The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-12-13
OWNERS MAY ATTEMPT TO RE-
OPEN MINES WITH NON.
UNION HELP.
TROOPS IN PERMANENT CAMP
Local Officials Protest Against Pres
ence Of Soldiers and Refuse to
Cooperate in Event There
Should Be Trouble.

Goldfeld, Nev.-Captain William
Cox, the representative of Cover
nor Sparks in Goldfield, stated
Sunday afternoon that he had informa-
ton from the Mine Owners Associa-
ton that an attempt will be made dur
ing the week to reopen the mines
here with non.union men. This in
formation has been communicated to
the governor and is in the hands of
Col. Alfred Reynolds, commanding the
place.
ton refuse to say positively that such
is the case, but every indication points
to the fact that Wednesday next has
been decided on as the day when the
attempt will be made to put men in
the mines to pump out the water that
is fast filling the lower levels. If
there is to be a clash between the
members of the Western Federation
of Miners and the soldiers of Uncle
Sam, it will come alta this time.
Nine Companies of Troops.
There are now nine companies Of
troops here, the SECOND detachment
from Monterey having gone into per-
manent camp on Combination Hill,
within 800 yards of the mill of the
Goldfield Consolidated Co. The first
detachment, which came from San
Francisco, remains in the camp estab-
lished in the northwestern part of the
city, a mile and a half from the lei
est mine.
Col. Reynolds, commanding all of
the troops here, is quartered in a tent
in the first camp and will remain
there. He refuses to say whether he
will detail soldiers to patrol the mines
when the attempt is made to reopen,
but merely states that the troops are
here to preserve order and that they
are prepared to handle the situation.
Sheriff ingalls, of Esmeralda coun-
ty, in which Goldfield is located, has
gone away to some distant mines and
the sheriff's office is in the hands of
Under Sheriff Bert Knight, who as.
serts that he is amply able to handle
any crisis that may arise from the
attempt to reopen the mines.
He has sworn in a dozen deputies.
He ~characterizes the statements made
by the mine owner that the union
men are arming themselves and pre-
pairing to make trouble as false, and
says that, in his belief, there will be
no effort made to prevent the mine
owners from working the mines with
whatever men they may employ.
Protests Against Troops.
A telegram which the sheriff sent
to Governor Sparks protesting against
the presence of federal troops in Gold
field remains unanswered. There will
be no cooperation between the local
peace officials and the troops in the
event of trouble. Statements are be-
ing issued to the public by both the
Mine Owners Association and the of.
icials of the local miners union, set
the situation.
From what can be gathered, it
seems probably that the Mine Owners
Association was primarily responsible
for the presence of the federal troops
here, but that it was not intended in
the first place that troops should be
sent at this time. 1t was intended to
have them in readiness to respond to
an urgent call, but when the fact be-
came public that the sending of troops
was contemplated, the governor was
1old that it would be best to have
the troops on the ground, as the min
ers were incensed over the fact of
the troops being held in readiness to
come and might commit violence at
any minute.
The mine owners then saw the
chance to take advantage of the pres
ence of the troops here to begin prep
arations to reopen. Denial is made
that miners from other camps are to
he brought in and the statement of the
owners is that they believe enough
men can be had in Goldfield to reopen
during the present week, but at the
same time the statement is made,
openly and positively, that men from
the outside will be brought in If the
local men will not accept script in
part payment and go to work.