Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-16
FROM STRIKE REGION.
Pennsylvania Business Man Talks
About the Coal Scarcity.

About the Coal Scarcity.
tFrom Mondays Dany.l
Although we are nearer the seat OF
the coal strike than are the people OF
Iowa, We are no nearer solution for
the question it has raised" said O. G.
Mahon, Of Mill City, Pennsyl-
vania, who is in the city for visit
with his brother, A w. Mahon, resid-
ing on North Jefferson street. In
Pennsylvania. Mr.. Mahon, although
he lives in Wyoming county, travels
over, much of the part of the state in
which the anthracite coal miners live,
and his headquarters in the real estate
and insurance business is located att
Scranton, almost in the center of the
strike-infested region.
Business is affected z great deal
more by the strike in Pennsylvania
than in Iowa, of course" said Mr.. Ma
hon to representative of the Courier,
but aside from this we know and no.
tice little more than do you people
here Several hundred thousand dol
liars which formerly was distributed
among the miners and by them among
| the business men of the region now
never finds it's way to the Pennsyl-
vania tradesmen, and the loss espec-
tally in the center of the coal mine
| district, is felt very acutely.
The strike is an awful incident. 1t
is the principal topic of conversation
! in Pennsylvania. OF course there are
various plans for its cessation every
day. but each day brings new one.
No one plan stands the strain of criti-
cism very long. The fact is that no
one can advance a theory for stopping
the trouble as long as both sides re-
main so far apart The general idea
seems to be that Mitchell, will not re-
cede step from the position that he
has taken. and from the past history
of the operators it does not seem prob
able that they will show the white
feather.
Opinions Vary.
"Those who are wisest keep their
opinions to themselves in the coal dis
trict now. to avoid trouble with strike
sympathizers. However, in the cities.
expressions are frequently heard. You
could talk to 100 men and you would
probably find them about evenly divid-
ed on the question as to the RESPONSE
bility for the strike Some say that
, Mitchell is an earnest, sensible young
| fellow and is following the right
, course, while others will tell you that
he is an anarchist and ought to have
: his head cut off OF course have my
: own opinion, which, when among the
, miners, keep to myself.
Miners Not Unit.
!, Il believe that If the miners, before
the strike was called, could have had
an opportunity to vote their own senti
: ments, regardless of all else, they
2 would have defeated the motion to
: strike by big majority said Mr.. Ma
: hon. But they We're afraid of ridicule
: One man said to ME not long ago that
. he was thoroughly satisfied with what
: he was getting for his work and die
S not want to quit. He said he was be
ing paid SS5 month and did not carr
L that much, but that he had to strike
! Had | not done so, he said, the name
/ of scab would have stuck to me ant
L my family as long as we lived, and WI
: would have been prosecuted whereve
we went or whatever we did
st is fear OF consequences that ha:
n driven the majority of the miners tt
t strike. The best men tell me tina
J, they did not want to strike. but were
: forced into it. l know one man who
e when called out. refused to come, say
If ing that he could not afford to do il
d His wife was suffering with typhoi'
t. fever and he needed money. He state
It at work and one night his house wa
(, literally stoned to atoms. He had tt
d quit work or he would have beef
# harmed"
A. Mr.. Mahon will remain in Ottumw
% for about week, the guest of hi
y brother He expects to go from her
= to Denver and other points in the west
IS and later will make visit to frien
e in Oklahoma before returning home.