Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-21
IOWA MINER TALKS.
Relates Some History on Mining in an
Early Day,

~ INC SohoSiN dlHe luel Ill IuelF ranks
and the anthracite men had imbibed
the principles advocated by them, SOL
diers would not be needed in the Penn
sylvania mining camps, according to
the reasoning of R. Williams, of Keb.
a veteran miner, who his companions
say, is one of the best informed men
on the subject of mining in this part
of Iowa.
Mr.. Williams is firm believer in
arbitration as means of settling dis
putes. He thinks that lne miners of
Ohio made grave mistake in not fol-
lowing that principle. Tracing the
history of labor troubles in the coal
regions of that state, Mr.. Williams
works in some history on arbitration
in the following letter to the Courier:
In taking up this subject the second
time, it is the object of the writer to
show some Of the mistakes made by
the miners in the past together with
the rise and fall of labor organizations
as they come to my memory. In or
der to do this I will cite the strikes in
Ohio as they attracted more, attention
and called out more militia than all
the strikes in the United States COM
bined.
From 1859 to 1880 the Miners and
Laborers' Benevolent association ex.
listed with Thomas H. Davis as presi-
dent. When at the height of it's pres
tige the miners Of Ohio were asked to
make demand for an increase of ten
cents per ton. A large number Of mi
ners were adverse to the demands.
This move was made by unorganized
men. The organized men dissented
and gave as their reasons that they
had been sold out by these same men
before and were reluctant to join them.
This created an enmity between or
ganized and unorganized labor. The
unorganized men worked for the
Brewster coal company in the Hook
ing valley. These men went to work
one morning and found all their tools
missing. They appealed to their en-
ployer for more but with no success.
AS the latter well knew the fight was
on. Dame Rumor had it that the Or
ganized miners removed their tools.
But let this be as it may there were
no convictions.
This organization dwindled down
until 1872 when it became a thing of
the past. The miners national organ.
ization rose out of the ruin and made
it's appearance in 1872 in the Tusca-
rawas valley.
When my mind goes back think it
was one of the best open labor organ
izations ever introduced to the miners
of the United States, as it had two
important missions that would have
been carried out had it lived-of set
ting all disputes by arbitration, and
cooperation. Arbitration is the only
safe road for labor to settle all dis
putes
The panic of 1872 left stagnation
in business all over the coal regions of
Ohio.
The mines that managed to run af-
ter the panic paid 80 cents ton for
mining Thus did matters run along
through January, February, March and
April, 1874. Trade opend up and the
miners felt happy in the thought that
the panic was over
In the fall notices were posted up
all over the valley of reduction CT 20
cents ton. The officers of the min
ers' union tried to use discretion and
bridge the chasm but to no avail.
Finally the men consented {, sub
NIT the question to arbitration By
hard work the consent of majority
of the miners was gained to meet
certain number of miners and the
same number of operators. Judge An
drews, of Cleveland, was chosen arbi-
traitor After holly contested SEES
sion the question was left to the Judge
for a decision. After weighing the
matter carefully he decided on a re-
duction of 10 cents ton, making II
cents a ton, the price for mining after
January /, 1875. Thus there was de-
nunciations made by the union against
the miners and the allegation made
that the Judge was bribed. But the in
telligent miner looked upon it in diff
ferent light and never once doubted
the honesty of the learned judge and
after taking the selling price of coal
into consideration felt as though it
was fully their share.
Another meeting was arranged for
January to regulate the price of
powder, deficient work together with
other matters.
In the meantime dispute had aris-
en- between Crawford & Sons and their
employees as to the miners rights to
put on a check weighman. The operat-
ors took the ground that before they
would admit one in their weigh Office
they would shut down their mines.
The other operators had entered into
an argument not to submit to the min
ers' proposition of check weighman
and agreed to join the Crawford coal
company in shutting down their mines
in case the miners persisted in their
demands The Crawford miners were
the first to make the demand and
were refused by the coal company
The latter shut down their mines but
their neighbors forgot the agreement,
granted the check weighman and kept
on at work. This eXasperated the
Crawford coal company and they ad-
vanced the price of mining cents a
ton, making the price so cents ton
This gave the enemies of arbitration
footing The fact that Crawford 4
Sons could give 80 cents a ton for
mining when the learned judge had
decided on II cents was convincing
to them that the entire board was
bought. But the conservative miners
still persisted that the decision of the
board was right and honest. Howev
or in snite of their efforts a mass