The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-23

A1R@SAeNA't prehension has been expressed by the public that a serious crisis in this strike will be reached when the time comes for removing the strikers from the homes of the operators under legal process. The date of limitation for most of them will be September l, but at this place the Sayre Mining and Manufacturing com pany CMr. John H.-Adams' mines) had fixed the limit this day for vacating. Therefore, in order that I might ascer- tain what effect such removals would have upon peaceful conditions I came out this morning and have watched the move- ments in an inquisitorial way; and, just as I had contemplated everything has been done in a peaceful and orderly way and the vans are moving with the dignity and quiet of a funeral procession.
 To Their Tents.
 The tents provided by the union have been pitched on lands belonging to pri- vate parties, adjacent to the lands of the company; and the men, women and chill dren are going into them with their lug gage, leaving comfortable cottages va cant, but soon to be occupied by new men and their families, who will begin coming in large number on Monday.
 My opinion is that the days set for va- eating the company homes will be the time for the real beginning of the era of peace and normal conditions. It will be noticed that the striking miners have not been charged with open violations of law in the broad daylight and that they do not bid open defiance to legal pro- cesses.
 Now, just so soon as these houses are vacated by the union men hundreds of waiting and at present afrighted men, with their families, will enter them and engage In mine work. because the com pany will throw a cordon of guards around their entire premises and protect the families and the homes of the work men while the latter are In the mines l have been informed personally by many striking miners not only here, but else- where, that they will return to work as soon as this is done.
 Great Plant. This is a great mining plant at Sayre- one Of the largest on the Cain Creek branch of the Louisville and Nashville Just 22 miles out from Birmingham. The place was selected by that great pros pector and developer, John H. Adams who is the general manager It occupies lo,ooO acres of land on both sides the Llttle warrior, has number of openings and had been most successful from 1903, the year of its installment. I'D to July Of this year, when the strike be- gan.
 when we consider the deep interest the lndefatigable zeal and the splendid achievement MT. Adams won in inducine strong capitalists of Pennsylvania to in. vest with him $2OO,O00 here in this deveI- opment, thus enriching the state. we asaln lind an object for regret at this unholy disturbance and disruption and rear overtakes us that it will tend to estop an inflow of foreign capital which IS so essential to our further buildino m and development. 'p
 Assoclated with MT. Adams are such men as A. N. Cleaver Edwin Thomas lof the olo Pioneer company, w. A. Latb- rop, president of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation company, William H savre of Pennsylvania, James Weisel of Rir- minsham, all men of close observation "atch1ul tendencies and developing spirit, but not immune from the phghtlng effects of disturbances like this. This location as say. is an ideal one The coal seam is four and half to five feet thick and pre- sents most inviting proposition to the worthy and industrious miner.
 Appreciated Its Labor.
 So highly did the company value it's ! labor that it built large number of ex- cellent cottage homes, schoohouses for white and colored, churches and lodge rooms for each race, and rendered the public houses free of charge It also placed the rental price of houses down 10 a minimum and furnished free water to all homes
 Besides this, the company fixed a scale five cents per ton higher than was paid by any other company working this seam, to wit, 45 cents per ton.
 AS an illustration of the wages earned by miners here, I was today informed by an old and well-known miner, MT. Linn, who was born and reared within a few miles of this place, that he-and other miners were making good money, and al- ways had done so, in these mines; that with heavy, hurried. full-time work he had made as much as from $10 to $l4 in a single day, and that any man who is anything of a miner and will work req sonable number of hours can make $350 to S4 or 8 every day.
 MT. Alex Brewis, the mine boss, tells me that $5 per day was not an unusual average for a number of men who went out on the strike at Sayre.
 Nelson Staples, strong young colored miner, tells me that he seldom averages less than $10O per month and that yester- day, working one-half day he mined nine tons at 45 cents per ton, or s4.o5.
 Wages Earned.
 While on this subject of compensation or wages, let me state that today I was shown a sheet from the pay roll of the Empire mines in this district for the month of June. It shows the following amounts for each of II mem S75.55, $111. 49 s7434 s94.4O $961S, $11402 s7l.11 $73.S9 s147. 30. s7l20 s10S.79. ss,5O and $14.95. The two last named are the president and vice president of the local at Empire. Miners Own Checkweighman But here at Sayre I say that conditions were absolutely perfect up to July 4 No grievance had been presented to the man. l n cement by the miners. There was peace and quiet and order and calmness and | profit. This company had even gone so far as to permit it's miners to employ their own check weghman or representative at tbe scales. It had extended credit for house rent and for supplies in the com missary through all the days of the manic. It had given full assurance to its employes of it's good will and high value l of their services.
 Base lngratitude.
 On Sunday morning, July 5, Ca holy ! Sabbath day). an emisary from the