Douglas Island news., 1907-09-25

do and Idaho; their strike was a fail ure: their men were being driven from
 the mining districts at the point of the gun; their leaders were in jail; destruc- tion threatened the society. So reason ing that if he could rejuvinate the or ganization by master stroke else where he would be the natural choice for it's presidency-with letters from the Colorado chiefs he hied him to Min nesota, and fourteen months ago sin ! ister shadow was suddenly thrown over 1 the red dust of the Mesaba iron fields, and from out of it stepped personall- tv surcharged with ambition. That shadow was the Western Federation of Miners, and the personality Teotila Pe- triella. True it was that when he ar rived there things were not looking bright for successful strike promotion. The miners and the employees were ln harmony on every score. The best of wages were being paid, the workers at the mines earning from S2.5O to S4.5O per day, and moreover the heaviest mine owners in the District had long been engaged in a campaign for the betterment of the lot of the workers, realizing as every up-to.date employer of labor should, that sober and con- tented working population in their community is one of their greatest as sets. The miners, in consequence, were prosperous. Seven-ninths of the heads of families owned their own homes, cultivated gardens, kept chickens, and their children went to good schools every day. The younger generation ot the little towns of Eveleth, Virginia, Hibbing, Nashwauk and lesser places were growing up along the sturdlest American lines. The range country, as it is called, was the most prosperous in the state, and the wealth more eVen- Iy distributed than in any other min ing community in America; condition surely not conducive to industrial war fare.
 At this time, the Western Federation had practically no foothold among the miners, but there was nucleus around which it might grow, in the shape of about four hundred men who main. tained a semi-socialistic organization, holding a charter from the Federation. With these Petriella vent to work. He made no mention of strike. Branches were formed at many points, for the "bettermeut of mine workers" Ten months after he was in the district there were 10000 members of the Fed eration on the Mesaba and VermlIlon ranges, the bulk of them, perhaps over 9,OOO. on the Mesaba, which is the great mine center of the state. They were fairly swarming around Hibbing, Nir- ginia, Eveleth, Nashwauk, Sparta, and locations near these towns, this bearing testimony to Petriella's poweras an or ganizer. The Federation chiefs were delighted, and the little Italian was looming very large, despite his five feet and two inches of stature.
 He had now a force powerful enough to grapple with the mining interests and fight it out with them. It was the height of their busiest season, so early last spring he determined to force the conflict. But he knew that his follow CTS had no grievance, and were not willing to strike. He must, therefore, create a grievance at any cost, and he cast about to find one.
 Now, there was the contract system on which the mines were being worked. Under it the miners got from 60 cents to S1 a car for the ore taken out, and earned from S2.5O to 84. 50 a day accord ing to their proficiency. The shovel men were getting S5 day aud the ma chinists S3.
 Among the Minnesota miners there are many nationalities, the strongest in numbers being the Austrians. Then come the Films, Italians and sprink ling of Montenegrans and others. The ! Austrians are the best workmen on the ranges, and earn the highest wage. The ! Italians are somewhat below them in proficiency, and the Films and others, who lack industry or training, are, under the contract system, receiving the smallest remuneration, because they do the least amount of work. Of course, they were jealous of the more efficient and prosperous miners, and