THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1900.
n
RUINS OF A MIGHTY CITY
Great Metropolis of the Western World Now
Fallen and forgotten.
SPLENDID BUILDINGS CRUMBLING TO DUST
Ilomlinrtlril by Volcniiom unit Swept
by rrntllriHT I'opnlntloii of
l't'OIII) Mvc In ltd
Shadow.
Thirty miles from the capital city of
Guatemala thcro stnnds, with Jagged walla
half hlilitcn In' tho wealth of semi-tropical
verdure, a metropolis of ruins. Tho wealth
that was once Its boast has passed away.
Tho proud Spanish families that ruled It
have long been scattered. Tho monks and
friars who built Its splendid ecclesiastical
palaces are dead and there are no succes
sors to them. Even tho namo of tfuato
mala, onco Its own, has passed from It and
It Is now known only as La Antigua, The
Old. It has lain for a century dead. Tho
rank forest growths have filled Us stately
court yards, and where tho priestly com
panies chanted their orisons tho half-wild
pigs now root In tho debris. A few thou
sand humble peons llvo In tholr little
bouses, built Bide by side with tho vast
ruins, and that Is all that Is lttt of that
which was onco tho greatest city, oxcopt
Mexico, on nil tho western hemisphere, and
which outshono Mexico In the beauty and
splendor of Its trnnsplnnted civilization.
In 1724 Alvarudo, ordered by Cortez to
subjugate tho country to tho southward,
founded tho city of fluatemala, tho City of
8t. James of Oeutlemen, as ho called It.
Tho site ho chose wbb on tho grassy slopo
far down tho sldo of a great extinct vol
cano, and was almost overshadowed by an.
other and an actlvo volcano to tho north.
Tei him ho gathered tho natives of tho sur
rounding country, nnd as If by magic thero
rose a great nnd fair city. That mighty
upbuilding ngency, tho Church of Home,
cnt Its monks and friars thero nnd thoy
in,in ii ti cliv of such palaces nnd cathe
drals ns tho now continent had novcr be-,
fore seen. Tho Spanish king hlmbeit iook
n Hpcclnl Interest in tho city concerning
which ho heard such wonderful accounts
from roturncd travelers. Guatemala was
destined to bo tho metropolis of tho now
world. Such was Its future ns planned by
the inhabitants. Hut tho hand of Cod wait
laid on It and It foil, to become La Antigua,
unknown today to travelers who pass
within a fow, miles of It without oven hear
ing of its existence.
m-Ntrui'tloii lir nn Avnlunclie.
Seventeen years elapsed nftor It was
founded, when there camo a terrible day.
The rain fell in torrents, tho wind bluw
with fury, lightning rent asunder tho
heavens nnd thunder penlcd forth In ter
rific crashes, the earth shook and trembled
nnd muttorod strango Bounds and when tho
heavens wtro overenst with darknesa
thero camo down enormous fragments of
tho truncated mountnln, rocks, trees,
stones, mud nnd water. Tho crater of
tho extinct volcano, filled with water, had
burst nsundor nnd when tho storm had
Bpont its fury nnd tho sun nroso again
Alvarado's first. city was no more. It lay
burled with a great number of its in
habitants beneath tho mountain.
Undaintcd by this torrlblo calamity tho
remaining peoplo set to work to build a
new city, choosing a slto farther down, In
tho center of tho plain between tho moun
tains. Word of tho terrible calamity
which befell tho first city went forth and
Moxlco. poured out its bountiful wealth
and old Spuln sent its skilled artisans to
build tho now ono nnd thero nroso tho
metropolis of Guatemala, worthy of tho
proud namo which Alvarado gavo it, tho
City of St. James of Gontlcmcn. Priests
and friars flocked into tho valley and con
quering soldiors, with their Indlnn slaves,
vied with each other in building churcheB,
monasteries, palaces and homes. Thoro
nroso monasteries covering acres of ground
nnd thero wore beautiful gardens and
fountains, and it is said that water
heated by tho fires of tho llvo
volcano was convoyed by an
nquoduct to tho city, so that thoro wbb a
continual supply of hot. water ns wen as
cold. A cnthcdral wns erected, 300 foot
long by 120 broad, lighted by fifty windows.
