The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1907-12-21

guilty of outrages Of the character
have concluded that a change
Of climate would conduce to length of
days. and have left the camp. Many Of
the worst Of this class are still here.
laid up for repairs in the Miners hos-
pital Of Goldneld. recovering from the
effects Of three gunshot wounds
inflicted by a brother during a fraternal
Of Federation policies. This
man is Vincent st. John. formerly of
Telluride. Colo. believed to be impli-
in the murder OF Arthur Collins at
place. and considered the arch
villain Of the Federation because of his
to a historic character
for his success in embroiling
while adding to his own rudy
Any of the foregoing statements al
be verified. and the subject il worthy
the attention of editors of newspapers
and magazines who think their readers
would be interested in learning how q
Nevada mining camp attains its major
ity.
While engaged in such pastimes as
these. which have been only briefly in
dictated. the Federation ofncials and
their intimates have further enter
tanned themselves and made a %pretence
of earning their salaries by declaring
conducting numerous strikes. So
fast have these strikes followed each
other during the last two years that
there is some honest difference Of opin-
ion whether these leaders ind more sat
in conducting a strike already
or in negotiating to bring this to a
close in order to Immediately take steps
to precipitate another. 1t is only once
or twice that the question of wages has
been involved for the miners Of the
Goldfeld district receive higher wages
Than those Of any other district in the
United States. The principal zone Of
has been over the right
claimed by the miners to steal. h
mine operators contend that the ore In
the mines belongs to the owners of the
mines. The miners have asserted what
in practice amounts to a privilege SIM
liar to the one granted to Ruth when.
according to the Bible story. she was
allowed to CLEAN in the field of Boaz. By
the use Of special device employed for
the purpose and worn under the cloth
ing. miners may easily CLEAN and
carry OF from high grade mines as
much as a thousand dollars worth of ore
each time they go of shift. The FEEDER
alton has of course insisted on this
sacred right of the miners to "glean."
but the last strike over the matter re-
suited in In adoption of a type of
soIcr-o oovn, otfcfootnwv IN Tho mar
ators, which has since been in use In the
high grade mines.
Following this strike, there was a
truce for a few weeks. when the pro-
longed quiet became oppressive to the
a~gitators. and word was dispatched from
the general Federation headquarters In
Denver to the Nevada unions that the
way to bring the mine owners into sub
lection hold them there was to get
control Of the Power company" The
observation-disclosures Power company gen.
crates electric power on Bishop creek.
Inyo county, California, and transmits
by numerous lines and branches 100
miles distant to the mining districts Of
Tonopah. Millers, Blair. Silver Peak.
Goldfeld and Bullfrog. This enterprise
has been wholly developed in less tina
three years. involving a cash expendi-
ture Of 5000, 900 and the plant is not
vet entirely completed. Every mine OF
as we'll as the lighting
service and nearly every water system
in the districts named are absolutely de-
pendent upon this for power.
The position OF the Federation officials.
therefore, seems to be shrewdly taken.
in September n of the Fedora
tiOn's executive officers was dispatched
to the scene of the company's construc-
ton work in California. secretly organ
ICED unions among the construction
forces, precipitated a general strike be-
fore any demands upon the company
had been made and hen presented the
of the Federation. Some diff
with the management Of the
power company naturally resulted. The
Official then served formal
on the company's general man
ager that unless he demand made
were at once granted. the company
would be declared unfair. the fight would
carried into Nevada, and no miner
Or other member of the Federation
would be allowed to work at any mine
or elsewhere where the current of the
was used. The Federation Of
fetal was asked whether he meant to
tina if his demands were not
he proposed to p~recipitate a
general labor war in Southern Nevada.
a repetition of the conditions and
Incidents which had been brought about
under similar circumstances in Idaho,
and Colorado. He answered
amphatically and u~nequivocal!y. Yes"
was nevertheless informed that the
demands would have to be denied.
the band of Federation dis
was placed upon the company.
its construction work over 200 miles of
territory was stopped. and for nearly
two months. while the agitators labored
to coerce the company and the unions,
the towns and mining districts OF South
ern Nevada. dependent upon the Power
company. faced the prospect of being at
any moment thrown into darkness ana
Idleness. Fortunately. for the first time.
in n history of these Southern Nevada
unions, a sufficient number of the con-
members Of the order stood
against the disturbers to de-
feat their plans. although considerably
more tha a majority vote In the Gold
Held union was cast Ii. favor of the pro
posed strike. The general Federation
official who conducted this 60-day cam
paign against the Power company Is
Robert Randall. who is mentioned In to-
press dispatches from Denver. as
the dispatch Of government
For nearly a month following the fail
are Of this attempt against the Power