The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-17
OPERATORS SECURE
 FIFTY NEW MINERS Non-Union Men Arrive to Work
 for SIosS Company COME FROM KENTUCKY 
Situation Is Practically Unehaneeo' With Operators Feeling More Con fldent and the Miners Still Firm
 In Their Determination.


 little material change.
 Leading operators say that the force ae men reporting for duty at the mines Is increasing and the output of coal is growing accordingly. At the Dolomite mines, the property of the Woodward Iron company, nearly 250 men reported for work this week.
 The operators are arranging to import large numbers of miners from Kentucky, the sinias and other states. A party Of 50 arrived from Kentucky last night and will be sent this morning to the Sloss-S Sheffield mines either at Brookside or Blossburg.
 Number oi Men at Work. One of the operators said yesterday that according to his advices the number of men now at work in the "open shop mines numbered in the neighborhood or SO0 At the miners headquarters this fig ure was questioned. President Flynn and Mir. ttfiey both say that with the ex- certon of Dolomite no places had re- ported assertion from the union ranks to amount to anything.
 The Tennessee company reports an in- crease of men at its Blocton mines and at it's Blue Creek mines
 The Sloss-Sheffield company reports that yesterdays addition to its force at Brookslde numbered 2S.
 The Lacey Buck Iron company reports that 50 men were at work at it's mines. President Buck said that most of his men came from Walker county.
 
 We were not surprised at a number of men going to work at Dolomite." said MT. Flynn, ''but I do not believe as many as 25O went to work. The men there who led the movement to return to work are the negro miners who wanted to surren- der their charter several weeks ago be- fore the strike began. Naturally these men had some following. and this ac- counts for the number of union men go- ina to work at Dolomite.
 T sec from the newspapers that 335 tons of coal was mined at Dolomite," con- tinued MT. Flynn, and that under the open shop basis. Much of that coal had already been shot down before the strike began and I understand that many cars
 
 was suspended. This coal was hauled out by the new force and caused the good showing. If the figures are obtain able you will see that not more than halt that amount of coal was produced today.
 Situation at Blue Creek.
 "so far not member of the union at Johns has returned to work" said MT. Flynn. and I believe the men will re- main firm. You know a majority of the miners there are negroes, and for this reason the Tennessee company has all ways, made it the first battle ground thinking that the negroes would desert. I do not expect a single colored miner to desert the union at Johns. They are all good union men and seem determined to stand for our demands.
 l It was rumored yesterday that there was a possibility of a conference between 1 the operators and the miners but this l lacked confirmation. MT. Farley, of the miners union, said positively that he knew nothing C. such movement and did not expect any conference Leading operators said the same thing. The oper- ators state positively that they are deter mined to operate the mines on the open shop basis and will have no further dealings with the union.
 Notwithstand. , the willingness of both sides to discuss the situation 1t is very diff 1 ficult to ascertain the amount of coal being turned out The opinions of the operators and the miners at this time arc very much at variance.
 The crisis in the strike is not expected until tho time limit expires on the mo- tices given the miners to vacate the houses owned by the several companies. Several unlawful detainer cases were expected to be filed against the miners at Blue Creek this week but 1t Is under l stood that an agreement has been reached between the Tennessee company and the miners that If the latter are given the full thirty days and six additional days after the time expires the miners will get out peacefully. This Is thought to indi- cate that the miners as well as the oper- ators are determined to avoid violence.
 BIRMINGHAM JOCKEY CLUB.