Its grand nltnr stood upon a Uoino nearly
soventy feot high, supported by sixteen col
umns of atone, faced with tortoise shell nnd
udornod with bronzo medallions of exqulslto
workmanship. Tho monastery of San
Francisco covered ncrcs of ground, and nt
no tlmo sheltered within Its walls as mnny
na 3,000 people. Tho college of tho Jesuits
rivaled It in wealth and grandeur of struc
ture, nnd thcro woro tho religious orders
of San Augustine, tho Uecollects, Santo
Domingo, the Capuchins, nnd tho convents
of La Merclo, Santa Clara, Santa Catnrlua
nnd many others, all with beautiful edifices
and churches lavishly docorated and main
talned. Carriages rolled through tho
streets of tho city ns In Madrid, but novcr
wns thoro a moro unholy city or n more un
lucky slto for one selected. Tho poor In
dlan peons wero driven as benats of burdon
to tholr dally tasks, whllo the civil autborl
ties quarreled over their peculations and tho
masses of tho peoplo suffered all tho In
dignities of slavery. And all this In spite
of tho illro calamities and disorders which
toll upon the city from time to time as
registered by tho old historians of Guate
mala.
In 1658 a mysterious epidemic, nttendod
with a violent bleeding of tho uose, swept
away great numbers of tho people. Thcro
woro many severe shocks of earthquake
foil at periods following; In 1B81 the pco
plo wero greatly alarmed by uu eruption
of tho nctlvo volcano, nnd so groat was
the quantity of ashes thrown out nnd spread
In the air that tho bud was entirely ob
scured nnd artificial light was necessary In
tho city at midday.
The years 1BS5-S6 are recorded as being
dreadful In tho extreme. Tho beginning of
tho year was ushered In with earthquakes,
which continued throughout that and the
following year so frequently that not an In
terval of eight days clupBed during the
whole period without a shock more or less
violent. Klro issued Incessantly for months.
together from tho burning mountnln. Thii
period closod with an eruption that do
stroyed tho groater portion of tho city, many
of tho Inhabitants being burled in the
ruins.
In 1601 n postllontlal distemper carried off
great numbers of tho population. It rngpd
with such malignity that thrco days, gen
e rally terminated tho cxlstonco of such as
weru affected by It.
Kiirtliqunke nml rentllrnur.
Thorn appears a respite now of half a
century from these Bufferings, but on tho
afternoon of a sultry day In 1651 a most ex
truordlnary subterranean nolso was heard
and three violent shocks wero felt, wtilch
throw down inuny buildings and damaged
others. Masses of rock detached from tho
mountains bounded down the precipitous
mopes, wild boosts wero so terrified thnt
thoy quitted their ferret rotrcats and sought
tno habitations of man, slinking terror
smcKen nnd terror-lnspirlng through th
rlty streets.
Tho year 16S6 brought with It -nnother
dreadful epidemic which In thrco months
swept away a tenth part of tho Inhabitants
Fprcndlng from tho capital to tho villages
aimut ami inenco to the more remote ones.
Then comes n rcsplto of nearly thirty years
when again tho smoking mountain emits
flames attended by continued subterranean
noises and frequent shocks, which eon
tlcued at intervals for more than four
months, and finally culminated In a terrible
sceno of destruction when tho great walls
of tho churches wero cracked like egg
hells and houses were shattered Into frag
ments. It seemed that the fata of Guate
mala's capltnl was decided, but thero camo
another scene of delicious quiet in tho
valley and plenty throughout tho land.
The peoplo rcbulldcd and rcpopulatcd. An
other fifty years passed nnd then enrab
that final most melancholy epoch of all,
nd tho capltnl was destroyed never to rise
gain from Its ruins.
It was In the year 1773 that tho final
destruction came. Tho earth was racked
llko n creature In convulsions, and after
tho first quiver tiles flew from the roofs
of houses llko straws blown nbout In a
galo of wind, tho bells clanged In tho bel
frya nnd tho water was spilled from tho
fountain bowls. Tho solid domes of
hUrehes split, many of tho great ecclesi
astical edifices wyre shattered nnd praying
monkn wero burled beneath tho walls.
