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Bee (Earlington, Ky.): n. Monday, June 7, 1897.
Bee (Earlington, Ky.): n. Monday, June 7, 1897. Bee (Earlington, Ky.). 300dpi TIFF G4 page images Bee Publishing Co., Earlington, KY 1897 bee1897060701 These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Bee (Earlington, Ky.): n. Monday, June 7, 1897. Bee (Earlington, Ky.). Bee Publishing Co., Earlington, KY 1897 $IMLS This electronic text file was created by Optical Character Recognitio n (OCR). No corrections have been made to the OCR-ed text and no editing has be en done to the content of the original document. Encoding has been done through an automated process using the recommendations for Level 1 of the TEI in Librar ies Guidelines. Digital page images are linked to the text file. nEAT TE- z voj 1 iJ 7r 1 tr ti ji II XYRl1 Ii NNESSkfr CENTENNIAL I 9 4 J i I I EARLINGTON COUNTY KENTUCKY MONDAY JUNE 7 I ono rt of- NInn1 i A CONCERTED MOVEMENT Of All Hopkins County Miners for f Restoration of Old Rate I tWhere Reductions a HAVE BEEN MADE i Large Meeting at Earlington Satur-n day of Delegations From All Mines L i T TWO BRASS BANDS AND MANY SPEAKERS I t t t Moderation and Good Order the f Watchword and Persuasion the Only Means to Be Used t TiE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR RESTORATION I 9 Operators Have Assured Their Men That Advance Shall Be Made toyJv Earlington was full of music ami miner on Saturday Both rfj are indigenous to the soil and the J presence oC hundreds of miners T and the sound ol the music of mili tary bands was anything but un usual But there was one great ti difference between this aggregation of minors and music and the usual throngs of people that crowd our galatj casion With scarce an excep tion these men camu Jn the spirit of soberness and moderation They came in peace and with i bands of music But they came vithprofQundsympathy for their r i fellow men and to discuss and counsel together to devise ifteans lor the relief of the distress of some among their number The feeling of self protection was no small factor uither It is question of wages and the miners in this district realize that unless a restor to1pickplaces where the wages have I cen reduced there must inevitably come at some time and perhaps t soon a general reduction through out the whole district iJ The St Charles delegation came inbefore dinner in several wagons some 50 or more men headed by their ovn brass band composed of miners Crabtrcc came with some sispr more men Barnesley Hecla Monarch and Rcinecke mines wer j each repro seated by inure or kss numerous delegations ThujEarlington Col ored Bifrid composed of colored miners turned out in the afternoon and took part with the St Charles band mulling the air with music The St Charles bandoccupitd the bandstand and the colored band played on the opposite corner of Main and Railroad Ma few minutes before 2 oclock the bands marched tq Maspuic Hall which y39 quickly filled with miner anxious nndyyHHng to do all inc pa 1 I i 0 aq r j t 4 ptT RAA4 SPrrlr P their power reasonably anti sober ly to remedy the conditions which brought them together J J McGregor was chosen chair rear and pljiyed a selection whichwas followed by Yield Not to Temptation rendered by the St Charles Band in which they sang apart with very good effect After minIutesmeeting the meeting was thrown open for the discussion by the miners of the situation and its reasonable and proper remedy As is pretty generally under stood by the public already the miners grievance consists in the reduction at several mines of the old standard rate to pick miners upon which is basedall mine wages and the selling price of coal in the markets The standard rate in effect for years in this dIs- trict and which is still being paid the bulk of Hopkins County miners is 6234 cents per ton in sum mer and 75 cents per ton in Win ter This rate has been reduced at several mines in the district where only 50 cen s or even 40 j cents is being paid and with this I reductron and the usual light work that necessarily prevails insummer the miners cannot make a living Those operators against whom complaint was made in the Satur days meeting on this score were the Providence Coal Co of Provi dence Ky Cooperative Mining Manufacturing Crivf Barnesley Ky Hecla CtiHl Co of Earling tonKy and Monarch Coal Co of Madisonvitlc Kyon this road and Powderly and Central City and possibly others on the Illinois Central and O N The Hecla miners quit work on Wednesday of last week anda miners meeting was held in Earl ington on Wednesday night at which a committee was appointed nntwr MV f1tISeSUmll1U dolias a week in- rrev to visit the mines where the reduc tion was in effect and get d legations to the Saturday meeting and a committee to solicit subscrip tions fQr the relief of those miners who were without the means of making a living James McManus