The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-13
COAL MINERS
 FIGHT GRIMLY Members of Union to Give No Quarter. FURNACE OPERATORS FIRM Birmingham District is Scene of a Mighty Struggle. The Contest is Not oae of Wages, s.s of Recognition of Union ana
 All Resources Are ts
 He Used.
FURNACE OPERATORS FIRM

 A light for existence. This is what the leaders of the United Mine Workers of America. Alabama District No. 20. know Is in store for the organization In the strike which began in the Ala bama coal fields the. first of the past but very few of the commercial coal companies have joined hands in the efforts to down the union and positively announce that the companies will be operated on the open shop plan.
 There will be no half way business to 1t. The miners realize that if they lose this fight the organization iM done for. at least for some years, and the operators do not look with anything like favor towards losing the fight Tn the meantime the Sheriff is being l sought to appoint deputies to he placed at the mines as q precaution and to give protection. say the operators. to such men as want to continue at work While something Is to be heard of overt acts. there are no indications that any violations of tho law will be resorted to.
 Knowing that it is dght for the very existence of the organizationS the leaders are bringing every possible means to hand to carry out efforts to shut down the mines. Organizers are being placed in the fields as rapidly as possible and the coal miners are being urged to join the union and to cease work until recognition has been secured. Quite A number Of non-uuion men are Joining the union but as yet the mines continue in operation and the forces are not so far demoraiixad as to bring 1t around as to close the mines.
 There is a constant crowd around union headquarters in Birmingham, to- day. Sunday. being no exception. The organizers of the union have lost no time since the strike began getting over the fields and extra work ls be- ing done in the stronger places. The Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company and the Slose-ShefIaeid Steel and Iron Conpany appear to be the special marks Of xiie miners fn their organization work. The rtopubiic Iron and Steel Company and the Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Company are not being overlooked. however. and the men at work are being urged to join the union and assist in securing recognition.
 The matter of recognition now ap- pears to be tho main question in point. The wage question Is not mentioned at ali. The operators feel confident that they are going to wipe the union out of existence. The biz strike in 1908 resulted In the furnace operators. with | the exception of one, refusing ko deal with organized labor at the coal mines. Last year the single furnace company quit dealing with organised labor. ieav- ing the union to the commercial coal operators.
 Less than 5000 miners belonged to | the union up to the first of this month | The claim today of the union leaders Is over Il, 900 with less than 5000 men working in non-union mines yet The report of the State Mine Inspectors made public couple of months since showed something like ts.00o miners in Alabama. If no overt acts are re- sorted to the contest promises to be | interesting. The miners leaders rec ! peated today that all men are being urged not to resort to any violence whatsoever and the fight is won. Ready for Trouble.
 Birmingham. July 12.--tSpecial.)--- Twenty eight deputy sheriffs were sent | to Wylam and Ensley last night and this morning i've to Sayreton and no less than fifty others well distributed throughout the district as a precaution | during the miners' strike.
 Wild rumors have prevailed during the past two days to such an extent that Sheriff Higdon and Chief Deputy l Lucien Brown have been remaining around the once in Birmingham very l closely in order that they might re- ceive reports from the officers or be ready for any trouble that might | arise.
 Reports received this afternoon were | to the effect that during this morning | big meeting and q demonstration was | was held by the miners at Wylarn. A meeting was also held at Ensley. A | stick of dynamite was exploded at
 sayreton last night but no one was tn- | jured. There have been rumors that
 trouble would take place around Pratt City at the convict camps but nothing
 has been attempted. Leaders Of the l miners state that they are advising
 the men not to resort to lawiessness.
 The preparations that are going on
 around the offlce of the sheriff would l indicate that there are fears that at ! any moment an outbreak might oc-
 cur. Sheriff Higdon stated this after
 noon that in selecting deputies for
 work at the mines and around the
 district the best men possible were
 being commissioned and that home
 men would be hired altogether foreign
 or out-of- county folks being reIegat-
 ed to the rear. Chief Deputy Sheriff
 Brown never left the ofice during | Saturday night save for a few mo-
 tions. Sheriff Higdon came in from
 his country home in an automobile at
 an early hourw and spent all day at
 the oflee.
 The opening of the mines will deter
 mine the strength of the union. The | companies gave out information today
 tha tthere would be operation at all
 places Monday even if only one car of
 coal was mined.