Earthquake followed earthquake, and on
tho 13th of December. 1773, tho work of
destruction was terminated by a flnnl shock
o violent that nearly all tho buildings
which had withstood hitherto camo crash
ing down. That night tho archbishop slept
In his carriage In tho plaza whllo tho
peoplo fled, panic-stricken, Into tho sur
rounding forest.
DcNfrtloii of Hip Old City.
Scarcely had another nun risen upon tho
nrrlblo scene, however, nnd tho dead been
due out of tho ruins and properly burled
when thero arose a fierce controversy
whether tho ruins should bo abandoned nud
another site selected or tho city rebuilt.
The plebeians, those who bnd nothing moro
to lone, were for removal. Tho city was
accursed of God. they said. Ho had rav
aged It with plaguo and poured tho fires of
His wrath upon it. To remain In tho face
of such manifestations of Dtvlno wrath
would bo to court destruction, body nnd
soul. Hut tho priests and friars and
wealthy families were for remaining. The
municipal authorities led tho former party
nnd a slto for n now capltnl was selected
many tulles nway, on a high tablo lnnd
mirrouttded by deep ravines, on tho sup
position that tho ravines would break any
futuro shocks. That 1h tho present city of
Guatemala. In duo tlmo a decree came
from the klne of Soaln commanding tho
cumulation of tho old city to rcmovo to
tho iictv site within ono year and leave
the old ono totally abandoned. This settled
tho controversy, but so bitter was the
feeling on tho part of tho aristocratic old
families that rather than contribute tholr
wealth and Influenco to tho building of tho
new city they sought voluntary exllo In
neighboring countries. Years afterward
many returned to tho homes of their
fathers in tho abandoned city to find tno
onca magnificent churcl.t.i nnd cathedrals
despoiled of all their former splendor nnd
only great walls standing, overgrown with
brush and briars. Tho roofless cathedral
was n mlnlaturo forest of trees and
dahlias and the empty vault whero once
roposcd tho ashes of tho gay conquistador,
Alvarado, was but a yawning chasm.
Tho returning peoplo gradually repaired
nnd rebuilt some of their property and
others camo to work for them, or occupy
half-rulned houses, which belonged to no
one, and others dug for treasure. Of thoso
latter It Is Bald that there wero fortunate
ones, and there uro well-to-do families
pointed out whoso fathers woro poor, and
where clso could they have attained their
easy circumstances, Is asked, but by dis
covery of some hidden treasure. Thus the
city exists today bearing tho characteristic
name of tho Old One, counting a population
of 5,000 souls where formerly there lived be
tween 60,000 and 100,000.. Tho laud about la
fertile and thcro uro legends of mines rich
In gold and silver that were . worked.
NUmorous little Indian villages which' sup
plied tho old city with Us labor aro on all
sides of it. Some thirty ruined churches,
convents and monasteries, somo in heaps,
some almost Intact, occupied by pigs instead
of priests, still attest to tho greatness of
tho city beforo Its destruction.
To tho explorer and sightseer tho placo
Is a vcrltablo city of enchantments. Hulns
that lie now as thoy lay when tho final shock
sent tho people rushing forth to tho refugo
of tho forests tompt ono to wander through
tho dark passages and Into verdure-choked
vaults. The roofless cathedral faces tho
great plaza, and running at right angles to
It on the left Is the old palaco of tho viceroy
which was restored ton years ago by Pros!
dent Barillas, who mado a movem'ent to ro-
bulld portions of tho city, Tho facade of
this splendid cdltlco consists of a two-storied
row of arches supported, upon solid stone
columns of great thickness, and still in the
center above nro tho armorial bearings
granted by Emperor Charles V to the
loyal and noble city. Tho plaza, which it
fronts, is largo enough for the review, of, a
great army. There is a great fountain .In
tho center, and in n corner beyond it Is a
thriving little spot frequentod by Indians,
merchants nnd market women, come from
tho coast below nnd from the cold heights
nbovo to bnrtor nnd sell their wares, fruits
and vegetables.
Some UrUly Hrllcn.
