Omaha daily bee., 1912-04-21
REGION IF aANY STRIKES
Long Series ef Labor Troubles in
Anthracite Coal Fields.
SIXTY YEARS OF MINING STRIFE
Brief Review of Succession of In
dustriaI Wars Between the
workmen and Coal
Harons.

The first organized strike in the anthrs-
cite coal fields Of Pennsylvania occurred
just sixty-three years ago. Before that
time there had been unnumbsred differ
ences between miners ahd operators, re-
sulting in local suspensions OF work, but
OF these no record has been kept: and
the Schuylkill county strike OF lSi9 stands
out as the opening battle Of long-drawn-
out warfare which has kept the hardcoal
regions in a state OF unrest ever since
then. barring the last ten years.
There were occasional years between
1879 and 19Oe when quiet prevailed for
the most part throughout the region but
as a general thing disputes. threats and
strikes occurred in one locality or an
other.
How many hundreds or thousands OF
such strikes took place will never be
known. for until comparatively recent
times no adequate data has been pre-
served. The bureau Of mines now sup
plies information Of strikes since the
| time when II was organized; the coal
companies have data, scattered through
their voluminous records; the weekly and
daily newspapers published in the an
thraclte fields have preserved in their
files such brief references to labor trou-
bles as they have been in the habit Of
printing. But II was left for a clergy
| man. the Rev. Peter Roberts of MahanOy
City. in the lower anthracite fields. TO
make exhaustive research and to collate
as fully as possible record of strikes,
which were published years ago in an
| elaborate treatise entitled. THE Anthra-
cite Coal Industry" This book is out Of
print.
| II is interesting to note, in the strike
OF 1873, the first recorded conflict between
capital and organized labor in the an
thracite industry. that the issues involved
were just about the same as those in
volved In every great strike since then;
The First strike.
Away back Their In rs. tue year be.
fore the California gold excitement, a
labor organization Of anthracite miners
was formed down in schuyikill county by
John Bates. after whom It was named.
The organizer OF the Bates union worked
indefatigably for a year to enlist MEM
bers In the organization, just as John
Mitchell, more than half a century later.
did missionary work for year to in
crease membership In the United Mine
Workers before pulling off his. first dis
astrous strike.
The Bates union held a meeting on
May 9, 1919. in the village OF Miners
willie, and another meeting on May in
the adjoining township. at which reso-
buttons were adopted stating that I'VE
have learned from Divine Providence
that the Iaborer is worthy Of his hire"
adding significantly that II any man
was prevented from working because Of
his membership In the union they would
all strike.
The same tactics were employed in that
strike 10 1919 that have been employed
ever since then. including the strike d.
rected by John Mitchell in 1900, when
the entire national guard OF Pennsyl-
vania. numbering 1000 infantry. cavalry
and artillery were wholly unable to
cope with rioters and dynamlters, or to
quell the instruction.
The men In the Bates union armed
themselves with cudgels. formed them
selves into bands, and marched through
the Black valley, and by the usual meth
DDS Of threat. intimidation and assault
when deemed necessary compelled men
to quit work and join their ranks.
After several weeks Of struggle the
operators and the workmen got together
and effected a compromise, the strike
was declared Off and the men went
back to work. X
Troubles After the War.
Small labor troubles Of local importance
only continued TO crop out in various
parts of the region until the civil war
was In progress, when the price of coal
Jumped from Sis per ton at Philadelphia
l.. Z. d. gaI Stp..