Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-16
HELP BROTHER WORKMEN
Coal Men in Bituminous Fields Assist
Anthracite Strikers.
TO WIN BY PROPERTY DESTRUCTION
President GIIday Thinks CoIIIerIes
Will Soon Begin to Fiji with
Water and Timbers VIII
Begin to Rot.

Begin to Rot.
WILKESBARRE, Pa, June l5.-Patrick
Gilday, president of the Central Pennsyl-
vania bituminous district Of the United
Mine Workers OF America. who came here
to consult President Mitchell on a matter
local to his district In q talk with the
correspondent OF the Associated Press to-
day gave an insight as to what the soft
coal miners in his territory are doing to
help their brother workmen in the anthra-
cite field. Mr. Gilday said there are 49,
900 soft coal miners in his district and
every one OF them is taking a deep inter-
est in the struggle now going on in this
region. On the second day of the strike
Mr.. Gilday sent out instructions to every
check weighman and pit committeeman at
the mines In his district to prevent the
shipment Of soft coal into anthracite terri
tory and thus far he said, very little coal
from his district has taken the place OF
anthracite
There have been only four attempts by
unionzed mines to send soft coal, to the
anthracite markets." he said. zone order
was intended for Mount Carmel Pa. two
for Philadelphia and one for New York.
AS soon as our men at the mines learned
the intended destination OF the coal we
requested the mine owners not to send It
and they complied with the request. We
are not interfering with the normal ship
ment Of soft coal"
Will DO as Told.
President Gilday said he had no personal
knowledge that the other bituminous presi-
dents were doing the same as himself but
ne telt sure they were There is some soft
coal coming into the anthracite market
from central Pennsylvania Virginia and
West Virginia, but it is mostly of nonunion
production. When asked regarding the feel
Ing in his territory as to a general strike
to help the hard coal miners Mr.. Gilday
said: "our men will do whatever Presi-
dent Mitchell says. They can have our
financial support and IL Mr.. Mitchell sees
Mt to ask our men to lay down their picks
tney VIII do 1t promptly. l do not be-
lieve however, there will be a general
strike of the soft coal miners because the
anthracite men are going to win without
it,"
How They Hope to Win.
Asked as to how the miners expected to
win in view of the fact that they have
practically reached the limits of their re-
sources in this region in pressing the op-
orators and the latter still stand out firmly
he replied:
by the slow destruction of mine prop-
erty. By that ! mean that IL they do not
give the men the hours and pay they ask
Tor, they Will not consent to 20 into the
mines and preserve the operations
The collieries will hll IL the strike is
not soon ended, and the mines will begin
to squeeze and cave in. All the timbermen
are out and the timber which holds up the
roofs OF mines will soon begin to give
way. These squeezes Will cost thousands
OF dollars to repair and probably be the
cause OF the abandonment OF many costly
operations. When the investors pockets
begin to feel 1t, a change in the attitude
of the operators will come, and the miners
can wait for the change"
GiIdny's Mission TO wiIkesbarre.
President Gilday's mission here was to
get President Mitchells consent to con-
tinue the strike against the Sonman Shaft
Coal company near Portage, Pa, and also
the financial support of the national or
ganization. He received both. The strike
at that place was inaugurated on April
16, because the company would not recog-
nize the union and sign the wage scale
About $50 men are involved.
The strike at the Bloomington mines
near Phillipsburg, Pa, has been settled
and the men will return to work tomor-
row. Five hundred men struck there last
Tuesday because four men would not Join
the union. The four men have quit work
There were no developments here today
President Mitchell was in frequent tele-
graphic communication with his men In
the west on general Organization work. He
had no information to impart on either
the strike in this region or the West Vir-
ginia suspension. The delegation OF Illinois
miners officials who are coming to see
President Mitchell will not arrive until the
middle Of the week. Much interest was at
tached TO their visit, as it is expected
they will bring information regarding the
advsability OF calling out Of the soft
coal miners. President Mitchell says they
are coming merely to discuss some local
difficulties in their state.
Strikers Hold Meetings.
There were meetings of strikers through
out the region today. which were attended
by fire bosses. Some of the labor leaders
say that nearly half Of the fire bosses
still at work promised to stop work to-
morrow, but this could not be confirmed.
President Mitchell knew nothing about the
number OF men who intend to quit.
There we're two meetings Of railroad men
today, one at Ashley and the other at
Kingston. The Ashley meeting condemned
the action Of twenty-one Jersey Central
men, who had been laid of on account OF
slack work, for taking the places OF strikers
in the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre mines,
which are owned by the Jersey Central COM
pany.
Representatives OF railroad men from
Sunbury, Pa, to Binghampton, n. Y, at
tended the Kingston meeting, Regulations
were adopted sympathizing with the strik-
ers.
Jasper Clark Of Toledo, o., national
president Of the Transfers association, ar
rived here tonight to look into the local
teamsters strike. He will have a confer
ence with President Mitchell tomorrow.
Ask Help of Railroads.
CLARKSBURG, W. Va, June 15-An
effort is being made to induce the railroad