Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-01-30
COAL BARONS ARE
PLOTTING DEEPLY.
MINERS BELIEVE STORING COAL MEANS
FORTiFICATION AGAINST STRIKES.
Opie Read Visits the Mines and Writes to the
Chicago American.

Opie Read, who once made campaign speech
~s for the Republicans, and made one speech
III Garnett, now knows more than he did then.
He has been among the coal-miners, and writes
entertainingly to Hearsts Chicago American,
as follows:
WHY people should freeze to death when the
earth is almost bursting with coal, and when
throughout the land there are millions OF men
ready and more than willing to dig it, was a
question 10 be asked Of the miners themselves.
And it was asked in Illinois amid the fields
that lie only few hours distant from Chicago.
There met the men who, down IN the black
veins of the earth, make rich mortals richer
whose cramped, dangerous and under-paid labor
eives to the merciless the power to freeze the
hearths!one and touch with frost the cradles Of
S'arving children. Sad toiiers are these men,
blinking as they come out of the dripping cav
rrns into Gods sunshine. Not as the cotton.
field slaves of the South do they sing home
ward bound from their work; no banjo tinkles
to their hard and stift touch, and in their
melancholy speech grim humor take the place
OF the gayety natural to youth and of philoso-
ply, the heritage of advancing years.
BY appointment, met Matt Charlton, presi-
dent of the miners union; George Padgett,
Re cordiug secretary, and Frank Farrington,
financial secretary, swho, d,,rina thc1kasd Goa!
strike IN the East, collected from his brethren
who earn on All average of Sr.75 day more
Than Sis, 900 to aid the men whom Baer, with
I.
-"We have here i'll our immediate coal fields
about thousand men at at~work full time.
Mines give ont, it is true, but new ones are be-
ing constantly developed. Of course, there is,
even in Illinois, no end of coal. And there
are, throughout the country, thousaus of men
mot only willing, but anxious, to work. And
why any mine should shut down at such time
i can't understands; but have heard that they
are not working the Warden mines, not great
ways from here"
1--WE were requested to work on New Years
day, and for the first time in many years" said
Padgett 'With us there has been no strike
since 1867, and of course there is no scarcity
4,f coal, but even to- local consumers here in
ss.reator, the price has been advanced"
eyes" harrington spoke up, "and the price
40 the miners who dig the coal would have
been raised if we hadn't produced reminder
s,f tn. fact that we had contract for certain
price"
Nhom do the miners blame?"
1They don't blame the Miners that's sure
We are working as fast as we can, at scale o.
So cents ton, and, although the price of Goa
has gone up SO high, yet, we have received nc
hint as to an advance in our wages
"Then you would place the blame on the
railroads and the dealerst"
"Looks that way to us. There is one thing
certaip-the coal is got out of the ground. By
he way. Charlton" he added, "powder is go
inv up in price, and we'd better lay in stock,
und, replying to look OF inquiry, he contin
ned: 1--WE have to furnish our own powde
f,s blasting, and our own drills. We furnish
everything but the mine itself. 1t is wonde
they don't require that of u.s."
Padge.t agreed that there might be something
~ the id that the barons are fortfying them
selves.
uThe railroads haven't reduced their facili
tres. ), he said "There are just as many, i
not more, cars now than ever before;" and af
Ter moment of thoughtful silence, he added
.,T,h;s is not the first time that oppression ha
arisen out of coal, but it happens to be in
new place. We have sent up many cry tina
has been unheeded. Our children have suffer