The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-11-22
THE ANTHRACITE COAL STRIKE: IT'S so.
CIAL AND RELIGIOUS EFFECTS.
BY AN OBSERVER IN THE FIELD.
From The Outlook.

The anthracite coal area is 483
square miles. Upon this territory
about 400, 900 persons are directly de-
pendent upon the mining industry for
their subsistence another 200, 900
are indirectly dependent upon it and
were necessarily affected by the recent
strike. Among this group pof 600, 900
souls industrial war prevailed for
nearly six months. The wages of
14o, 900 mine employees, which ag-
gregated monthly average of over
three and half millions of dollars,
were Immediately cut off. The whole
sale houses heard the sound of battle
from afar, and in the spring restrain
ed the activity of their agents and
watched developments. Conserva-
tive business men who saved from
five to ten per cent. on their purchases
by buying early in the season with
held their orders. The hotels where
commercial travellers stayed lost fifty
per cent. of their transient trade.
The banks found considerable fall
ing off in the deposits. Over the
hardware, clothing, jewelry, furni
ture, and dry-goods stores hung
depressing sense of impending calam-
ity. Before hostilities were declared
an ominous depression in business
circles throughout the anthracite coal
fields prevailed. May II proved how
we'll these men had read the signs of
the times. An army of 14o, 900 pro-
ducers did not respond that morning
to the gongs which sounded at the
four hundred colleries. The strug-
gle was on, and those men who had
watched the development of affairs
since 1900 felt in their hearts that it
was to be costly stubborn, and pro-
tracted one.
Society in the strike territory was
divided into two hostile camps, and
the line of cleavage was along the
antagonistic interests of capital and
labor. Mine superintendent, fore
men, clerks, and some favorite miners
in all about FIVE thousand strong
were on the side of the operators.
The rank and file of mine employees
were on the other side. The mer-
chants, from business considerations,
held their peace. Professional men
of influence were discreet, but their
conservatism and pecuniary interests
inclined them to the side of the oper-
ators more than to that of the men.
The clergy, cautious and timid, could
not prevent the spirit of faction from
entering the churches. A few were
outspoken, but the rank and file of
our spiritual leaders were silent and
prayed for peace.
Soon after the strike was declared
family and social bonds were severed.
For the first month mine workers
migrated in large numbers from all
anthracite communities. We had
over thirty thousand young Slav
bachelors in our towns and villages.
Hundreds of these packed their
trunks, carried them to the depot,
and left for either fatherland or else
where in quest of work. If any one
imagines that the Slavs are not sus-
ceptible to the ties of sympathy and
fellowship, he should have seen these
people at the depots They kissed
each other farewell, the departing
fingered on the platform of the train
and waved goodbye, and strong men
turned their faces to brush off the fall
ing tear. Some left stealthily. They
owed bill and feared attachment.
There were men at the depot watch
ing the migrating ones. The tax
collector was there. Merchants who
had information and their creditors
were leaving had constables attach
the goods in the depot. l saw one of
these debtors brought before justice
of the peace. The man was passive,
but the wife argued her case with
such effect that two dollars were taken
off the costs. The bill was paid, and
as the woman left, the constable said,
"She's a holy terror" The only
persons kept busy for the first month
of the strike were ticket agents, con-
stables, and justices of the peace.
One of this last class said in June,
Business is good I've taken in
over five dollars day for the last
month"
The English-speaking mine em-
ployees did not leave in troops, as did
the Slavs. Many families of them,
however, have left these coal fields.
In the towns of Mahanoy City and
Shenandoah houses were very scarce
before the strike; today the card
For rent" is seen in every street.
Few are the English-speaking fami-
lies throughout the anthracite regions
which have not been broken up.
! Young men and women were quick
to see the economic pressure which
soon would fall upon the family, and,
to stay it as long as possible, they took
their departure to the cities of New
York and Philadelphia, or to the soft
coal fields. The boys made many
heroic sacrifices. Money was scarce.
They would board freight train and
take Johnny Mitchell excursion
to some distant point. The cities OF
Easton, Allentown, New York, Phil
adelphia, etc., were soon glutted with
cheap labor. The boys begged their
food and tramped in quest of work.
The Philadelphia and Reading Rail