Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-06-18
FOUR HUNDRED MEN REFUSE TO
WORK. AT SMOKY
HOLLOW.
TROUBLE OVER TRAINS
The Company, According to Reports,
Has Refused to Furnish Transporta.
tion for the Men From Avery to the
Shafts and the Strike is the Result.

News reached this city today that
4Oo miners employed by the Smoky
Hollow Coal Co., and living near
Avery, are out on strike because of a
disagreement with John q. Evans, the
proprietor of the mines, over his re-
rusal to furnish train from Avery
TO the mines. A telephone message
from Avery confirmed the report but
IT is impossible this afternoon to learn
the details Of the trouble which caus-
ed the strike. At the headquarters of
the United Mine Workers of Ameri-
ca at Oskaloosa 1t was also impossible
TO learn anything further than that a
message had been received there today
from Avery and that officials of the
district miners union will investigate
the affair at once.
Reported Cause of TroubI..
According to reports, the miners
have refused to work because the COM
pany has taken off the train which
has been hauling the men from Az
cry to the mines each morning and
back again at night. The train, 1t is
said, has not been entirely discontin-
ued but instead of going all the way to
the mines it stops about quarter of
a mile from one of the shafts and over
mile from the other Originally it
carried the miners almost to the
shafts. Yesterday the change was an
nounced and the miners decided to
quit work.
Involves Four Hundred Men.
The two shafts worked by the COM
pany, Nos. and 6, furnish employ
ment for about 400 men. Shaft No.
4 is about two miles from Avery and
No. is twice that far from the little
town. The distance made but little
difference to the men when the train
ran regularly, but now, with a long
walk ahead of them after leaving the
cars, they must necessarily leave
home much earlier than formerly IL
they expect to put in full day at the
mines.
Just why the company made the
change is not known and it was i'm
possible today to get into communi-
cation with the officials of the COM
pany or anyone who could furnish the
Information.
Miners Officials Notified.
A telephone message from Oska-
loosa this afternoon stated that at the
office of John P. White president of
District 10, U. M. W. of A., mes
sage was received this morning from
Avery stating the bare facts that the
men had gone out there and that the
cause was disagreement over the
question Of train service. Mr.. White
and Edwin Perry, the district secre-
tary, are both away from Oskaloosa
on other business today and could not
be reached this afternoon.
May Go to Board.
The trouble may be reported to the
joint board of miners and operators Of
| the state, which is to hold a meeting
at Des Moines tomorrow Should II
prove impossible to arrive at settle
ment with the local mine officials that
course would be pursued and it is pos
sible that the matter will be taken ur
at tomorrow's meeting and discussed
| there in order to delay the work at the
Smoky Hollow mines as little as pos
sible.
Effect Is Only Local.
Tho effect of the strike cannot be
more than local and whatever the out
come it is highly improbable that it
will be allowed to affect any other
mines. 1t is thought that the affair
will be settled by the miners officials
and the representatives of the COM
pany within few days.