New-York tribune., 1902-10-24
PRICE THREE CENTS.
SOME DIFFICULTY OVER RE-
SUMPTION OF WORK,
ABOUT HALF THE MEN BACK IN THEIR
PLACES-A LITTLE VIOLENCE
REPORTED AZ
(BY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE. ]

Wilkesbarre. Penn. Oct 23-Owing TO an
effort to force the striking miners to apply for
work to-day individuals and also TO agree TO
abide by the decision of the arbitration board
and not 10 interfere with nOn-union men, there
are only few mines in the lower and middle
coal fields working The men refuse to make
any agreement, and the majority declined the
individual application plan The Philadelphia
and Reading, with thirty nine coIlieries and
the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company with
nine collieries. turned away the men who ap-
piled at the cOliieries with instructions to go
the office and ask for work. Few of the PhIla-
delphia and Reading and none Of the Lehigh
Coal and Navigation Company collierles started.
Some few of the asked Individually and
their names were taken The officials stated
there would probably be work next week. and
declared that because the union and John
Mitchell said work 10 resume to-day they
were not required to obey
In the Hazleton region the large individual
operators directed all who desired to work TO
apply at the offices John Markle wanted his
men to agree to abide by the decision of the
arbitration commission. and Cox Bros. & Co..
]. S. wentz & Co. and \. Pardee & Co. all de-
sired that the men sign an agreement that they
would not interfere with the nOn-uniOn workers
many of whom would be kept at the collieries
AS a result, the only individual working that
made show of work was the Drifton coIliery
of the Coxes. There was no work at either tho
Highland, Jeddo. Oakdale or EbervaIe owned
by Mr. Markle The men reported there. but
they were not taken. and when ordered to go
10 the office they refused
The Hazel eolliery. OF the Lehigh Valley Coal
Company. and the Upper Lehigh. of the COM
pany of that same name started this morning
and the Yorktown and No. 40, of the Lehigh
Valley, this afternoon. but the other twenty
three collieries in the region are idle.
SPIRIT INIMICAL To THE UNION
The union officials believe the action OF all
these companies is done in a spirit which means
that the union and President Mitchell cannot
start work when it likes at their collieries They
do not recognize the men as former employees
or strikers. but entirely new applicants for
work and intend to put them where they desire
them 60 Meanwhile, at the PHILADELPHIA and
Reading mines the mules are being shod and
taken into the coIlieries. Some mines OF that
company have been working, and could have
been fully manned to-day had the officials been
ordered to do The Lehigh Coal and Navi-
cation Company has several mines which have
been working. and yet to-day these were shut
down. notice was posted by this company
that il any persons employed by 1t i'll treated
any man who had worked for the company
during the strike. or his family. their discharge
would follow The officials said. '"There11 prob
ably be work next week
The feeling among the strikers is bitter. and
they are growing more they learn the
manner in which they were treated throughout
the lower and middle districts Some OF them
say that unless the companies change their atti-
tude they will never return to work The Silver
Brook Company local OF ]. 5. Wentz & Co re-
solved TO say that they would not work unless
every man on strike received his old place back
This the company refused 20 grant, but offered
aoIxa nj yfxra han NN7
places are untitled, refusing to displace any OF
the non-union men. The local would not accept
this. Other locals are to meet tonight and
reach decisions. which they will report to Presi-
dent Mitchell. and expected to be OF the
same nature.
The strikers attribute most of the trouble to
the non-union men. Many of these. especially
Philadelphia and Reading employees.
who have gone from one end OF the region where
they are known TO the other end of the chain Of
thirty-nine collieries where they were not known
and worked. Now these returning to
their own localities and the strikers assert they
getting the best places in the mines to which
they have returned This is causing more I'll
feeling Altogether the outlook is that in both
the middle and the lower districts there will be
much trouble before the men are an back ar
work.
d, L. AND w MINES NEARLY ALL OPEN.
In the upper coal fields the Wyoming and the
Lackawanna districts. the companies are max
ing a determined effort TO mine all the coal they
can and to get back to work many men
they can find places for. Nearly all the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western mines have
been opened and are in good condition. Some OF
them will work night and day in order to over
take the market. Most of the big companies
opened the majority Of their mines to-day, and
others will be started before Monday.
Nearly all the miners and Iaborers were
either taken back assured that as soon as
the repairs were made there will be places for
them They are not given their old places IL
these are operated by non-union workers whom
the operators have decided they will keep.
There has been much complaint on this ac-
count. but the men are taking the work. The
only ones who will not get back are the steam
workers whose places are filed. There is no
room for them unless they want to go into the
mines as IabOrers or company hands. and they
are not fitted for that work Many of the old
engineers who went on strike were pensioners
upon the companies. and this strike has given
the companies officials good chance to get rid
Of them. and they have done so. putting young
men in their places
The Lehigh Valley started five collieries to-
day and will have five more working Tomorrow
with all the men they can get places for, but
OF the GOlleries are damaged il will be
some time before they are fully repaired. The
Susquehanna company put men to work the
upper levels mining coal and on the lower
levels to make repairs and pump out the water.
The Lehigh and Wlkesbarre reports that all
its collieries will work tomorrow with a fuu
force.
All the Delaware Laekawanna and Western