On tho occasion of a recent visit my nt
tent ion was attracted to a walled" Inclosurk,
covering a spneo equal about to one of our
city squares. Climbing over a broken part
of the wall Into tho inclosuro I found the
placo covered with ruins, flowers, wild vines
and debris. In the far corner stood tho
walls of an old church, the doors and
windows blocked up with stones, and to tho
right wbb a rambling wlng-llko structure
with an entrance from the street, occupied
ns n stable. Near tho center of the In
closure wns n round towcr-ltko structure.
resembling somewhat nn old-fashioned fort
without tho embrasures. Ily placing stones
and timber against tho outside of this
curious old structure nnd with tho nld of
tho troea nnd vines growing out of tho
crevices I pulled myself to the top nnd
was surprised to find the tower contained
fourteen little colls arrnnged in a circle,
all opening Into a circular court with tho
excoption of one, which was bricked up.
Tho cells were nil tho samo slzo, about
ulght feet in depth, and wero connected
by n mysterious subterranean passage only
Inrgo onough to admit tho passago of a
good-sized boy.
Connecting this strango place with tho
wing occupied as a Btablo was n long pas
sage, mostly ruin. At tho end of this was
n bole in tho wall through which, thrusting
my head, I looked down upon the horses In
tho stable. Thero was a youth there,
bright-eyed and alert, who readily con
Rented to show me pome of tho ruins, which
ho said, wns tho former monastery ot tho
Capuchin monks. I asked him what the
tower-llko structure was for and, shaking
his head dubiously, ho answered:
"Qulen sabe, senor, what tho friars used
tbqso cells for? Somothlng not good to
speak of," aud, lending ran to n gloomy pas
sago between great walls, ho pointed to two
cavities facing each other, from each of
which, ho snld, had been removed a skeleton
of somo unfortunato who had been walled In
alive. Ho then led the way to what ho
said was tho torturo chamber. It was down
an Incline, beneath tho round structure with
the cells, which had (list Attracted ray nt
tention. There wns nn entrance which had
been sealed up with cobblo stonoi, nnd, in
turn, it had been opened by pulling the
Biones out sumcienuy to leave n nolo ail
milting a human body. 1 scrambled in
the dim light over loose utonos, Lrlcks nud
dobrle, and at tho end of tho passage landed
upon n hard pavement, As my eyes became
arcustomod to tho gloom, I found that wo
wero In a subterranean chamber correspond
tng in shapo and slzo to tho round stmc
turo above. A massive central pillar of
stone supported tho roof of tho vaulted
chamber, and three or four oval ehute-llko
apertures, choked with weeds, admitted n
most unhallowed light.
This was what my guide called tho tor
turo chamber, and it moro dismal liolo for
tho devil himself to carry on his diabolical
plottlngs could scarcely bo Imagined. Tho
youth pointed to an Iron ring still In the
contral pillar, to which ho said the victims
Of tho Inquisition wero bound, nnd he
pointed out great, dark blotches upon tho
pavement, which ho declared wero the
stains, of human blood.
l'crhnps somo grisly sceno of torturo was
being enacted on this very spot when God
in his wrath shook the earth, rent tho
oleano lusunder and brought down the final
destruction upon tho wicked city, forbid
ding it ever to rlso again ns tho metropolis
ot that rich kingdom of Guatemala.
NO l.U.Mil'.ll MOV1M1 WI1ST.
Center of Population Moei Thirty
Allien Kimt of Where It Wnn In '1MI.
Tho story sent out frbm Columbus, Ind.,
nnd widely printed concerning tho center
ot population ns shown by tho census of
1900 Is pronAunccd misleading by Wash
ington statisticians. A correspondent at
tho St. Louis alobo-Dcmocrat gives the
facts, as ascertained at the national cap
ital, ns follows:
"Tho center of population is not located
at Columbus, but fifty miles cast of that
placo, according to nn unofficial cstlmato
mado by the census officials. In 1890, when,
th,o last census "was taken, tho center of
population was In southern Indiana, at a
point n llttlo west of Greensburg, tho
county scat of Decatur county, twenty
miles east of Columbus. When tho census
director of that tlmo announced this center
of population a plain Blab of graulto was
erected to mark thoepot which had been
decided upon by( tho goographcrs. Now
mat elan must journey tnirty mnes 10 mo
eastward. Thus It is no longer truo that
westward tho star of empire takes Us
course.' For tho first tlmo slnco tho early
record of 1790 the 'conter' moves east
ward toward tho Alleghenles, whero It wns
first located. Although tho conclusion
given nbovo Is not nn oftlclnl one, there
Is every reason to bcllovo that when the
official announcement is mado it will not
bo nltercd a mllo ono way or tho other.
