The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-08
Miners All Idle Except About
 Forty Negroes
DEPUTIES SENT TO MINES
President and General Manager of Tennessee Company Are Absent. On Their Return May En-
 deavor to Start Work.

The principal feature of the miners strike situation yesterday was at Johns, in the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company's Blue Creek division. where about forty negroes returned to work. District President Flynn called out all the Tennessee company's men at Blue Creek and Blocton Monday. making tn. strike complete at all of that company's mines.
 No one attempted to work on Monday. but the negro contingent was on hand early yesterday morning. No disturbances were reported during the day. and 1t may be that the number of men willing to work in spite of the strike order will be increased today.
 Those who were digging coal yesterday were probably of the number who re- mained away from the mass meeting Monday
 Yesterday afternoon Sheriff Andrew W. Burgin sent thirty-one deputies. includ- ing Deputy Sheriff Henry Cole, to Johns as a precautionary measure MT. Cole is in charge of the squad. Whether addi- tional deputies will be asked for today could not be stated at the sheriff's of-  flee last night.
 National Board Member ". R. Farley and President Flynn were at United Mine Workers headquarters in the Chali- foux building yesterday afternoon. They had little or no information from Johns, they said, and no statement to give out.
 Information Scarce.
 At the Tennessee company's offices in the Woodward building information con cerning the situation at Johns was very scarce. Vice-President and General Man ager McCreary had not returned from New York and General Superintendent Franklin was at Johns. The advices that l Willard Wilson, assistant to the vice. president and general manager, had re- ceived up to the time of leaving his of- flee, were meager. All he could say was that some of the men at Johns were at work.
 It is surmlsed that soon after MT. Mo Creary return an effort will be made by the company to start up the mines al Adger and Belle Sumter.
 The Tennessee company is working nearly 900 convicts in It's Pratt seam where the output is about 1900 tons oi coal day. The company has not begun to bank it's furnaces on account of coal shortage, but very soon all but about three or four will have to stop Just now eleven of It's furnaces in this district are running The furnaces that will be op- erated with convict coal will, it is be- 1ieved, make enough Iron to supply the steel plant at Ensley.
 Have Not Reported.
 The committee appointed at the mass meeting of the Sloss-Sheffeld miners last Thursday to canvass among the men who had not signed orders on the company for a dedution of the $1 assessment for the purpose of inducing them to sign have not yet made their report to the United Mine Workers headquarters, and consequently no conferences have been held with President Mabin this l week.
 Alexis w Thompson of Chicago. pres ident of the Republic Iron and Steel company, is in Birmingham. In company with Vice President and District Mama ger Hassinger and J. F. Taylor and Hen- ry Rubents of Chicago, directors in the 1 company, he visited Thomas and in- spected the Republics three furnaces there. He said last night that every thing at Thomas was in good shape and that the new furnace-No. 3-was he having itself to his entire satisfaction. MT Thompson will remain here until tonight