The bee., 1902-09-25
A. DOWN IN THE MINES. se

Farm wagons by the score can
now be seen going to and from
the Empire mines. This is the
season of the year that the Chris.
tian county coal consumers of
the rural districts stock coal for
winter consumption.
One of the former employees of
the Empire Coal Company is now
back on a visit to friends and
relatives at Warrington. He is
now located at Linton, Ind,
where he is engaged in coal min
ing. According to his report,
about three days a week was
about what work the miners over
there performed during the sum-
mer months, while down here
they are glad to escape with six
days. work per week.
Mitchell, of the U. M. W., is
reported as saying that $4,000 of
the striking miners had already
left the coal region where the
strike trouble existed, and be-
low we quote from an exchange
some further facts in connection
with the exodus of miners:
"Pottsville, Pa, Sept. 22.-
The exodus of anthracite mine
workers continues from the
Schuylkill region, because the
strikers have given up hope of an
early settlement. Wednesday 40
certified miners left for Wise
county, Va, where they will be
employed in the soft coal mines.
A similar number left for the
same point 10 days before that,
and in a few days a car load of
boys will go to Westmore-
land county, this state. They
say they are promised good wag-
es. 1t is estimated that 1900
mine workers have gone to the
IRWIN, Madison, Latrobe and
Greensburg bituminous coal
fields, and upwards of 1000 are
said to have secured employment
in the Pittsburg district.'
Al business man whose home is
in Muhlenberg county, while over
here last week, stated that quite
a number Of the U. M. W. of
Ohio county are leaving for the
far West, to engage in mining.
The strange part is that these
men 60 there with the full under
standing that the operators under
whom they will labor have taken
a determined stand against labor
organizations. This action upon
the part of the Kentucky miners
indicates that they are getting
tired of wearing the heavy yoke
placed upon their shoulders al
most continually in the shape of
assessments to keep up an army
of idlers consisting of striking
miners. Another reason for this
dissatisfaction is the fact that the
miners have their eyes opened
by the apparent prosperity that
seems to have almost universally
struck the chief agitators, who
are now seen buying up land and
building fine houses, while thou
sands of the miners who through
their assessments regularly paid
supply these chiefs with the filthy
luere they so lavishly use, have
no homes for themselves and
in fact, are mere slaves
doing the bidding of their mas
ters, which obedience in the past
has meant in many cases the TAX
ing up. of.arms to attack innocent
men in the discharge of their du-
ties, if all reports are true.
Some facts leaking out show
plainly that the mine workers in
the anthracite coal region were
not the oppressed people they
would desire the public to be-
lieve, because when the strike
was ordered many of them had
laid by such handsome sums as to
enable them to make their for
mer homes in foreign countries a
visit. We are informed that the
sole object of many of tie min
ers there in coming to this coun-
L. l. A = 4