"Tho manner In which tho center of pop
ulation haH clung to tho parallel of 39 de
grees of lntttudo Is really remarkable. A
map of tho country, prepared at tho census
bureau, Bhows thnt the courso of tho center
of population to tho west hus always been
within a few mllca of this parallel of lati
tude. Away back In 1790, when tho first
center' waB dotcrmlnad, it wnB Bouth of
Unltlmoro and but a little north of Annap
olis, on Chesapcako bay. Annapolis is on
tho 39th parallel or nearly bo.
Dccado after deendo it has clung closo to
tho parallel, only passing south of it in
1830, when it was In West Virginia, Just
south of tho angle of Maryland, which dips
down into that state.
'Assuming tho westward movement to
havo been uniformly along tho parallel of
39 degroos of latitude, tho westward move
ment of tho sovornl decades has been na
follows: 1790-1800, 41 miles: 1S0O-1810, 3G
mllos; 1810-1820, CO miles; 1820-1830, 39
mllosi 1830-1810, 55 miles: 1810-1850, 65
mllos: 1850-18C0, 81 mlle3; 1860-1870, 42
miles; 1870-1880, 58 miles, and 1880-1890, 48
miles, a total westward movement of 605
miles. Tho sudden acceleration of move
ment between 1850 and 1860 wns duo to tho
transfer of n consldorablo body of popula
tion from tho Atlantic to tho Pacific coast,
twelve Individuals in San Francisco ex
erting as much pressuro at tho then plv-.
otal point, viz., the crossing of tho 83d
moridlan and tho 39th parallel, as forty in
dividuals at Uoaton.
"The center ot population Is the center of
gravity of tho population of the country,
oach Individual belmt assumed to havo'tho
samo weight. Tho method ot determination
used by tho census bureau was, In brief,
as follows:
"Tho population of tho country was first
distributed by 'squaro degrees' as tho
area Included between consccutlvo paral
lels and meridians has been designated. A
point was then assumed tentatively as tho
centor, and corrections in latitude and lon
gitude to this tentatlvo position, woro com
puted. In this caso tho ccnto'r was as
sumed to bo at tho Intersection of tho par
allel of 39 degress with tho meridian ot
86 degrocs west of Orconwich. Tho popu
latlon of each squaro degreo was assumed
to be located at tho center ot that squaro
degree, except In casos whoro It was man
ifest that this assumption would bo untrue,
as, for Instance, whoro a part of tho squaro
degreo was occupied by tho sea or other
largo body of water, or whoro it contained
n city ot considerable magnltudo which
was situated 'off center.' In these cases
tho position ot tho center of the population
ot tho squaro degreo was estimated ns
nenrly ns possible. Tho dlstanca of each
such center of population of n squaro do
grco, whether assumed to be at tho centor
of the squaro degreo or at a distanco from
tho centor, from tho assumed parallel and
from tho assumed meridian, was then com
puted. Tho population of each squaro de
greo was thon multiplied by Us dlstnnco
from tho assumed parallel ot latitude, nnd
tho sums ot the products, or moments
north nnd south of that parallel wero mado
up. Tho difference, divided by tho total
population of tho country, gave a correc
tton to tho latitude. In n similar monnor
the cost nnd west movements wero mado
up and from them a correction in longl-
tudo was obtalnod.
"Tho movement of tho 'center' slnco
1790, when tho first record was made, was
as follows: lSf0,'41 miles westward, to n
point 18 miles west of Baltimore Md.:
1S10, 26 miles westward, to n point 40
miles northwost by west of Washington,
D. C; 1820, 50 miles, to 16 mllos north of
Woodstook, Va.; 1830, 39 miles, to 19 miles
west-southwest of Moorefleld, W. Vn.; 1840,
55 miles, to 16 miles south of Clarksburg,
W. Vn.; 1850, 55 miles to 23 miles south
east of Parkcrsburg, W. Vn.; 1860, 81 miles,
to 20 miles south of Chllllcothe, O.; 1870,
42 miles, to 48 miles cost by north of Cin
cinnati, O.; 1880, 68 miles, to 8 miles west
by south of Clnclnnuatl, O.; 1890, 48 miles,
to 20 miles past of Columbus, Ind,"
SI';M) MTTI.K ON LIVING.
