New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-02
LIoNizED IN A MINING TOWN.

Unafrald Of the glowering miners. who
| mIstook the object OF his mission as un-
! friendly and having some relation 10 the
soldiers who had held them In restraint. the
mild hammered mediator mingled with the
, strikers and talked to them about their
| grievances. at first he was regarded with
deep suspicion, and the mutterings OF the
| discruntled men clearly showed that they
| resented what they thought was intrusion
| by Uncle Sam. a few of the holder miners
| strutted around In "A menaclng manner. eN-
pectInR TO intimidate or Brighten the stran-
ger. but they were destined to surprise.
one half-drunken miner. with several pls-
tolls on his person. staggered around DR..
NELL making remarks intended to terroriZe
him and occasionally waving d weapon in
each hand around his head. DR.. NELL
puffed calmly at his cigar. hardly noticing
| the gun play.
aren't YOU afraid NJ that fellow. Doc"
asked one Of the officials. with little con-
Germ.
Me? A Texan" quered the man Of
peace.
Quietly the pseudo bad man skunk away
and the story OF the incident spread about
lONi. Thereafter III. .N'lii ioi Ai'' 'hA''N
respect OF all the strikers.
The dispute between the miners and their
EMPLOYERS arose because OF cashiers
checks The miners did not like the substi-
tuition Of scrip for gold for wages. and II
was also charged that the mine owners
purposey precipitated the strike To give
Them an excuse 10 reduce wages under the
protection of the troops. this allegation
being partly confirmed by Or. NELL and
his colleagues in their report to the Presi-
dent Every one in town went armed. and
the situation became alarming before order
was finally restored as result OF the
friendly Offices Of the government ofhcials.
"A game man" said President Roosevelt
on one occasion complimenting Or. NELL.
This trait was once shown when the Com
missioner Of Labor donned a pair OF over
alls and went down into coal mine at
Hazleton, Penn, riding in a bouncing car
with the foreigners and observing every
phase OF their work. He wanted first hand
information went after II and got II.
Full credit Of avcrting a strike Of tcleS-
raphers throughout the country in the sum
mer of 1907 was given To Commissioner Neill
by the press AT that time. More than
twenty-five thousand tclegraphers were
ready To leave their keys at a moments
notice. and great injury would have been
done To business generally had the strike
been called. After controversy lasting
weeks during which time demands were
made and refused. utimatums issued and
declarations made both sides that
neither would yield the slightest point. Dr.
NELL stepped In and adjusted the differ
ences In manner satisfactory to all con-
cerned.
Numerous other Instances could be cited to
show the influence OF the Commissioner of
Labor in the Industrial world. but the
story would be the same In each case
peace restored The particular economic
problem might involve race prejudice in
Georgia, shorter hours In Texas, the rein
statement OF employees on some Western
road or a plain demand for higher wages
In the East-it wouldn't matter-there IL a
| satisfactory settlement-thanks to DR..
Charles l.. Nell. messenger of industrial
peace.