Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-05-23
A Record of Coal Strikes
Since the First In l849
What the Causes Were and
How the Struggles
Turned Out,
ME first organized strike in the
anthracite coal fields of Penn

anthracite coal fields of Penn
s%ylvania occurred just sixty
three years ago. Before that
ferences between miners and opera
tors, resulting in local suspensions OF
work. but of these no record has been
kept. and the Schuylkill county strike
of 1949 stands out as the opening bat
tie of a long drawn out warfare which
has kept the hard coal regions in a
state of unrest ever since then, bar
ring the last ten years.
There We're occasional years be-
tween 1S49 and 1902 when quiet pre-
vailed for the most part throughout
the region. but as a general thing dis
putes. threats and strikes occurred in
mt locality or another.
How many hundreds or thousands
Of such strikes took place will never
be known. for until comparatively re-
cent times no adequate data have been
preserved. The bureau of mines now
supplies information of strikes since
the time when it vas organized. The
coal companies have data. scattered
through their voluminous records, and
the weekly and daily newspapers pub
lished in the anthracite fields have
preserved in their flies such brief ref
n to labor troubles as they have
been in the habit Of printing. But it
was left for a clergyman, the Rev.
Peter Roberts of Mahanoy City, in the
lower anthracite field. to make ex-
haustive research and to collate as
fully as possible a record of strikes,
which was published years ago in an
elaborate treatise entitled THE An
thracite Coal Industry"
The First Strike.
1t is interesting to note in the strike
of 1849 the first recorded conflict be,
tween capital and organized labor in
the anthracite industry; that the issues
involved were about the same as in
every great strike since then.
In 1913 a labor organization of an.
thracite miners was formed in Schuyl-
kill county by John Bates. after whom
it was named. When the early spring
of 1S49 arrived Bates found it strong
enough to put up certain demands to
the operators of mines-higher wages.
shorter hours and recognition Of the
union. The operators declined to
grant the demands, and in May a gen.
eral strike was declared throughout
the Schuylkill. or lower field.
The Bates union held a meeting or
May .. 1910. in the village Of Miners
vile and another meeting on May s il
the adjoining township. at which reso
luticns were adopted stating that 1--WE
have learned from Divine Providence
that the laborer is worthy of his hire
adding significantly that if any mar
was prevented from working because
of his membership in the union they
would all strike.
The same tactics were employed ii
that strike of 1S49 that have been EN-
plOyed ever since. The men in the
Bates union armed themselves will
cudgels, formed themselves into bands
oAo AAoASASS1 AAOuSu CAc o4dCh valley
and BY methods of threat, intimidation
and assault when deemed necessary
compelled men to quit work and joir
the ranks.
After several weeks of struggle the
operators and the workmen got togeth
er and effected a compromise. tho
strike was declared off. and the mel
went back to work.