reported that he and B Dunning committee had visited Providence and Monarch and asked for delegations of miners J B Hawkins reported that he and Wm Morris committee had raised dollars among Earlington minersand friends and added 4The miners who are needy can get grub through the St Bernard store We havent got money but we have got credit and we can give them grub The Monarch representatives re ported that they had held a meeting on Friday night and that the men agreed that they wanted to do what they could to get the 62 j cent rate but that they were opposed ton strike They said furthermore that a strike on their part was unnecessary since they had the promise of their employers that theywould restore the old rate without hesitation as soon as the other operators who had reduced would also agree to and restore the old rate James McManus reported from Hecla that Col Foard he knew would be one of the firsr men in the State to want to restore wags and that he had told his med thaf Bvbilld p3r624 cents as soon as the other operators paid it Barnesleys men seem divided against themselves but all who spoke from that mine said they wanted the old rate and that it should be paid as quickly as a restoration was effected at the other minesEvery miner who spolcgJaidthe responsibility of the present situa tion at the door of the Providence CoalCompanywhere the first reduction was made 10 the miners haying that the other reductions which have followed on this road have had justification in the fact that Providence was mining and selling coal at less rates than other opera tors and demoralizing the market as well as the miners wages Upon this point the miners were a unit as they were upon the point that unless the rates are restored at those minus where reductions have been made there must come Sooner or later a general reduction through out the district Richard Palmer of St Charles said In regard to the 6234 cent rate I think all should make a stand for the advance to that rate We of St Charles have no kickex cept for our interest in our fellowmen we have no grievance but if this thing keeps on we will have to come dun If there was any thing to gain if any more coal could be shipped out of these val leys under the reduction it would be some inducement but not a phundmore will be mined and shipped than if the old rate is paid He advised a general stand for the 6234 cents per ton and thought there would be little difficulty in securing what the miners want tinder sucli circumstances He also counselled moderation and sober action as the only plan that could win John Baker of Barnes ley and of the directors of the Cooperative Coal Company and a said that the Barnesley miners were diggingcoal for 2cents a bushel thatthey had received 234and cents until the market was cutso that the company were compelled i r r t fcblily shivering icnsallon conies on talk i Cuj to reduce the price He said We all arc aware how it began It be gan at Providence Then others followed so that our Secretary is not able to pay 234and 3 cents until theseprices are generally paid and coaladvanced on the market I W F Ward of CraBtree said I was one among the first to start the ball to rolling Carbondale cut from a fa to 2 cents one month togetherlbyCarbondale and ask a restoration fl have Always stood for good wages but always ready to do with reason We now have Carbon dale in line and they are paying 2j4 cents We persuaded and rbcggcd them to stand for the ad vance and we arc feedingmen who lost work over it Doht Ego back to Providence but stop it where it island dont let it get further If every mine in America should reduce no more coal could be mined and neither the opera tor nor the miner is benefitted by a reduction Let us use only honor able means as honestmen I was raised in Eastern Kentucky where they didnt know what law was Trjey dont know yet And I had to get out of that coUntry in order ito remain a good citizen Come like mnn and demand 234 cents We can win The leading operators are opposed to the re duction Carbondale has restored but the others have not Let us curethe cases near us then go to the chronic cae Providence G E Jones and JM Victory wire the only men not miners who anything to say They took ccasion + io ppealfvivell ojvthose operators who have maintained the old rate of mining and essayed some suggestions to the miners Numerous miners other than those quoted spoke more or less to the pbint and some attempted to bring into the question other things be side the vital consideration of the reduced rate to miners but these were exceptions and the idea gen erally prevailed that the only remedy lay in a restoration of the old rate where reduction had been made Some feeling tributes were paid to those operator who have maintained arid are paying the the standard rate Numerous motions were made before the body could decide what would be mjst expedient The motion