Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-08-14
Our Fight Has Just Begun Is Cry OF
The Striking Calumet Copper Miners
80
(6yJ. L. Engdahl.)

Calumet, Mich, Aug. 14.-(Special.)
We have just begun to fight!1
That is the battling spirit that
grips the strikers of the copper
range with the opening of the third
week of their gigantic struggle. =.
In their monoster parades held al
most daily the copper strikers carry a
banner upon which is painted q one
man drill. The banner also bears the
slogan, '"The one-man machine; our
agitator.' rse
That eve a cringing slave has some
hopes of better conditions is shown
in the fact that the few men herded
together in what the mine owners call
"the back-to-work movement" pleaded
that the one-man drill be abolished as
one concession to continued slavery.
What was supposed to be a commit
tee representing these men made this
demand upon Jimmy" McNaughton,
vice president aud general manager of
the Calumet and Hecla Mining Com
pany, which Is leading tn ewar on the
miners.
eff you fellows can't operate one OF
those drill alone why don't you take
JOO1 W4F00 0OWA Ill Ll1O 41111OO w AO1P
your" was the reply rendered by ''Cop.
persKing" McNaughton.
1t did not take long for this story
to reach strike headquarters. 1t is
unnecessary to state that the back to
work" movement has crumpled of it's
own weight.
The "one-man drill" is to the copper
strikers of Northern Michigan what
the "four-loom shift was to the silk
strikers of Paterson, N. ]. 1t Is a
scheme on the part of the exploiters
to intensity the exploitation of the
slave in order that more profits may
result.
The drill that separates the ore from
the bowels of the earth when guided
by an intelligent human hand weighs
about $50 pounds. 1t is very cumber
some to handle and it takes very
strong man to move it about.
l tbs said That miners working
steadily on these drills become physi-
cal wrecks after four or five years.
One of the demands of the strikers
is that two men be put on these ma
chimes, onea machine runner and a
helper The petition of the profit hun
cry copper corporations is we'll stated
in MoNaughton' declaration to the
miners to take their wives down Into
the mines with them.
Down in West Virginia the miners
don't take their wives into the mines
with them, but they take their little
boys with them il order to be able
to dig enough coal to keep the wolf
Of hunger fPem the door of the com
pany awned shack.
This Is brought out in the report OF
the State Mining Department, where
It Is shown that SO and so, the son OF
so and so, was killed by a fall of slate
but that it wasn't the fault of the com
pany because the boy was not en-
ployed by the company He had only
come into the mfne to alp his father
With one man won dg at a drill
there Is the danger OF this one mar
being injured. something seriously, as
has often occurred. Then he will re
main where he falls until some othel
miner happens to pass that spot hours
later or until he is missed and search
is made for him. The miners are also
striking for minimum wage.
Some of the miners are known al
contract workers. They get paid fol
the progress they make. But wheE
they hit a strata of rock of virgin
copper that must be chiseled out thu
progressis slow-sometimes very slow
One youn gminer said that he hat
worked with his brother all of ont
day, a hard days toll. and they wer'
only able to advance a foot, barr
twelve inches. And all the time thu
company was inflicting its numerous
charges for oil and powder and othe
mining necessities
| That Is why the big mass meeting