Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-31
Independent Operators Who Disseminated
Lose Chance to Mine Coal.
MITCHELL is RESPONSIBLE FOR STOPPAGE
Thinks Prominent Strikers Are Being Vic
timised and Will Not Assent
TROOPS WILL Be ORDERED HOME MONDAY
Bome Have Already Left and Rest VIII
Go ~ Soon as Necessary Arrange
ments Have been Made
for Them.

commissioners appointed by President
Roosevelt to adjust the differences exist
ing between the anthracite mine workers
and their employers today made tour OF
the extreme upper coal field and saw
every step taken in the production Of coal
from the time II is blasted to the point
where It is sent 10 market.
The arbitrators mad an interesting day
and returned TO their hotel at $3.50 tonight.
grlmy from coal drst and tired after eight
busy hours. They hadito endure many dis
comforts, making their way through wet
places in the mines. almost crawling along
some of the gangways and passing through
clouds Of coal dust in, the breakers Not
withstanding this, their eagerness for in
formation was not diminished and they ex-
pect totput In another hard days work to-
morrows f
bishop Asks Many Questions.
Bishop spaIding asked more questions
than any one OF the Others He was usually
in the center of group of commissioners
and asked many questions Of those who
are employed iR and about the mines.
Today's tour Consisted OF an Inspection of
No. 2 mine OF the Hillside Goa and Iron
company. operated BY the Erie company,
and the coal breaker Of the Delaware &
Hudson company, Th6fofmer Is located at
AAAAAtA
city. and the breaker at Carbondale. four
miles south OF Forest city On the run up
the Lackawanna valley the commissioners
viewed with interest the mining towns
, along the Delaware & Hudson railroad.
The start was made precisely at 10
O'Clock. In the party were the seven COM
missioners Recorders Mosely and Neill and
four stenographers. Accompanying them
were: r. A. Phillips, general funerintend-
ent Of the Delaware. Lacka wanna 9 West
ern company; b.. r.. Hose. general superin-
tendent Of the Delaware Hudson; ". A.
May. general manager OF the Erie; ]. r.
Dryden. general superintendent OF the New
York. Ontario & Western, and b. Thorne,
general manager OF Gle Temple Iron COM
q pany. These Qflciala repgesspted thesqom-
panies. and the miEera werb represented by
'Thnf1ab ID, Nichols, president OF this dis
trict OF the United Mine Workers; Henry
Collins, national organizer for this dis
trict Rev. Peter Roberts of Mahanoy City
and James Warwick OF New York, the lat
ter an expert.
A special train OF two Pullman cars and
day coach, which was chartered at the
expense OF the commissioners, carried the
party. The rear car was used for observa-
tion purposess In It was large map
showing the coa beds from Scranton to the
northern edgs of the field at Forest City,
The commissioners studied II carefully and
its many features were explained to them by
Mr.. watkins, who is an expert in coal
mining and was formerly an Independent
coal operator. The arbitrstors also care
fully noted the many mining villages
passed by the train. Al each OF the sta
tions small group Of persons gathered.
Miners stand silently by.
When the party arrived at Forest CITY
q crowd. among whom were some mine
workers, greeted IL. There was no demon
stration. the workers standing silently by.
A short drive was taken through the town
TO give the commissioners an opportunity
TO view the homes OF the mine workers
and then the entire party was bundled into
three small cars What is known as o
"lokio' a small locomotive. drew the cars
TO the No. 2 shaft. mile distant down
the valley.
Z As the mine was wet and dirty the CON-
pany officials provided rubber overshoes
overalls. jumpers and miners caps. Judge
Gray and Bishop spaldlng were the first
10 don the uniform and listened good ma
turedly 70 chahng inquiries as to theii
status in the union.
After the party had been rugged out ant
provided with miners lamps. which they
either carried in their hands or fastened
to their caps. the descent of the shaft was
made. AZ the foot they we're Joined BY
the president and another member of tn,
Forest City local union of the miners or
gRnization.
The hospital at that point was inspected
and then the commissioners got into
train of six mine cars and were hauled
about a mile and half underground In
southwesterly direction. Accompanied b.
Mr. May. Mr. Nichols and one or two 9th
ers. they went down a plane to what Il
known thin vein Of coal. where the!
saw miners FIRE blast.
Accident Kept secret.
The thin vein runs into the Clifford
mine adjoining. In the clifford. a few hour
before the commissioners arrived, a Hun
garian was killed almost instantly by tn,
falling of a portion OF the roof. He wa
doubled up and his lamp failing to 20 on
set hre TO his clothes almost roasting hin
alive. The newspaper correspondents wer
casually informed Of this before the com
missioners went down. but the arbitrator
we're left In ignorance.
The vein was explained to the commits
sioners. who asked many questions OF tn
miners working Il From these they re
turned to the main gangway and inspecte
an average vein. that is. a vein about ST
or eight feet thick. In going to some o
the ''breasts' the commissioners had al
most 70 crawl This was a particular
irksome matter for Judge Gray, who 1
the taliest man IN the commission.
on the return journey TO the foot OF tn
shaft Bishop Spalding came across a Ii
thunian boy who was employed as a door
tender. His face was black from coal dusi
but In the dim light Of the lamp on hi
can the bishop noticed his handsome feA
n lures. He asked the boy many question
as to his age. the character OF his wOr
1 and the wages he received The other com
= missioners also piled him with questions
Near this shaft the car in which Judg
Gray. General Wilson and Messrs. Clar
and Parker were seated jumped the trac