that finally prevailed was offered by John Baker of Barnes ley and amended by V F Ward 01 Crabtree Which as amended is as ollowsIIThat this body de maid 234 cents for digging 80 pounds of screened jump coal in summer and 3 cents for digging 80 pounds of screenedlump coal in winter uniformally throughout this district And that the miners from each place represented today lshe b- therate has been reduce I act as a cpmmittee toIi their men to gether and get them to agree to stand for then advance then to notify their Superintendents of their determination to work no longer at less than 234cents and to Ret if possible a statement in writing from the operators agreeing to advance the rate I if all other operators who have reducedwIll advance then report to this body when a general meeting will be called to take action in regard to Providence A general committee was ap pointed consisting of W F Ward JBT C Chambers to whom reports should Ie made Mr J J McGregor chairman of the meeting desires THE BEE to return thankstor him to the miners for the very excellent good order andattentiongiven throughout the As is well known THE BEE has il 1rr4- t dt i J dil Terminus of the Indian Peninsula Rail I cJl f- y p q ever stood for the interests of the coal miner and overworked for the maintenance of the old tate of mining and TilE BEE now extends its sympathy to the miners who ate working for a restoration where this sate has been cut The conditions seem ripe for a speedy and amicable settlement where difference exists The operators in good faith have assured their men that they are ready to join in a general advance with the single exception of Providence where the men have not approached the company And the men in the spirit of soberness and moderation are asking the advance with resort to no means but reason and persuasionIn BEE of April 9 1896 we commented editorially upon the situation then beginning to look serious out of which the present conditions have grown andshowed that neither miner operator nor anybody else but the consumer was benefitted by a reduction of the rate and that the community at large suffered THE BEE has spoken frequently to the same point We reproduce the editorial- of above date to show the then existing conditions which have re manned about the same with the exception that the rate for mining has been reduced at other places since that time I No Reason for a Reduction From TUB BEE April 9 1896 There are at work some serious disturbances to the coal miner and mine laborerin the Western Ken tucky field A number of mine owners have reduced tire price paid the miner from 2opr cent to 35 i wst Itf tI =I adLN RXRltlnoiaol a Slml- lerrlll q tn T ld Crm HOPKINS 1897f JesseI pickminer per cent Others have tried to do this but failed the miners very justly claiming that there exists no good reason for any reduction in the price of mine labor at this time With the exception of Nashville Tenn there has been no reduction in the price at which Western Kentucky coal is sold in the van ous markets for the past two years Nashville buys but ti per cent of the coal produced by the West ern Kentucky field Louisville which buys 22 per cent of the coal produced now pays 25 per cent per ton more for lump coal than one year ago All local coal brings the mine owner more money than one year ago Has not the miner good reason for objecting to less pay It is hardly fair to ask him 10 reduce all his labor 20 to 35 per cent simply because of low prices in Nashville which consumes but II per cent of his product and in the face of better prices elsewhere Such reduction in wag s means a loss to the laborer and miner of the Western Kentucky field of about 326000 annmlly and it also means a loss of revenue to the mine owner of an equal sum since the prices of the product to him must necessarily be reducedas wages to the miner are reduced Only the consumer will profit by this stint of the miners wages The loss of the miner is the loss of every man in the district Takeaway from this coal field this amount of money now paid the mine employes and not only is the miner robbed of just so much cash but every citizen farmer hanker mechanic or what notwould f el and must help to bear the loss Are you a subscriber to THE Bed You should be ll FREE TRIPTO THE Tennessee Centennia- lEXPOSITION Opens May 1 1897 and Continues Six Months A National Event of International Importance r which interests and concerns all Americans alike and to which the whole world is cordially invited YOU CAN GO FREET- o any Man Woman Boy or girl who willsend us ten paid yearly new subscriptions to THE BEE eve will give a- ROUND I TIIF TICKET PRRR From Earlington to Nashville good for seven days You can do this with very little effort and no out lay of mon- eyBEQIjI tffiE WQRI NOW And you can win one ora number of these Free Trips Anybody can use them and we will fur nish them k ANY TIME DURING