TIioiikIi Wcnltliy Some Men (.'out tunc
to Kxlit on n Pittance.
Eight hundred miles cast of tho const ot
Peru is a blazing desert, whero rain never
falls. Its very dryness gives part of this
great plain Immense value, for tho soda
deposits of nltrato of Boda have never been
wnter washed and nro of huge value, Somo
twenty years ngo an Englishman called
Howard Wcbstor Invested over $500,000 in
a great tract ot this rich mineral land
Then h'e settled down nenr tho llttlo town
of San Mario, in the mountains, whero ho
and his family llvo on tho fruit ho grows
on live ncrcs of land. Ten dollars n weed
cover their entire expenses. His property
on tno const would fetch now ton times
what ho gavo for It, yet ho neither sells
nor works it. It Is iwhlspered that ha Is
waiting till ho can dlsposo ot it for such
a sum ns .will mako each of his thrco chil
dren a millionaire. ,
Knowing his son' Mnthlan'' gambling pro
ponsltles, the lato Uaron von Sltlar, who
mado Jl,50,ono In beet sugar refining, very'
wisely left all his money In tho hands of
trustees, who wero to pny Mathlas the In
coino half-yearly. Tho first weeks of Janu-
ury nnd July In each year Mathlas spends
in regai splendor, generally at Motito Carlo
Tho rest nf the tlmo he lives on borrowed
money. But of Into years his friends have
becomo tired of lending nnd professinna
money-lenders, who know that ho cannot
touch his capital, will havo nothing more
to do with him, At present this heir to
J200.000 a year U living In a back Btrcot In
Antwey on Icbs than J 5 a week.
LABOR'S NOTABLE TRIUMPH
Review of tho Inception Progress and Con
clusion of the Goal Miners Strike.
SUBSTANTIAL RESULTS OF THE CONTEST
(JrlevnniT .Not Wholly Nettled Some
of tin I'lticLhm Schemes .lnln
(illiieil the Home Pou
til rex of the Strike,
Tho great strike of tho anthracite coat
miners of Pennsylvania, although now a
matter ot history, forms ono of tho notable
contests and triumphs of organized labor In
the closing year of tho century. A review
ot tho Inception, progress nnd conclusion
of tho struggle, tho wrongs of tho minors
and tho substantial concessions obtained Is
given below. It was prcpaied for the New
ork Independent by John Mitchell, presi
dent of the United Mine Workers' union
nnd leader of tho strike:
The great nnthraclto coal strlko has
patscd Into history, nud marks nn epoch
in tho industrial progress of our country.
Viewing it from tho standpoint ot a trade
unionist I know of no other ovent which
has attracted tho attention ot thoughtful
men ns this strike hns done; Us
successful termination haB given a tre
mendous Impetus to tho general trade
union movement, nnd Us beneficial effects
will bo felt by every branch of productlvo
labor lu tho United States, aud fihlloso-
rhcrs and cranks, with their million nnd
ono cures for Industrial Ills, will ngaln
present their panaceas.
