Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-08
LOADED COAL CARS
INDICATE ACTIVITY
NEAR CUMBERLAND
Strike Claims Conflict, But
Struggle Evidently Has Lit
tie Public Support.

"a staff correspondent of The Star was sent
Maryland coal fields. because Washington re-
ceives large proportion of its supply OF
btuminous from that region)
From STAFF Correspondent.
CUMBERLAND, Nd, November g.
So far as this field is concerned the
coal strike has developed into a mat
ter of here are the figures on the
part of the operators and railroads.
and the operators and railroads lie"
on the part of miners and officials of
the local unions of this district, No. 16.
Officials of the union, from President
Drum down, declared today that the
entire district is 100 per cent closed.
and that the only mines that are
working are few that are getting
out what the miners call fire coal
for domestic use in the imm ediate
vicinity of the mines.
Rail Administration Figures.
On the other hand. figures prepared
at the Offices here of the Cumberland
division of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad and forwarded to the office
OF Director General Hines of the rail-
road administration show that Thurs
day the road handled 1,101 cars of coal
out of the various fields in this region.
The loadings were divided as follows:
Fairmont field, 81 cars; Somerset
and Connellsville fields, 6s2 cars; Nor
gantown and Kingwood. % cars;
Preston. 10 cars; Oakland. / car:
Tunnelton, cars; Boswell fields, 355
cars.
Railroad officials said last night that
loadings at the various fields yester-
day were running heavier than Thurs
day.
Somebody isn't telling the truth
about the situation, because the coal
Is coming out of the mines. being
loaded on the cars and being hauled
away.
Along the lines Of the B. & O.. in
practically all the way from Wash
ington Junction to this city. are
loaded with the product of the mines
of this field-Georges Creek and up
per Potomac. In the long stretch Of
yards are more than 5000 cars of
coal. and the yards of the Western
coal cars. too. Much of this coal ordi-
narily would go to Washington con-
sumers; just now it is being fed out
car or two at time, as fuel and
railroad administration officials di-
rect. No coal is going down the canal
at this time, although the waterway
is still open and in operation
The loading at the mines of LOO
cars of coal in one day indicates that
somebody is working. and those 1000
or more big steel cars. loaded with
perfectly good coal. standing in the
look as if coal famine wasn't to be
particularly dreaded for a few weeks,
anyhow.
A peculiar phase of the strike that
impresses any one at all familiar with
conditions usually prevailing in a
strike region is the fact that it is
about as popular with the general
public as would be strike of the
only fudge manufacturer in a girls
seminary town; and the miners from
the officials Of their local unions down
to the grimy workmen who get out
the coal. are fully cognizant of the
fact.
In this. the miners forget the big strike
of 1S94-the last real strike in this field
when public opinion was so solidly ar
rayed with the miners that the old
5th Regiment Of the Maryland State
Guard, on duty in this section, had one
Of the busiest times of its career through
the activity of individuals and units of
the general public, and through the ac-
ton of merchants and others who had
to be coerced into selling anything to
the soldiers.
Question of Store Credit.
Now. however. it is just the other
way. At Frostburg, Mount Savage and
other places in this field the merchants
on November l went on a strictly cash
basis. cutting off credit to the miners
on strike as we'll as to other customers
The miners say-half dozen of them
told me this today-that the merchants
are still trusting the men as usual, but
the merchants themselves told me that
since November l not a dollar has gone
on their books for goods sold on credit
to striking miners or their families.
No matter to whom one talks. the
sentiment expressed is strongly
against the strike and the strikers.
Not single individual except the
lilies. to whom I have talked, has had
anything but condemnation for the
action of the United Mine Workers
in shutting down the mines on the
verge of winter. throwing thousands
out of work and threatening not only
every branch of productive industry,
but the very lives of thousands upon
thousands of innocent persons. most
ly women and children, who will suf-
fer most If an actual coal famine de-
velops.
based on figures taken from pay rolls
Of coal producing concerns that give
an idea Of why the public is out Of
strike. The figures contained in the
affidavits are striking refutation Of
the reiterated assertions of miners
union officials as to small pay of the
| men who work in the mines.
Big Pay Roll Figures.
John L. Manst, who is secretary of
the Knob Coal Company. operating
mines near Morgantown, w. Va, and
with offices here, in sworn statement
deposed that many men in the COM
pany's mines in October last drew
checks for more than 5000 for their
months work. The smallest check in
tho months nav roll Mr. Manst sworA
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