Amador ledger., 1909-05-14
MINERS ON STRIKE.
All the Mines at a StandstiIl
over the Eight Hour Law.

On the morning of Sunday, May o,
the new eight hour law passed by tho
last Legislature went into effect. The
time was awaited with some anxiety
on the part of all those interested,
on account OF the fact that there was
wide divergence, IN the interpre-
tation of the statute between the
mine wners and the employees.
Notwithstanding this it was believed
that the crisis would be tided over
without any cessation of work. At
the Argonaut mine the first test came
about. When the night shift came
off duty Sunday morning, a nun ber
OF them waited around the works
until the day shift men appeared.
The conclusions Is that they waited
for the purpose OF talking to them
and persnading them If possible not
to go to work in accordance with the
new hours understood by the mine
managements. The result was that
all the men returned to their re-
spective homes. AT the Zeila small
force went to work, but the next
SHIFT the mine was left practically
without wokers.
At the Kennedy, the biggest en-
ployer of all, the critical time came
Monday, as the miners do not work
underground Sundays. A pretty full
crew reported for duty Monday,
morning, between 80 and 100. This
nun Der was cut down considerably
on the following shift. StilTa large
mum Der of men boarded and lodged
at the company's boarding house,
and these seemed disposed, if left to
their own judgment to continue at
work. The strikers, however, in
some way got into communication with
them, and on Tuesday some of these
we're prevailed upon not to report
for duty. Wednesday, between 50 and
40 men we're at work
On Sunday night, j f Hutchinson,
one of the grand officers of the
Western Federation, from Burke,
Idaho, arrived; also walking dele
gate named Cora. The difference
between the employers and employees
was used to strengthen the organl
zation of Jackson Miners Union.
Meetings we're held and the scores of
miners who had dropped out of the
| i'm ubn L,ah in
their dues, we're Initiated or reinstal
ed. The treasury was replenished to
the extent of Sll00 or $1,000 in a
couple of days. As body the union
it seems has taken no official action
iE regard to the strike; neither in
dorsing it nor repudlating it. The
opportunity was presented to greatly
augment the membership, and this
was seized for all there was in it.
jackson is the only place in the
comfy where a miners. union exists.
In all the other mines the south
Eureka, Bunker Hill, Central
Eureka, and Fremont, there was
more or less of walk out. Those
however, who were disposed to work
did so without molestation or in
limitation of any kind
At the Bunker Hill and Fremont
the partial stoppage has resulted in
the men available being put to work
repairing the shaft. Al the Ieila
and Argonaut. this repair work came
to standstill. A force is always
kept at these mines doing needed
shaft repairs. Being incline shafts
they need close attention so that the
repair crews going out is a serious
matter. Engineers are at work in all
the mines to keep out the watsr. And
the mill men, being on eight hour
shifts, were not lnterfered with
Yesterday was pay day at the
Argonaut. The Xeila paid off on the
10Th and llth, the Kennedy about
the same. Owing to the accident last
month in the wrecking of the shaft
there was very little due to the men
for the month of May at pay day.
The Heila pay day came when the
trouble had just started. At the
Argonaut, however, the strike had
been on for four days. So this COM
pany had time to make up the total
of what was coming to the men. and
paid them of to date. The men came
out with two checks, one Tor the
month of April, aud the other for the
few days worked during May. This
was an intimation that they were no
longer in the oompany's employ. On