The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-08-08
U|NI0N.jO| ORGANIZED:
IS THE FIRST BONA FiDE UNION
Dickinson County Ky, Minors Form .
Strong Notwithstanding In.
provements on EIkhorn Branch.


sergent, KY, Aug. 6.-The first bona
f1de labor organization In Dickenson Co.
has been organized. with Cyrus Hollins,
local miner, as its president, and Will
son Thronberry, local commlssary
clerk at the mining scamp, as secretary.
A large crowd was present. The organ
ization began with a membership OF 800
but It will increase from time to time.
Thronberry made a f1fteen-minute
talk, touching on the poor laboring class
Of individuals over the pretty South
land, and closed by saying: II entreat
the laboring Hsen throughout the extent
of all the Southwestern Virginia coal
fields to organize unions Of which the
country in general will be proud. We
will see the good effects Of them when
once organized and brought into effect"
A move was made to have weekly meet
ings and the organization will meet
every Saturday night in the future.
Some 800 miners at -Four Mile Mines,
south of hero in Bell County, have
walked out on strike. The miners left
a notice on the mine entrance, say
ing: eve want higher wages and must
have them; besides we want the eight
| other moon.'' The notice was signed
Three Hundred OF U.s., 1t is rumored
! that the other miners in the plant will
| strike for the eight-hour-a-day law.
The Bruce Coal & Coke Company,
with a. 100000 "backing," has just
been organized at Imboden station,
| near Coeburn, Va, in the southwestern
| Virginia Coke manufacturing field, with
| the Hon. r. p. Bruce, ex-senator, a
leading stockholder. This company will
build 400 coke ovens and 500 miners
houses within, the next three months,
and employ about 1900 hands.
Railroad building and Coke Industry
in the Virginia coal fields are still &C.
tive. A branch line of the Sandy VAL
ley & Elkhorn Railroad is being built
to the head Of Elkhorn Creek from
Pikeville. Elkhorn Creek is the finest
coal station in the South. Here are
several distinct veins Of fine col<ine coal
that average from IA to 1e feet thick
The Northern Coal and Coke Company
mammoth corporation that is opera
ting in Elkhorn Greek, is the wealthiest
concern in the entire south. It ts at
present running a large force Of hands
building coke ovens, miners houses
grading roadways, etc., and by the first
Of next year at least 500 coke ovens are
to be fired in" Ricord Brothers Of
Connellsville, Pa, have the contract TO,
the@ building of 5000 coke ovens by thu
first of the year 1905. They are being
built as exact models Of the Pennsyl-
vania ovens.
Five thousand miners houses are be.
ing built. ALI ythe modern convenient
ces will be introduced at Elkhorn Creel
and it is a matter of only brief space
Of time. when Elkhorn Creek will be tn.
greatest mining town in all the south
By the first Of the new year it Will hav,
!: reached - population Of at: least 90
! souls. Two other sna lier plants will
n bs. operated Nv the sa111e, conc "a lar
4 Their down Elkhorn Creek on the line 8
the Sandy: Valley and Elkhorn Rail
road.
: There is still great activity in tn,
coke manufacturing business in Wis
County, Va. New corporations are be
ing organized nearly every day to op
> crate in the different parts Of the count.
where no coke business has yet begun
The Interstate Trust Company wa
organized at Big Stone Gap with
capital Of $1,000, 900.