The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-23
IN NO RUSH.
Strikers Show Less Anxiety to
Work Than Expected.
Refuse to Sign Any Agreements
When Requested.
MANY RETURN HOME.
But Two Out of % COllieries
Start at HazletOn.
Estimate That 81 Per Cent of
Mines Started Up.
IANY RETURN HOME.


that about 81 per cent. of the mines
are in operation today. The collieries in
the Lackawanna region are in better
shape for working than those in any
other part of the region. The cOllierieS
in the Wyoming region with a small
output are in good shape. being free
from gas and water. but the large mines
are still hampered by water. The same
region.
In the Schuyllxill region the large
mines are reported to be in better con-
ditlon for work than was expected.
All the mines in operation will be
short in their normal output today, but
/ by tomorrow it is expected almost the
full output viii be reached. After such
a long spell of idleness the miners and
! laborers are soft" and not capable of
/ doing as hard days work as when
| they were seasoned
Reports are coming in from all over
the mining region that many engineers,
! hremen, pumpmen, carpenters and COM
pany hands have failed to get their
/ places back. The old employees are
faring better with the individual com
panleS tran with the large companies. a
delegation of carpenters, made up of em-
ployes from many colheries in the
/ Wyoming region, called at President
Mitchell's headquarters at noon and laid
| their grievances before him. They said
miners and labOrers had no trouble in
getting work, but ether employees hold
Ing good paying positions before they
places filled with other men, and the
mine superintendents said there would
be no change for the present Mr. Mitch
ell advised his callers to be patient and
await developments the next few days.
ONLY TWO OUT OF TWENTY
EIGHT
HaZelton, Pa, Oct. 23.-Only two OF
the twenty-eight collieries in the Hazel
ton district resumed operations today.
Those operating ere the Hazzle mines
breaker of the Lehigh Valley Coal COM
pany and the Upper Lehigh mine of the
/ Upper Lehigh Coal company The Le-
! high Valley company expects later in
the day to start up its Yorktown and
| HazletOn shaft mines with about half
the usual force of men, the workings not
I yet being In condition to give employ
ment to all hands. Because of high
water or other conditions. no effort was
made to start the twenty-six coilieries
/ indicated. Some of them the sure to
resume before the end of the week.
The collieries of G. Is. Markle & Co.,
at Jeddo, Oakdale and Ebervale are IN
shape for resumption but only a small
number of men applied for their places
! and gave their verbal assent to abide by
the decision of the arbitration commits
sion as required by notice posted yes
terday. John Markle announced that
as soon as a sufficient number of men
comply with the notice work viii be re-
sumed. none of the seven co1lIerfes of
4 Coke Bros. has resumed because the
foreman asked the men to sign an
4 agreement not to interfere with nom
union men under penalty of discharge.
The men had been instructed by the
union leaders not to sign agreements
and all returned home.
The Derringer colliery of Coke Bros.
is on fire and the firernen have been
sent there to get it under control The
fire originated, they claim, through the
carelessness of a workman employed
during the strike.
Everything was in readiness for re-
Mt al q q
Ridge collieries of A. Pardee & Co, but
as the men reported for work they were
asked to sign an agreement similar to
; that prepared by Coke Bros & Co. This
they refused to do and the entire union
force returned home.
At Silver Brook the mine workers re-
fused to return to work because it is
alleged the company will not take back
twenty-seven of the former employees
Troops were stationed at or near most
of the cO1lieries this morning but no
trouble of any kind occurred.
COAL TRAINS GET RIGHT OF WAY.
Reading Pa, oct. 23-The Reading Rail-
way company officials do not expect any
coal mined today to be brought down be-
fore late tonight or early tomorrow. They
: do not believe, however, that anthracite
will be moving in any great quantities be-
fore early next week. About 100000 tons
is looked for the first week against a
normal weekly average of 100000 tons. All
coal trains are to be given preference.
the coal into the yards of the cities and
towns and every facility for speedy work
is being provided for train crews and
| shifters.
: During last night 5000 tons came down
the road. No special efforts at large ship
nents have been made this week.
} REFUSE TO SIGN ANYTHING.
Shenandoah. Pa, Oct. 23.-The men who
reported for work at the Mil Creek Coal
company's Vulcan colliery yesterday after
, noon were told they would have to report
at the company's store and sign a con-
, tract before being reinstated. A few OF
them signed the paper as requested, but
many refused to sign and returned home
Superintendent Jones was called up or
telephone at his home at Hazelton last
night by az t1Nssociated Press correspon-
: dent, and a 6ed the nature of the con-
tract which the men are required to sign
: He said:
: 1--WE simply ask the men to sign ar
agreement to the effect that they Will fiot
interfere in any way with non-union mer
: or with the men now at work
4 A number of the men declared that they
/, will not sign a contract of any kind.
. MOB ATTACKS ITALIANS.
f Scranton, Pa, Oct. 2S.-Three Italians
? who have been working at the Dodge
s washery of the Delaware. Lacka wanna
e Western company, during the strike. wer'
3 set upon by a mob as they were return
:, ing from work and given bad beating
T Two of them were rescued by the city DO
lice and taken to the Lackawanna hos
n pitai. The third. Thomas Brawn, got ava.
: from the crowd before the police arrived
+ and ran to Bellevue. Four men set upol
him again, and after beating him into in
sensibility. threw him over a fence int
the yard of 4 dwelling where he wa
n found in a pool of blood. His injuries
3 while serious, will not prove fatal. No ar
rests have been made.
d AN ACCIDENT ALREADY.
10 Shamokin, Pa, Oct. 23.-In Ieeoenins
the Alaska shaft owned by the Phila