The daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-19??, 1902-10-23
MANY MINERS
RETURN TO WORK.
Only q Limited Qua ltity of
Coal to be Had at Pres
ent Time.
MINES IN A BAD CONDITION
Machinery Rusted and Tim
bers Rendered Unsafe by
Long Idleness. No
+ Work For Some Men.

WILKESBARRE, Pa, Oct. 23.-
Rapid progress is being made by all
the coal companies in the anthracite
region toward a general resumption Of
coal mining. The suspension officially
euded at I o'clock this morning, but
\ the quantity of coal that will be mined
Shis week will not be great. 1t is not
Jbelieycd 20 per cent of the normal pro-
duction will be reached until some
time next week. There are a number
Of mines that will not be in condition
FOR several months, and there are 9th
ers that will not be ready for the men
under two OF three weeks.
:, Yesterday was devoted to general
inspection at most of the cOllicries to
see what was needed in the way Of
repairing before the men could cut
coal. Every piece of machinery must
be gone over to see whether it is in fit
condition to be operated before the
fans il most of the mines can be start
ed to drive out the gas and other i'm
purities in the air. In Il great number
of the coIicries there will have to be
much timbering done to prevent
"squeaZes." The nearly six months
idlencss has In many instances rusted
breaker machinery, which will cause
some delay in starting. Notwithstand-
ing the many drawbacks, however, the
,,fA ,t,,J
there will be plenty Of coal for dis
trlbutOn before real cold weather sets
IL.
Thousands Of men of every class
have made application for work.
There were many dsappOintmcnts,
however, principally among the en-
gnecrs and pumpmcn. These two
classes of mine workers struck on
June > for an eight hour day and also
TO help the miners win their contest.
Their positions are not 50 arduouS as
those Of the miners and their laborers,
and the wages paid are comparatively
better. They want their o.d positions
back, and in many eases they have
failed. 1t is the opinion Of the work
ers that the superintondcnts will find
a way to rc-cmploy all of them. The
uHlOniStS say the companies will get
rid of all incompetent men hired dur
ing the suspension.
One Of the developments of the day
WAS The great number of men who
have been employed throughout the
strike who left their places yesterday
and returned to their homes. Hun
dreds were paid off by the several
coal companies in this valley, and the
same is true of the other regions.
Among these were clerks, who re-
turned to the offices of the coal com
panics: men who were employed in
other occupations and were thrown |
out of work on account OF the strike,
men who were strikers, but went back
to work in other parts Of the region
where they were not known and will
now return TO their own localities and
try to get work in their old places,
and some coal and iron policemen. 1t
II expected that more of these men
Will quit work in the course of the
next few days. They are dsliked by
the unionists, and it is probable that
the relations between them will not
be improved once they get working
side by side in the mines.
The troops in this region have not
yet received orders to leave for homo,
Ind none is expected now until after
me collieries get well started There
las been no trouble in this region be-
7ond few fights, the result Of pay
Say among nonuniOn men.