Tho causes which precipitated tho
ntrlko woro so many nnd bo varied that to
onumornto them nil would require an ar
ticle so voluminous that I fenr tho reader
would Imaglno that alt the wrongs and
abuses of the century wero being borno
by tho conl miners of northeastern Pcnn
sylvnnla, nnd would nlso consumu moro
tlmo than I am nble to spare In reciting
them. Sufflco It to Bay that for tho last
thirty yenrs tho nggrcgnto annual earn
logs of tho miners havo gradually nnd
Btendlly grown less; not so much by reason
of having tho nmount of wages per day
reduced, but because of tho Imposition ot
now nnd vicious conditions, such ns com
polling miners to load moro pounds of coal
for n ton than they did originally and then
docking them nfter It was loaded, ns a
penalty for any Impurities which might be
cotno mixed with the coal. Thirty years
ngo tho miner was required to load 2,740
pounds of coal to constitute a ton (tho laws
of Pennsylvania mako 2,240 pounds a ton);
the additional 500 pounds were given by the
miner to protect tho operators for tho refuso
matter which tho physical conditions of
tho mlno made It Impossible for him to re
move. From that tlmo until tho present
moro pounds of coal wero demanded by the
employer, until, nt tho tlmo tho strlko wns
Inaugurated' 3,360 pounds, or Its equivalent
whero men worked by measurement or by
tho car, were frequently required by the
mlno owners to constitute a ton, and In
addition to this tho operators employed
whnt wero known ns docking bosses, whoso
duty It was to Inspect the coal which tho
miner hnd loaded, and If thcydiscovcred nny
impurities tho miner wns dOckod from 600
to 2,000 pounds as n penalty for loading tho
refuse matter, for which ho had already
given the company tho difference between
2,240 pounds (tho legal ton) and 3,360
pounds; so that the miners"- earnings had
been actually reduced ho low that, not
withstanding tho fact-thatf',thoy used tho
most stringent economy, 'they wore unablo
to provide food and clothing ,for themselves
and their families. Tho consequence was
that parents wero. In many Instances, com
polled to make fals'o affidavits that their
boys wero 12 years of ngo (tho earliest ago
nt which tho law permits tho employment
of children), when in truth thousands ot
them wero not 10, In order to get them cm
ployraent In Uio breakers so as to assist in
earning n livelihood for tho family.
I'luoUliiMT the Miners.
Many of tho companies qperatod "truck
stores" (in violation of tho law) and I
know of many Instances whero mine work
ers had not drawn one cent of pay In cash
from tho company for ovor thrco yenrs, all
ot It being deducted by the companies to
pay for what tho minors hnd purchased in
the company stores.
They also havo a system by which tho
miners nro forced to pay n part ot tholr
earnings each month to tho companies to
compenRato them (tho companies) for em
ploying a doctor whoso duty it Is to ad
minister to tho Ills of tho employes. I am
reliably informed that tho G. B. Morklo
company, operating mines near Hazloton
mako a clear profit of $16,000 per year from
tho money they deduct from their employes
to pay doctor bills alone, anil yet this firm
has asked tho public to bollovo that they
woro humane and considerate employers,
At frequent Intervals during tho last
thirty years tho miners of dlfforont sections
of tho nnthrnclto region havo robellcd
against the coal barons, but because of a
lack of unanimity thoy wero Invariably do-
fcatcd and returned to work under worse
conditions, if posslblo, than obtained beforo
they went on strike.
About two years ngo tho United Mine
Workers of America, of which I am presi
dent, having satisfactorily solved tho wage
problem In tho bituminous conl fields, do
tormlned to offer Us nld In securing for tho
nnthraclto miners n higher rate of wages
and moro humane conditions of employment
With this end In vlow n competent staff of
organizers was assigned to tho nnthrnclto
region nnd tho work of organization began
Our efforts for nearly ono year nnd a half
wero ouly partially successful ; tho miners
appeared to bo despondent; they feared to
loin our union becauso of their dread of dls
charge from employment; it becamo patent
to us that It "would requlro a vigorous and
aggressive movement to arouse them
from their lothargy nnd klndlo anow in
their hearts n desire for Justice. Wo
finally decided to call n convention nnd
Invito tho mlno owners to meet tho rep
rcsentatlvcs of their employes, for the
purposo of Jointly arriving nt nn ngroo
ment regulating tho wages which would
bo satisfactory to all concerned. This
convention was hold on August 2i, but
strango to say, tho mlno owners Ignored
tho invitation extended by their em
ployes, and ns a conscquonco tho miners
had no nltcrnatlvo but to strike for what
they bolleved to be their Just dues, or
continue working under conditions which
wero so humiliating nnd galling ns to bo
absolutely unbearable. At thnt tlmo thero
woro only 8,0C0 orgnnlzed men out of a total
of 112,000 persons employed In and nbout
tho mines. Notwithstanding the limited
number who were mombers ot our union
wo determined, after nil peaceful measures
to adjust grievances had failed, to engage
In a strike, with a firm liopo nnd bollcf
that tho rectltudo of our cause wquld
crcato so trong a strike sentiment that It
would Bweop through tho cntlro region nnd
Involvo every man who workod In the
mines; that our hopes wero realized was
demonstrated when, on September 17, tho
day tho strike wont Into affect, 112,000
mine' employes responded to tno call, nnd
with each succeeding day up to tho closo
ot tho strlko increased numbers wero
added to the list, so that at the time tho
strike terminated 110,000 men nnd boys
wero Idle, and tho greatest victory over
achlovcd by organized labor had been
scored by tho United Mlno Workers ot
America,
Union by tlir .Strike,
It Is, of course, true that tho miners
did not accuro redress for all the wrongs
they complain of: they did not attain all
they orlglnnlly struck for, but they se
cured a substantial Increase of 10 per cent
lu their earnings, or nn aggregate ot nbout
$4,000,000 per your; tho iniquitous system
f determining the earnings of miners by
what was known as the sliding scale has
been nboltshcd, and tho companies have
ngreed to adjudicate with tholr own em
ployes tho other grievances complnlned of.
