The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

oPEAR TO Al
me striking miners, they deny that any
considerable number of the old men
nave returned to these mines, also deny
mat II Is possible there is dally III
crease of the non-union force. However,
.ney admit that they have no way q
earning of the output of coal except py
s.ae railroad service. as they are not pc
.,lieted to visit the mines. The stliAei9
'nere seem quite hopeful and deteFmiheu'
Peace ct Mary Lee.
AZ the next mine, Lewisburg, or Mais
Lee owned and operated by the Aia-
Dana Consolidated Coal and Iron com
pany, there is perfect peace ana nlnon
ae.ivity, that company having slgneo
temporary contract with the union anu
70 pelng worked therefore BY UNIV"
miners.
At coaIbure.
Passing over to Sheffield COM
panys Coalburg mines one first peholus
the batteries of coke ovens in tull ac-
lion. the pumps at work and the sihoAe
arising from the stacks. And TINS part
Oh the scene dispels the thought oil the
existence of a strike. The locomotives
are puning and switching, and trains Vi
coal are in evidence. There are some
vacant houses, but not all are vacant.
aere and there along the roadside are
newly pitched white tents, some occupied
ana others not. These are for the homes
Oh the idle miners. who are forced from
Inc premises of the coal company, ana
are provided by the United Mine work
ers organization.
The scene calls for investigation and
the visitor soon learns that there is only
one opening In operation at Coalburg, and
tnat one is producing only minimum
amount of coal. Most of the coal that
supplies the coke ovens here is billed
from the companys mines at Flat Top,
which are operated by state convicts, and
are producing from 1900 to 1850 tons per
day The several houses occupied In
Coalburg by the strikers are held by
them, under the rent laws of this state,
and will not be vacated until the
end of time allowed by the statute. In
some cases there was q ready response
to request to move. In others it has
been impossible for the union men to
procure teams to move them.
At Warmers.
At the Pioneer Mining and Manufacture
ing company's Warner mines, 1t was not
possible to obtain accurate information
from the office of the company, as the
superintendent presence was not avail
able. However, the mines are In opera
tion to a limited extent. The many idle
men, the white tents, the wired area
forbidding free passage, and the we'll
armed guards Indicate unrest. uneasiness
and but little business. Striking miners
are in evidence and appear to be in good
humor. They say they are especially
cheered by the belief that the Republic
companys daily output is now costing
the company enormous sums of money.
Attaches of the company state that
there is daily increase of the working
force and that normal conditions Will
soon be established.
Brookside interesting.
Brookside was perhaps the most inter
esting point visited. With a population
of about 5000 souls, with many stores, SIX
saloons, and a liked population of whites
and blacks, native and foreign, much car
be seen and more can be heard than al
any place along the way. There Is
mixture of good humor and bad humoi
at Brookside. The merchants seem to be
experiencing the depressing effect of the
strike and cannot as yet see prospect
OF it's ending.
In the midst of 1t all, this past week G
town election was held and the contest
had tendency to raise the thermometer
of excitement an cause increased bit
terness. Several fights occurred, an'
danger was threatened all along the line
Many of the miners own their homes
| In Brookside, and the strike greatly ar
| fe~ta these property --olders. The hom'
| Is an anchor chain, and to break 1t woult
| cause great loss.
Considerable Activity.
| Brookside is sustained by the mines o
the Sloss- Sheffield company. Half mil
away is this company's New Found mine
and a battery of eighty-seven coke ovens
These are running. About one-third tn
normal amount of coal is mined and thi
supplies the ovens and allows quite
number of cars for shipment to the cit
furnaces of the company.
| OF the miners at New Found, 1arg
percentage are old men, who have bee
/ working at these openings for man
years, and the records show that the
are doing good work.
An entire night spent at Brookside dis
| closed no spirit of serious disorder
There Is a strictly dividing line betwee
| the strikers and the working force, an
the property of the company is we
| guarded, through an abundance OF eau
| ton.
BIossburg and Others.
Going from Brookside through Pinck
ney. Patterson, Cardiff and Blossbur
| there is general stiffness. At one OF thes
points fourteen coke ovens are burning
the pumps are in operation. but the sta
bles of live stock seem also to be on
strike. There is practically no coal be
ing mined at these points and yet larg
number of people seem to be dwelling 1
the houses, awaiting an adjustment G
| the troubles.
Social Features.
At Gin Town a miners picnic was en-
joyed on Thursday, and there gathers
a concourse OF miners and their families
| Flags and badges were in evidence,
| brass band discoursed music, and Their
| was speaking by leaders. The assembl.
of miners was perhaps about 800 beside
| their families, and there was perfect or
| der.
The speeches of all were conservative
though earnest in advocacy of unionism
Mr.. Farley and Mr.. Flynn urged upol
the miners the duty they owed to them
selves and to their families, and to tn
cause of unionism. They advocate,
obedience to lawful authority; and bad
surfing them that neither they nor thei
families should suffer for loyalty to tn
cause; that the treasury of the Unite
Mine Workers would sustain them to tn
| end.
The occasion partook more of the ma
| ture of happy social gathering than o
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