The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-12-12
Why They Have Taken
Ground Now Occupied
at GOIdfield.
FORCED TO THE STAND
Repeated Outrases Directed By
Union Left Them No Other
COurSe...Statement of Trouble

The News prints below the full text
of the announcement made by the
Mine Owners association with regard
to the attitude adopted at Goldfield.
1t is fair presentation of their
grievances and is entitled to reading.
1t also furnishes a story of no small
interest, the details of which it is
worth while to have in mind Fol-
lowing is the statement:
The owners and operators of the
camp have endeavored to live in peace
and harmony with the union to the
present time have granted the high
est rate of wages paid in the world,
conceded most unreasonable demands
as to the methods of work and even
consented that they might be robbed
of their richest ore rather than con-
tinuous strikes, the repeated out
RACES against individual rights, the
Punishment from the camp of men
DESTROYS of investing in it's mines,
the open looting of every mine car
rying high grade ore have at last be-
come so unbearable that we must
either close our mines, hand them
over to the union, or make des-
perate effort to gain the right to
work them as we please We have
chosen the latter alternative and pro-
pose to make one final struggle for
the right to manage our own prop
erty. The articles in section one and
two goes on to give individual in
stances of deportation of prominent
men, which were accompanied by
brutal beatings. No man who had
ever incurred the enmity of the West
ern Federation has been permitted to
remain in Goldfield, and any man
who has dared to defy the threats of
the federation has been beaten up.
These attacks, it is said, were extend
ed to merchants, who dared protest
against the high handed practices.
Continuing the statements is as fol
lows:
BEATEN AND MURDERED.
Third-Citizens and merchants of
the camp who have dared to protest
against or even disapprove these out
RACES have been threatened, boy
cotted, beaten up and even murdered.
One example of this class will suf-
flee. Anton Silva was an inoffensive
Italian, the proprietor of restaurant
in the camp. During the strike in
March, 1917, he dared to sell meals
to the members of carpenters union
that was opposed to the Western Fed
Grafton of Miners, and in other ways
incurred the enmity of the union. On
the evening of March 10, w. r. Pres
ton, the walking delegate of the
miners union, backed by large
number of it's members, went to Sill
.1,N hi II in
blood Preston and Joe Smith and
another officer of the union were ar
rested, tried and convicted OF this
murder. he union is now allowing
these two convicts several dollars
each, is appealing for funds to secure
their liberty and calling them mar
tyrs.
Fourth-The union has encourage
ed, protected and assisted its men,
bers in the crime of stealing orc from
the mines of the district. The ores
of Goldfield are very high grade and
in all the mines are millions of dol
lars worth of ore running in value
from $Z to $40 pound, and this ore
has been stolen in a way almost be-
yond belief. During the six months
ending December 81, 1906, there was
stolen from the Mohawk mine alone
not less than $1,000,000. During the
past six months there has been taken
from the Little Florence lease on the
Florence mine not less than $1,000
a day. The union has refused to per-
nit underground watchmen, has or
dered a strike where effective change
rooms were placed upon the proper
ties, has protested against, and pre-
vented almost every effort to pre-