The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-04
WORK OF STRIKE COMMISSION
ENTIRE DAY SPENT IN LEHIGH II
VALLEY REGION.

Conditions Different From Those !n the
Laekawnnna and Wyoming Valley
Difficulty Regarding Mines to be
Visited COmprOmIsed-John Markio
Johns tho Commissioners at Jeddo-
Men stiII Out at independent Mines.
Hazleton, Pa. Nov. 3.-The anthracite
strike commission spent the entire day
in the Lehigh Valley region, visiting one
mine and several of the mining villages.
While most of the commissioners were
looking over the territory, Recorder
Wright was kept busy on the train in
attending to the correspondence of the
commission. Among the matters he
disposed of was the sending of a copy
of President Mitchells statement of the
miners case, which was filed with the
commission on Sunday night before its
departure from Scranton for this re-
giOn, to all the coal companies involved
ilA l4IG pIcSSLI COllIUbeTSys 1 lie state
| nent was mailed from this city and
should be in the hands of the compan-
les tomorrow. Under the agreement
made before the commission at Wash
ington the operators viii make a reply
| in three or four days. The trip of the
commission through this region was an
interesting one, the conditions of min
ing being somewhat different from those
existing in the LackaWanna and Wyo-
ming valley. At nearly every station a
small crowd was gathered to get
glimpse of the members Of the commits
sion. The commissioners were met at
Pond Creek early in rhe forenoon by
District President Duffy and National
Board Member P. G. Gallagher, of the
miners union, who represented the
mine workers The operators interests
were taken care of by General Superin-
tendents Warriner of the Lehigh Valley
Coal company and Richards of the Le-
high and Wilkesbarre Coal company.
A conference was held at Pond Creek
| between the company and miners rep
resentatives and for some time they
could not agree as to which mine the ar
bitrators should visit. The superinten-
dents wanted the commissioners to take
look at No. 40 shaft of the Lehigh Val
ley company and the representatives of
the miners thought that the Harwood
colliery of C. Pardee & Co.. an individ-
ual concern, was more typical mine
of the region. After some argument the
matter was compromised and the Au-
denried colliery of the Lehigh & Wilkes
barre Co. was selected. The commits
sion's first stop of the day was at upper
Lehigh, where A. C. Leisenring, super
intendent of the Upper Lehigh Coal
company took the commissioners for a
drive through the town. While in this
place the arbitrators visited one of the
homes of the miners, the first they have
been in since they have been touring
the region.
Drifton was the next place visited and
there a crowd gathered about the COM
mission as Superintendent Smith of
Coke Brothers Co, whose mines are To-
Gated there, explained the trouble be-
| tween the company and its men. All
the miners employed at these mines are
still on strike because the company in
sists upon the men returning TO work
as individuals and not in body. At
Jeddo John Markle. the independent
operator, joined the party and escorted
the commissioners to the mining village
of Oakdale, near JeddO. Mr. Markle
showed them the club house which he
maintained there for the benefit of the
men. On the run into Hazleton where
the breaker of No. 40 shaft was inspect
ed. Messrs. Markle, Duffy and Gal
lagher had a spirited discussion over
the differences existing at the Markle
mines. None of the men at the Markle
colliery have returned TO work for the
same reasons as those which are keep
ing the men out of the Coke mines.
Mr.. Markle told them he was running
the Markle company and would main
tain discipline.
Luncheon was served at the Central
hotel here and the entire afternoon was
spent in the Audenried mine. The COM
missiOners were lowered into the work.
ings 300 feet below through an eleven
hundred foot slope. One of the "physi-
cal features" they saw was a vein of
coal with very steep pitch which was
difficult to mine. While they were in
specting this a blast was fired in a
nearby chamber and the lights carried
by those who remained in the gangways
below were extinguished by the rush of
air. Some of the party were timid for
a moment. wondering what had hap
pened, but they were quickly assured
that there was no danger. After they
came to the surface the arbitrators Wis
listed stripping" which is a place
where the coal lies so near the surface
of the earth it can be taken off with
steam shovel The commissioners
spent tonight at the Central hotel and
will leave for Shamokin at 7:45 to-mor-
row morning. The day will be spent in
that vicinity and Wednesday will find
the commission in the Panther Creek
valley. On Thursday the arbitrators
will visit the region around Pottsville
and that night the commission will ad-
journ until November a.