New-York tribune., 1906-04-14
HOPE HANGS ON THREAD
opER4TORS STILL FIRM.
v;tcbeV Says Change ia attitude
Uav 10ert Strike.

-. se.elopuents OF yesterday indicated that
-. s,f,,-scite uline workers were getting closer
st-ile though Mr.. Mitchell was inclined.
'-srt,,-. 10 think there was still chance that
al .5l ,,o-ators might be induced to change their
-. when asked what he thought Of the
-. 70 MS proposition. Mitchell said: The
80 -eplv of Mr. Baer do not consider final
- rhe outcome Of the spirit of the moment
- was not 4 matter Of elaboration
y. ssfs he expected that in the formal reply
uh,,h would be sent 10 The miners committee
-, onerators would explain in detail their posi-
.,or He said he was going 10 start for Indian
s,o,is 20 attend the convention OF the national
.s.,,,r,x-a committee Of the union which will
h,,5n there on Tuesday by early train this
-,o-Ding or early this afternoon at the --latest.
:. was ascertained that the detailed reply of
-. onerstors would not give The slightest
,-roun6 10 hope that they viii change their posi-
.,or They viii stand by their last proposition.
xrbich Win be final.
Word reached the operators yesterday from
.,s Franklin c5uieries OF the Lehigh Valley
railroad. near Wilkes Barre. that though
,u,cbeIl ordered the pump workers and others
-,bo are needed 10 keep tbs mines in condition
- -eu1afn 81 work. the collieiies were mobbec
m THURSDAY by "a crowd OF strikers. Many of
,ee foreign 5orn miners. wEo cannot understand
raglish and others wh1 sy11spathized with them
ooh on the mea az work as STRIFE breakers.
!. was said tha: large number or the for
.irrers. to whom Nitchelrs orders Were trans
.sted. misunderstood them. Toward evening the
mob adrauceL closer Ia the colIieTies with loud
sbou;s and Nses and the men at work were
seraia 10 come out The authorities were in
4ornec and a deputy sheriff. with a number
NJ specil policemen. came out ana succeeded
IN keeping The mob az a distance. They re-
maneJ a. night watching the mop. which dis
persed when day began to break
On behalf Of tho operators il was asserted
that there nothing in the report that the
protest OF the independent operators against
sesling with tho United Mine Workers was MADE
public without consulting them II was said
nat the independent operators authorized MAX
Ing il public
None Of the mine workers remaining at the
Ashland House We're willing yesterday 10 talk
of the situation.
Mitchell was visited by z. D. Sturges. presi-
dent Of the Clarence Coal Company, one Of the
Independent operators. who signed the protest
against doing business with the United Mine
Workers. They had a conference. but Mitchell
would not say what il was about.
N-. sturges expressed the belief that there
would be a strike. Some of the national officers
committee have done everything possible to
avert strike. The committee even made too
many compromise offers in its anxiety to avert
strike. Il has been putting of matters so
long thar ] believe the rank and file viii not
Ike IL II there is a strike ii viii be up to the
operators
The price Of the small steam sizes OF anthra-
cie advanced more or less in this city yester-
day. Pea coal advanced 10 cents a ton. A
member Of The Retail Coal Dealers Association
sad that the operators We're releasing more of
me domestic sizes, but not enough He would
not be surprised he said. to see the price of do
mestic anthracite increasing soon, unless con-
aitions were changed
Soft coal advanced a little yesterday, and is
no" So ton A representative of the Fair
mont Coal Company, No. I Broadway, a soft
'osI operating firm. said that every one was
waiting 10 see what the anthracite operators
you'd 90. II there is an anthracite strike there
WI VII be more SOFT coal settlements and the price
ot SOL coal Viii increase
ne anthracite operators. il was said last
81 Ieailze mat Mitchell is trying 10 play the
.dIu coal interests against the soft coal in
tefests u be can get a basis for doing so In
70 me present he has noI succeeded in estab-
-s-lls such basis. the situation is not
oearly oennec either in the soft coal or hard
'oal Industry. while Mitchell is still trying ~
W4hg about an agreement with the anthracite
'iSIators DID The face OF much discourag cement
Ihere vas q Tumor last night that Mitchell
Aau mace an appointment with Maxim Gorky TO
meet MIN Al the Ashland House to-day between
Verified
me mine Trorkers, left the Ashland House YES
'Tcay 70 go 70 Shamokir, Penr He was ac-
ooHpanied by some Of the national officers