and ms q Result Their Organi-
aatfOn Threatens War on
Coal Operators

Wilkesbarre, Pa, Oct 23.-Reports
from the entire anthracite region show
that about 81 per cent of the mines are
in operation. The collieries in the
Lackawanna district are In better
shape for working than those in any
other part of the region.
The collieries in the Wyoming region
with small output are in good shape,
being free from gas and water, but the
large mines are still hampered by wa
ter. The same condition of affairs
exists in the Lehigh region. In the
Schuylkill region the large mines are
reported to be in better condition for
working than was expected.
All the mines in operation will be
short in their normal output for a day
or so, but it is expected that almost the
full capacity will soon be reached.
After such long spell Of idleness the
miners and laborers are soft and not
capable of doing as hard days work
as when they were seasoned"
Reports are coming in from all over
the mining region that many engineers,
firemen, pumpmen, carpenters and COM
pany hands have failed to get their
places back. The old employees are
faYing better with the individual COM
panies than with the large concerns.
A delegation OF carpenters made up of
employees from many collieries in the
Wyoming region called at President
MitchelPs headquarters at noon and
laid their grievances before him. They
said miners and laborers had no trou-
BILE in getting work, but other employ
ees holding good paying positions be-
fore they went on strike generally
found their places filed with other
men, and that the mine superintend-
ents said there would be no change for
the present. Mr.. Mitchell advised his
callers to be patient and await develop
ments of the next few days.
Later a dispatch was received from
Chicago saying that President Morton
of the International Association Of
Stationary Engineers and Firemen
states that all members Of the associa-
ton all over the country will be or
dered to refuse to handle any anthra-
cite coal until every member affected
by the anthracite strike is reinstated
on the basis on which the miners re-
turned to work.
Idle In HaxIetOn Region.
Only two of the twenty-eight col
lieries in the Hazleton district resumed
operations during the day. Those op-
Grating are the Hazel mines breaker
of the Lehigh Valley Coal company and
the upper Lehigh mine of the Upper
Lehigh Coal company. The Lehigb
Valley Coal company expects to start
up it's Yorktown and Hazleton shaft
mines with about half the usual force
of men, the workings not yet being in
condition to give employment to all
hands. Because Of high water or other
conditions no effort was made to start
the twenty-six collieries indicated.
Some of them, however, are sure to
resume before the end Of the week.
The collieries of G. B. Markle & Co.
at Jeddo,& !ghland, Oakdale and Eber-
vale are in shape for resumption, but
only a small number of men made ap-
plication for their places and gave their
verbal assent to abide by the decision
of the arbitration commission, as re-
quired by notice posted John Mar
kle announced that as soon as suffi-
cient number of men comply with the
notice work will be resumed.
None of the seven collieries Of Coke
Bros. & Co. resumed because the fore
men asked the men to sign an agree
ment not to interfere with nonunion
men under penalty Of discharge. The
men had been instructed by the union
leaders not to sign agreements, and all
returned home. The Derringer colliery
OF Coke Bros. is on fire, and the fore
men have been sent there to get it un-
der control. The fire originated, it lie
claimed, through the carelessness of a
workman employed during the strike.
Pardee Men Won't Sign.
Everything was in readiness for re-
sumption at the Cranberry and Crys-
tai Ridge collleries of A. Pardee & Co.,
but as the men reported for work they
were asked to sign an agreement sim
liar to that prepared by Coke Bros. &
Co. This they refused to do. and the
entire union force returned home.
At Silver Brook the mine workers re-
fused to return to work because, it is
alleged, the company will not take
back twenty-seven of it's former en-
ployees, among them two subbosses.
Troops were stationed at or near most
Of the collieries, but no trouble of any
kind occurred,
In reopening The Alaska shaft, owned
by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal
and Iron company, an explosion of
gas occurred as Robert Mowney and
Aaron Dreher walked into No. slope
They were blown about twenty feet
and were badly burned about the head
and face.