HE4 EXPOSITION Send your subscriptions in as fast as you can gety them and we will give you credit for your work Vuntilyou are ready to take this great trip to one of ithe greatest of the Worlds Expositions If your stop witha fraction over ten names or severaltens to your credit we will pay you a liberal cashconi3 mission on all such fractions so that you hqtt sacrifice any part of your labor Address M TIIE BEEEARUNBTONvKENTUEKY J I y i otl t fi 1 Csrfstedts Great HemcJy for my dougteraccident contained Paris green It walf she would not be with us today begot farmers family of nine most of v II I rGREAT TENNESSICgNTENNIAL- f f 4 iit 1 r f RA Ehrr1 t 1 EARLINGTON HOPKINS COUNTY KENTUCKY MONDAY JUNE 7 1897 L J t r A CONCERTED MOVEMENT i Of A11 Hopkins County Miners for Restoration oft Old Rate Where Reductions rlAVE BEEN MADE IitJI Ji 1Larfie Meeting at Earlington Satur y day of Delegations From All Minesy c J TWO BRASS BANDS AND MAM SPEAKERS f I i hModeration and Good Order the Watchword and Persuasion the Only Means to Be Used s Tlir l CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR RESTORATION ftbpeatorsj Have Assured Their Men That Advance Shall Be Made as5oon sAUAgsee to Advance Earlington wasYfull of music and miners on Saturday Both are indigenous to the soil and the of hundreds of miners yanlthe sound oi the music of mili tary bands was anything but un = 4y usual Butt there was one great J difference between this aggregation K of miners and music and the usual 4- I throngs of people that crowd our galaaf a occasions This was no gala oc t casion With scarce an except tion these men came in the spirit J ot soberness and moderation Tbeyeaeinpeacc and with t T bands pi mUSIc but they came with profound sympathy fortheir fellow men und to discuss and counsel together to devise means J for the relief of toe distress of l1 Thet r small factor either It is a question of wages and the miners in this district realize that unless a restor ation of the old standard price to pick miners is effected in those jji r places whole the wages have teen j reduced there must inevitably J tJ comeat some time and perhaps I W soon a general reduction through jdistrictyleKation came in before dinner in several wagons some 50 or more met ih dcdbtthbjr ovn brass band rJ composed of miners Crabtrec camewith some 25 or more men Barnesley Hecla Monarch and repretiJ delegations The Earlington Cot t 1 bred Band composed of colored miners turned out in the af ternoor L and took part with the St Charte s biindfn filJingtle air withmusic The St Charles band OQcuptet the band st dandthecolofld land played on the opposite corne of Main and Railroad At a fev f 4 minutes before 2 oclock the band s marched to Masonic Hall which Was quickly filled k with mtflers w4aaaxiousiahd 1yi lingtado all ir Io t ilf 4 i4 a t l tN t t 1 t 1 fL i Ii 2 9 Ii ter Day their power reasonably and sober ly to remedy the conditions which brought them together- J J McGregor was chosen chair man of the meeting and Jesse Phillips secretary The Colored Bandoccupied the rear of the hall and played a selection which was followed by Yield Not to Temptation It rendered by the St Charles Band in which they sang a part with very good effect After reading and adoption of the minutes of the Wednesday night meeting the meeting was thrown open for the discussion by the miners of the situation and its tremedyAs stood by the public already the miners grievance consists m the reduction at several mines of the old standard rate to pick miners upon which is based all mine wages and the selling price of coal in the markets The standard rate in effect for years in this dis trict and which is still being paid the bulk of Hopkins County min ers is 6aj4 cents per ton in sum mer and 75 cents per ton in win ter This rate has been reduced at several mines in the district where only 50 cents or even 40 cents is being paid and with this II reduction and the usual light work that necessarily prevails in summer the miners cannotmake a living Those operators against whom l complaint was made in the Satur days meeting on this score were I the Providence Cod Co of Providence Ky Cooperative Mining Manufacturing Coof BarnesUy I Ky Hecla Coal Co of Earling ton Ky apd Monarch Coal Co 6f Madisonvilje Ky on this road and Powderly and Central City and possibly others on the Illinois r Central and O N The Hecla miners quit work on Wednesday ot last week anda u miners meeting was held in Earl jngton on Wednesday nightt at I AvhicH acommittee was appointed 4 f rtf 4 tit r reduc1tiontions to the Saturday meeting and a committee to solicit subscrip tions for the relief of those miners who were without the means of making a living James McManus reported that he and B Dunning committee had visited Providence and Monarch and asked for dele gations of miners J B Hawkins reported that he and Wm Morris dollaramongfriends and added