West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1902-06-02
Order For Pumpmen and others
to Go Out Went Into Effect !.
This Morning. :
TEST of THE UNION STRENGTH
If the Employers Can Keep the Wa
ter Out ct Their Workings, the
Strike of the Anthracite Miners
May Be Lost.

WllkGSDarre, I'd, June 1.-AL q
o'clock this morning the order Of the
United Mine Workers OF America
calling out all the stationary en-
gineers, fremen and pumpmen, unless
the companies granted them an eight
hour day at present wages, went into
effect, and no one can foretell the out
come of the new movement. Victory
for either side will be of immense adj
vantage, and both parties to the con-
troversy are striving with all the
power at their command to win. Il
the union succeeds in shutting down
the pumps the mine properties will
suffer damage that may reach into
millions of dollars, and if the employ
ers should be able to keep the water
out of their workings without the aid
Of organized labor it means that the
power of the union in the anthracite
region has reached it's limit and that
all help in the effort to force the mine
owners to grant the demands Of the
great army of $4,000 men must come
from some outside source. The mine
workers say they will preserve the
property of the companies if the en-
gineers, pumpmen and fremen are
given what they ask for, and the COM
panies say they will permit no out
siders to fix the hours and wages Of
their men. Neither side last night
showed the slightest disposition to
yield, and in the words of one min
ing superintendent, 1T is a fight to
the finish" President Mitchell said
last night that it is the first time in
the history of his organization that
the union was compelled to call out
this class of employees and thus en-
danger the safety of the mines. In
all other instances, he said, the de-
mands of the men were granted.
Non-Unicn Men In the Region.
Practically all the non-union men
to be employed are now in the region.
The companies say that the number
of those who have volunteered to fill
strikers places has been surprisingly
large, and that no difficulty has been
encountered in selecting good men.
An army Of approximately 5000
armed coal and iron policemen, sworn
in under a law of the state Of Penn
sylvania, was in the field last night,
ready to protect these men and the
mining properties. There are also
scattered through the coal country, it
is said, 1000 men who are doing Sc
cret work for the companies. Every
eolhery in the coal belt has either a
beard or barbed wire fence around
it. AT some Of the mines camp"
cars are lying on the sidings for the
accommodation Of non-union men,
most of whom will live within the col
hery confines during the suspension.
Hazleton, Pa, June 2.-The scene
that occurred here Saturday night
upon the arrival of a deputation of
special officers was repeated at 1880
O'Clock last night, when about 20 Of
ficers, in charge of a coal company
agent, boarded trolley car at the
Hazleton house for Freeland. The
streets Of the city were crowded and
when the officers came into sight
about 500 men rushed at them, hiss
ing and yelling. It was feared that
the crowd would attack the officers
and trouble would undoubtedly have
occurred had not Chief of Police Fer
ny and four Of his men held the ex.
cited strike sympathizers back until
the. car left. AS the car started the
yelling and Kissing swaS resumed
Two of the imported men remained
In the city, and as they proceeded
through the crowd under police pro-
lection to their hotel they were also
hooted.
Servant Girls Wouldn't Serve Them.
The ten servant girls at the Halle
ton house. where some of the officers
d'e quartered, were prevailed upon
after this episode to o,it
and they left their posts with declara-
tons that they would not wait upon
the imported I2en.