Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-08-21
(By Pa Jul J. Paulsen and Harold W
Houston.)


~
The West Virginia miners have fur
nished one of the most memorable
struggles in the history of battles be
tween Capital and Labor. The clash
between the coal operators and the
miners of Paint and Cabin Greeks Was
heard round the world. Lined up
with the operators was the power OF
the State government, the press and
the vast army of minions who always
fatten on the wealth wrung from the
workers. Against this apparently in
yincible army, backed by the militia
and the courts, the miners. fought a
winning battle. They emerge with
many a trophy and the flag of liberty
the flag of unionism-for the first
time in many a long year flies from
the tipple of Cabin Creek-America's
Little Russio. The story of this strug-
gle is vibrant with human interest,
and contains many a lesson for the
hosts of Labor as they march on TO
ultimate economic emancipation. For
this reason we give below short re-
sumo of the most salient features OF
this heroic effort to win West Vir-
ginia for unionism.
Paint and Cabin Greeks are two
mountain streams running south from.
the Kanawha liver in the eastern part
of Kanawha county, and are separated
only by ridge Of lofty timbered hills.
On these two, creeks are located a
great number Of mines employing be-
tween six and seven thousand miners.
A majority of these miners are native
Americans, many of them having been
reared here in the mountains, and they
possess an innate love of liberty that
illbrooks the slavery attempted to be
forced upon them by the coal barons
OF this state.
Previous to April 1, 1912. Paint
Creek was partly organzeized. In view
of the fact that the contract under
which the miners and operators were
then working would expire on April
l, 1912, joint conference was held
in the city of Charleston during the
month. of March of that year for the
purpose, if possible, of negotiating a
new contract In this conference the
miners demanded an increase. They
demanded an icrease of five ad one
quarted per cent. that being what is
known as the Cleveland demand, this
increase being accorded to all the min
ers throughout all the organized sec
tions of the country. The KaRaWha
operators-the operators along thesKa-
nawha river proper+refused the in
crease called for by the Cleveland he
mand but finally agreed to pay one
half of the Cleveland scale. The Paint
Creek Galleries Company the prin-
cipal operator on Paint Creek, after
numerous conferences, fatty refused
to grant any increase whatever. The
increase demanded by the miners OF
Paint Creek would have Appropriated
one and one-half cent per ton. The
refusal of this small increase is what,
in reality ,precipitated the now ia
nous strike of the West Virginia min
ers
The Paint Creek Galleries Com
pany operates eleven or twelve mines
on Paint Creek and employees about
zoe SINNERS. But a very small per
cent of these were members of the
United Mine Workers at the time
this controversary arose. During the
latter half of April the strike call was
Issued, and the miners, both union
and non-union, promptly responded to
Zig Gdll. Inc ulu0S WST0 oil CiOS0u
even those operating on the head OF
the creek, and who were not involved
in the original controversary, and i'm
mediately the operators commenced
the importation of their army of pri-
vate guards. These guards many of
whom were ex-convtcts and thugs,
wre furnished principally by detec-
tive agency, known as the Baldwin
Felts Agency, with headquarters at
Roanoke, W. Va. and branch office
at Bluefield, w. va. Tehese were fur
nished the operators in any number
desired and were paid approximately
SIS per month. Since these guards"
must play such an important role in
subsequent events it becomes import
ant to explain the purposes of their
employment.
With the failure of the operators to
coneede the small increase demanded
by the miners, the war on the union
OF the miners commenced. The Oh.
ertaors knew they must crush every
attempt of the miners to form union.
To do this they distributed these arm.
60 guards all along the creek with or,
~ % drive every RgitatoY from the
ih' n 14atklnn they AReefnA small