The Washington times., 1902-05-11
DAY OF QUIET AT
ANTHRACITE MINES
Continued from First Pagc.)

Gus points, they have not enough to fill
determined TO strike The three DAYS
respite will give them opportunity to get
men to keep up steam.
The engineers as a body are divided,
some belonging to the United Mine Work.
ers, and others TO their individual organi-
zation.
Engineers Divided.
Some belonging to the United Mine
Workers have signed contracts with their
employers for a year. and. as in the case
of the present Delaware, Lackawanna. and
Western strike. will refuse to 20 out The
pumpmen are also a doubtful quantity,
some declaring that they will strike. and
others that the miners grievances are not
theirs
The operators this morning had little
TO say. They are very busy arranging TO
avoid damage at the mines by the stop
ping of work.
The retail merchants today report the
lightest Saturdays business they hav, had
in long time, and wholesalers say al
orders were curtailed. This. they declare
Will continue until the strike ends. The
miners of this district believe they will
be able to send to the Hazleton conyen-
tion delegation instructed solidly 10 vote
for strike unless concessions are offered
by the operators, and that the vote of the
delegates of the first district, outnumber-
ing those from the seventh and ninth
they Will be able TO sway the convention
as they like.
Firemen Make Conditions.
The fremen throughout the region who
were expected to Join the mine workers IN
requested to strike now attach conditions
TO their sympathy strike. A meeting OF
the executive committee was held here
this evening. and the following statement
was given out by State Secretary ]. f.
Mullahy:
After careful deliberation of the
situation existing in the anthracite coal
region at present in anticipation of the
general strike the following ultimatum is
issued to the United Mine Workers:
That should general strike be
inaugurated in the anthracite region af-
ter Wednesdays meeting in Hazleton. the
stationary firemcn who belong to the
union and arc employed about the various
mines will render their support In any
way, shape. or form on the following
conditions:
First-That they are requested by the
Mine Workers officially; secondly, the de-
mands shall embody an eighth day
for the hremen employed about the mines
with the same rate OF wages now paid
for twelve hours; third. that no one shall
return to work unless the grievances of
all concerned In the strike are amicably
adjusted.
This sent on TO President Mitchell
at Scranton. and no reply has as yet been
received. II is understood that the mine
workers will agree to all except the last
clause.
SHAMoKIN. Pa. May 1O.-The miners
here were greatly excited this morning \
on learning that their representatives in |
Scranton had ordered them to quit the
mines on next Monday, pending final de- |
cision on a strike. They had thought |
that Mitchell and his associates intended |
to send out a general strike order today. |
Men Will Stay Away.
From interviews had with miners in |
the crowds gathered about the bulletin
boards. there is little doubt that 25 900
men and boys in this section of the an
'hracite coal fields will stay away from
the mines next Monday. II is the general
opinion among the miners here that. in
ismuch as Mitchell failed TO obtain con-
sessions from operators and there is no
likelihood OF any being offered to the con-
pention at Hazleton, II will not take the
non long to decide to strike.
Business men fear that long strike
will ensue, and as many of them have not
recovered from financial losses caused by
he strike of 1900 they do not welcome
I. Metropolitan statesmen are leaving
he region as fast as they can. Operators
iere received the news from the Scran-
on convention with complacency. They
that II a strike must occur Il
vouid be fought out TO finish.