Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-01-02
GOLDFIELD STRIKE AND ITS CAUSE

GRAFTON. Senator Nixon and his part.
ner, Wingfeld, own GoIdfelI, all the
gold, all the ground, all the camp. The
miner operators live, not by the grace
Of God, but by the grace of these two
scalawags, with their enormous gains
they have chafed at the wages and
hours exacted by the Federation.
Consequently when the panic broke
over the country here was the long
desired opportunity that these com
mercial brigands had hoped for, to
kill two birds at one time, ruin their
weaker competitors and reap the har-
vest, and crush the Federation and get
IL out of their way in the camp of
Gold6eld.
Siren Songs to the Small Men.
Meetings of operators and business
men were called and the word was
given out that the mine owners were
in earnest, that they were going down
the line, that they must all stand to.
gether and they would put the Eel
Grafton out of business.
The first move was the issuing of
the scrip or the cashiers checks in
payment to the men. AS these were
honored at only a few places in town
and these stores declared unfair by
the union, as men with families de-
pendent on them for support could not
send the money out, the union imme-
diately took action to see if it were
possible for the men to receive pay
without discount or loss. They pre-
sented some half dozen propositions to
the mine owners, asked them if they
would guarantee the scrip, which was
refused; asked them if they would put
their mines, or the smelter product
behind it; again refused; finally Of
fered to take half their pay in the
scrip and the other half in an order
on the bullion, the product of their
labor.
All negotiations were fatty and
promptly refused, so emphatically that
there could be no question as to the
purpose Of the operators.
When the proposition of quitting
work was submitted to the union men
the vote was unanimous. There never
was a more united union stand taken.
In spite of great differences in the
union concerning their political ideas
the members have stood together solid
ly so far as the necessities of their
actor. are concerned.
Small Fellows Restless.
The big fellows had assured the
little ones, the six or seven hundred
seabs would be brought in at once an
work would Immediately be resumed.
No such move is being made. There
is no shadow of doubt but what with
the troops here the mine owners could
get a thousand men if they wanted
them without any trouble. Only
about seventy scabs are in camp.
There is no pretense at work going
on here except to very limited ex
tent on the Hohawk and couple of
other Of the Consolidated properties,
these belonging of course to Nixon ani
Wingfeldl These fellows can stand
the shut down. 1t is what they want.
But the little fellows are getting rest.
less. They want to work. They were
promised that everything would go
on and it isn't going on. The mine
owners association is broken up into
warning factions, and everything is at
standstill. The little men are squirm-
ing and squealing and being squeezed
The big fellows are rubbing their
hands in ghoulish glee. Their ends
are about to be accomplished. No
work, no dividends; the mining stock
is depressed, is offered cheap in the
market, the big fellows gobble it and
the little fellows are broke.
That is the game on the boards at
Goldfeld. 1t is not an industrial is.
sue that is at stake but commercial
issue.
Ida Croueh.lIazlett.