Waterbury Democrat., 1902-05-23
LEADERS HAVE GONE HOME.
Headquarters of Mine Workers
 a Quiet Place To-Day.


 President Mitchell Says an Effort
 Would Be Made to Stop Soft Coal
 Shipments -Rumor That One of the
 Companies Will Grant Request of
 the Pumpmen, Bremen and Engi-
 neers
 Milkesbarre, Pa, May 23r-All of the district leaders having gone 10 their homes. the headquarters Of the lnlteu Mine Workers was about the -duletest place that could be found ill the coal regions today The only persons here directly connected with the miners, strike were National President Mitchell and District Presidents Nichols, F'ahy and Duffy Reports from the outlying districts this morning were to the ef- feet that a dead calm prevailed every where.
 In commenting upon dispatch from Reading published to-day in which IL is stated that the movement of Soft coal through that city from the bitu- minous regions of West Virginia and Pennsylvania is unprecedented, Presl- dent Mitchell said he felt that if such was the case he would know it. He would not say what action he would take if the movement Of soft coal To the anthracite territory became heavy, but it is believed an effort would be made to prevent the shipments.
 MT Mitchell has received no com munication, he says, from any one re- garding negotiations for settlement.
 
 WILKESBARRE, Pa, May 23.-The tenth day of the anthracite coal min CTS strike passed off very quietly, not a single incident developing which would i'll any way tend to change the present situation. Rumors were rife that something was about to take place that would alter the status quo condi- tions of the negotiations, but these were promptly denied by leaders of both sides to the controversy.
 The action of the convention of the three district executive committees no doubt had much to do with these ru- mors. The members of the committees spent the greater part of the time lounging about strike headquarters, and absolutely nothing was done.
 The three district presidents are still here. Mr.. Mitchell said that at the morning session the committees took up general business in connection with the suspension, but he did not care to say what the nature of it was. The brief meetings gave rise to the story that the union was waiting for some information, possibly from New York. upon which action was to be taken. This was emphatically denied by MT. Mitchell Prominent mining superin- tendents who were approached on the subject said they had no information from either New York or Philadelphia or anywhere else. One of them went so far as to say that he did not expect anything that would alter the situation to come from the operators side for some time.
 Regarding the demands made by the engineers, fremen and pumpmen, prominent labor official said that he had received indirect information which made him feel almost sure that one of the big coal companies had de cided or is about to decide to grant these men what they have asked for. When the attention of the supefintend- ent of one of the largest companies in the field was called to this, he said: 'sAs far as I know this is not true Speaking for our company, l can say that a definite plan has not yet been finally decided upon. We have two or three ways in which to meet the latest movement of the union, and we have ten days time to think the matter oyer."