The minerst who are needy can get grub through the St Bernard store We1 havent got money but we have got credit and we can give them grub j The Monarch representatives reported that they had held a meeting on Friday night and that the men agreed that they wanted to do what they could to get the 62 ceri rate but that they wereoppose to a strike They said furthermore that a strike on their part was unnecessary since they had the promise of their employers that they would restore the old rate without hesitation as soon as the other operators who had reduced would also agree to and restore the oldrate James McManus reported from Hecla that Col Foard he knew would be one of the first men in the State to want to restore waged and that he had toldhFsmeri that he would pay 62j cents as soon as the other operators paid it Barncsleys men seem divided against themselves but all who from that mine said they wanted the old rate and that it should be paid as quickly as a res toration was effected at the other minesEvery miner who spoke laid the responsibility the present situa tion at the door of the Providence Coal Company where the first re duction was made to the minerssay ing that the other reductions which I have followed on this road have I had justification jn the fact that Providence was mining and selling coal at less rates than other operators and demoralizing the market as well as the miners wages Upon this point the miners were a unit as they were upon the point that unless the rates are restored at those mines where reductions hav been made there must come Sooner or later a genera reduction through out the district Richard Palmer of St Charles saidhIn regard to the 6234 cen rate I think all should make a stand for the advance to that rate We of St Charles have no kick ex cept for our interest to our fellowmen we have no grievance but il this thing keeps on we will have anythingcould be shipped out of these valleys underthe reduction it woulc be some inducement but not a poundmore will be mined anc shipped than if the old rate is paid He adviseda general stand for the 6z34 cents per ton and though there would be little difficulty It securing what the miners want un der such circumstances He alsc counselled moderationand sobei action as the only plan that cod d winJohn Baker of Barnesley one of the directors of the Cooperative Coal Company and a pick miner said that the Bar 1esl w miners were digging coal for 2 cents a bushel that they had received 2 andJ cents until the market was cuts 0 that thencompanjwer compelled Y r JI c e rc 4 1irI t e Jlye and turn blue and before the lirrrt1 to reduce the price He said We all are aware how it began It be gan at Providence Then others followed so that our ecretary is not able to pay a4 and 3 cents until these prices are generally paid and coal advanced on the market W F Ward of Crabtree said l was one among the first to start the ball to rolling Carbondale cut from ttf to 2 cents one month ago We fellows came together by moonshine and agreed to visit Carbondale and ask a restoration I have always stood for good wages but always ready to do with reason We now have Carbondale m line and they are paying 3 4 cents We persuaded and begged them to stand for the ad vance and we are feeding men who lost work over it Dont ego back to Providence but stop it Where it is and dont let it get fur ther It every mine in America Should reduce no more coal could operanot reduction Let us use only honor able means as honest men I was raised in Eastern Kentucky where they didnt kndw what law was They dont know yet And I had to get out of that country in order to remain a good citizen Come out like men and demand 24 cents We can win The leading operators are opposed to the re duction Carbondale has restored but the others have not Let us cure the cases near us then go to the chronic caseProvidence- C E Jones and J M Victory were the only men not miners who tooktioccasion to speak well of those operators who have maintained the old rate of mining and essayed some suggestions to the miners Numerous miners other than those quoted spoke more or less to the point and some attempted to bring into the question other things be side the vital consideration of the reduced rate to miners but these were exceptions and the idea generally prevailed that the only remedy lay ina restoration of the old rate where reduction had been made Some feeling tributes were paid to those operators who have maintained and are paying the the standard rate Numerous motions were made before the body could decide whaj would be must expedient The motion that finally prevailed was offered by John Baker of Barnes ley and amended by W F Ward iseas follows That this body de majd 2 j cents for digging 80 pounds of screened lump coal in summer and 3 cents for digging 80 intwinter uniformally throughout this district And that the miners from each place