Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-11-08
SAW INDEPENDENT MINES
John Markle in Heated Debate on
Commissions Train.
VISITED TIE HOME OF A MINER
Lights Put Out BY Blast While Aibitrators
> Were in Mine -MucbelIs Brief Sent
10 Operators.

Were IN Mine -Mucbell's Brief Sent
to Operators.
Hazelton, Pa. Nov 1.-The An
thracite Coal Strike Commission spent
Yesterday in the Lehigh Valley region
visiting one mine and several mining
villages
I While most Of the commissioners were
looking over the territory, Recorder
Carroll d. Wright was kept busy on
the train in attending to the CORE
spondence of the commission Among
the matter he disposed of was the send
ing Of a copy of President Mitchell 5
statement Of the miners case. which
was filed with the commission on Sat
urday night. before its departure from
Scranton for this region. to all the
coal companies involved in the pres
ent controversy. The statement should
be in the hands of the companies to-
morrow Under the agreement made
before the commission at Washington,
the operators viii make reply in
three or four DAYS.
At nearly everv station small
crowd was gathered to get q glimpse
of the members of the commission
The commissioners We're met az Pond
Greek by District President Duffy and
National Board Member p G. Call
agher, of the miners union who repre-
scented the mineworkers.
HAD TO COMPROMISE ON MINE
A conference was held at Pond Greek
between the company and miners rep-
resentatives, and for some time they
could not agree as to which mine the
operators should visit The superin-
tendents wanted the commissioner to
take a look at No. 10 shaft of the Lee
high VALLEY Company. while the rep
resentatives of the miners thought that
the Harwood colliery of O. Pardee q
Co., an individual concern, was a
more typical mine of the region AT
ter some argument the matter was
compromised and the Audenried col
liery of the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre
Comnany was selected.
The commissions first sop of the
dav was at Upper Lehigh, where \
G. Leisenung, SUPERINTENDENT OF the
Upper Lehigh Coal Company, took the
commissioners for drive through the
town. While in this place the arbitra-
tors cor the first time visited miner' $
home
Drifton was the next place visited.
and there a crowd gathered about the
commissioner as Superintendent Smith
of the Coke Bros Companv, whose
mines are located there, explained the
trouble between the company aud its
men. All the miners employed there
are still on strike because the compa-
ny insists that they return to work as
individuals and not in a body.
MARKLE IN A HOT DEBATE.
At Jeddo John Marble he indepen-
dent operator. joined the party and
escorted the commissioners to the min
ing village q Oakdale, near Jeddo.
Mr.. Ma kle showed them tie club-
house be maintains there to tie bene-
fl Of the meu
on the run into Hazelton, where
the breaker of No. 40 shaft was in
spected, Messrs. Markle Duffy and
Gallagher had spirited discussion
over the indifferences existing at the
1 Markle mines. None Of the men at the
Markle colliery has rerurnedto work for
the same reason that is keening the
men out OF the Coke mines Mr. Mar
| kle told them he was running the Mar
kle Comnanv and would maintain
discipline.
Luncheon was served at the Central
Hotel here and the entire afternoon
was spent in the Audenried mine. The
commissioners were lowered into the
wo kings $50 feet below through an
fc0-1ooC slope One of the new
physical features thew saw was 3
vein of coal with very steep pitcf
which was difficult to mine,
BLAST PUT OUT THE LIGHTS.
While they Were inspecting this 9
blast was fired IN nearby chamber
and the lights carried by those who
remained in the gangways below were
extinguished by the rush of air. Some
OF the party We're timid for moment
wondering what had happened. bl
they were quickly assured that ther'
was no danger While under grount
many questions were asked of the min
ers at wor4 by the commissioners.
i After they came to the s9face tn
abitrators visited stripping, whicl
is place where the coal lies so nea
the surface that the earth can be tax
en- off with a steam shovel exposing