represented today tshre the rate has been reduce act as- a committee to call their men to gether and get them to agree to stand for the advance then to I notify their Superintendents oi their determination to work no longer at less than 254 cents an to get if possible a statement in writing from the operators agreeing to advance the rate Ifall othei operators who have reduced will advance then report to this body I when a general meeting will be called to take action in regard to Providence aprJBreportsshouldMr 11 McGregor chairman of the meeting desires THE BEIJ tc return thanks for him to the miners for the very excellent goodorder and attention given throughout the meeting i j As is well known THE BEE has r r 1 c 17 rtlrlrnnQeSmnwaystatlo1MtrmIMlOTtU T aV8 the Scientific American Is the Victoria r 41- k i rt i Hi t1 KXYRA tl tintId Ter ever stood for the interests of the coal miner and ever worked for the maintenance of the old tate of mining and THE BEE now ex tends its sympathy to the miners who are working for a restoration where this rate has been cut The conditions seem ripe for a speedy and amicable settlement where- differenceexists The operators in good faith have assured their men that they are ready to join in a general advancewith the single exception of Providence where the men have not approached the company And the men in the spirit of soberness and moderation are asking the advance with resort to no means but reason and persuasion In THE BEE of April 9 1896 we commentededitorially upon the situation beginning to look serious out of which the present conditions have grown and showed that neither miner operator nor anybody else but the consumer was benefitted by a reduction of the rate and that the community at large suffered TUE BEE has spoken frequently to the same point We reproduce the editorial of above date to show the then ex isting conditions which have remained about the same with the exception that the rate for mining has been reduced at other places since that time No Reason for a Reduction From TUB BBB April 9 1896 There are at work some serious disturbances to the coal miner and mine laborer in the Western Ken tucky field A number of mine owners have reduced the price paid the miner from 20 per cent to 35 percent Others have tried to do this but failed the miners very justly claiming that there exists no good reason for any reduction in the price of mine labor at this time With the exception of Nashville Tenn there has been no reduction in the prices at which Western Kentucky coal is sold in the vari ous markets for the past two years Nashville buys but n per cent of the coal produced by the West ern Kentucky field Louisville which buys 22 per cent of the coal producednow pays 25 per cent per ton more for lump coal than one year ago All local coal bungs the mine owner more money than one year ago Has not the miner good reason for objecting to less pay It is hardly fair to ask him 10 reduce all simplybecausewhich consumes but n per cent ipf his product and in the face of better prices elsewhere Such reduction in wages means a loss to the laborer and miner of the Western Kentucky field of about 326000 annually and it also means a loss of revenue to the mine owner of an equal surajvsfnce the prices of the product toir him I must necessarily be reduced as I wages to the miner are reduced Only the consumer will profit by this stint offhe miners wages The loss of the miner is the loss of every man in the district Take j from this coal field this amountof money now paid the mine employes and not only is the miner of just so much cash but every citizen farmer banker mechanic or what not would ft el- I and must help to bear the loss Are you a subscriber to TIlE BEE You should be FJ tE P TrTO TFIE Tennessee Centennial EXPOSITION Opens May 1 1897 and Continues Six Months A National Event of International Importance M i alikejlte14JKto IS fOU CAN GO FREE To any Man Woman Boy or girl who will send us ten paid yearly new subscriptions to THE BEE we will give a ROUND TRIP TICKET FREE From Earlington to Nashville good for seven days You can do this with very little effort and no out lay of money b EerIJ TrIE WoRi NOW And you can win one Qra number pf these Free Anybody can use them and we will fur dnish them ANY TIME DURING TEJB EXPOSITION Send your subscriptions in as fast as you car get them and WQ will give you credit for your work until you are ready to take this great trip to one of the greatest of the Worlds Expositions If you stop with a fraction over ten names or several tens to your credit we will pay you a liberal cash coin mission on all such fractions so that you will pot sacrifice any part of your labor Address z 4rIE BEEx r l i ARLINGTON KENTUCKY p + TiortweTnonBtitaJHrcoiilO TJtVft l Tn BavTesi County an entire family Is IJI believe that if it had not got Dr I reported to have drunk waler which by I we