By maintaining their organization tho
miners can enforce tho Bcml-monthly pay
law and effectually destroy tho truck
storo system, which for many years has
kept them In practical servitude, and tho
foundation has been lnld for the futuro
djustmcnt of wngo differences through Joint
onferences, when strikes nnd lockouts will
become unnecessary. This liumano and
progressive method of fixing wago BCalcs
has been found advantageous to both em
ployers nnd employes lu tho bituminous
conl fields.
Possibly tho greatest benefit which will
nccruo to tho mlno workers as n result of
the strlko Is the fact that It has demon
strated tho power ot united nctlon; It hns
harmonized all tho divergent nnd diversi
fied elements which compose the mining
population of the nnthrnclto region; it has
caused tho miners to Investigate tho reason
why all nnthraclto coal mined In America
is owned, produced, transported and sold
by n fow railroad companies, tho owners ot
which aro probably In Ignoranco of the
deplorable and unfortunato condition ot the
men thoy employ, Tho miners will want to
know why they must llvo In abject poverty,
reside In homes which nro unfit for humnn
beings, when tho profits on tho salo and
transportation ot anthrnclto coal would
Justify tho payment ot at least fair living
wages. I have repeatedly declared In public
nddresses that capital was entitled to fair
returns upon its Investment, but that nn
Institution which would not afford labor
living wages for its employment had no
legitimate right to exist.
Tho rnte ot wages agreed to by tho op
erators will continue in force until April 1,
tho samo dato on which the wago contract
botween tho miners and operators of tho
bitumluouB fields expires, When that tlmo
arrives we nro hopeful thnt tho mlno work
ers In tho nnthrnclto field will bo bo thor
oughly organized that the operators will
content to moct representatives of our or
ganization in Joint convention nnd mutually
agrco upon nn equitable division of th
profits ot tholr Joint industry.
In tho strlko Just closed tho opcrntors
strenuously objected to treating with our
organization because, they contended, it
wns composed of nnd controlled by bi
tuminous miners only. Whllo this conten
tion wns too specious to deservo serious
consideration, hereafter even that claim
cannot bo mado, becauso tho member
ship ot our union is now Btronger,
numerically, In tho nnthraclto region than
it is In tho bituminous fields, nnd ns a
consequence its policy can bo dictnted nnd
controlled by the nnthrnclto miners.
A .Voluble Context.
Tho strlko haB been remarkable In many
particulars. Imaglno an army of 140,000
men nnd boya, speaking at least n dozen
different languages, natives of different
countries, bringing with them from tho
old world nil tho dissimilar Interests, senti
ments nnd customs, Joining hauds together
in ono harmonious, peaceful struggle tor
what they firmly believe to be their Just
rights, nnd, acting as ono man, passing
through a Btrlko ot over thirty days' dura
tion with, comparatively speaking, no act
ot lawlessness bolng committed by them,
Whllo It Is, unfortunately, truo that some
men lost their lives, that others were nr
rested, charged with crime, tho authorities
havo not been nblo to locate tho responsl
blltty upon tho strikers; In fact it is u
mattor of common knowlcdgo that many
nets ot lawlessness wero caused by n sot
ot irrcspopslblo men who were employed
by tho coal companies to act as coal and
Iron pollco. Tho greatest number of tnen
composing this body (whose duty it was to
enforce tho law) was mado up of men who
have no regular avocation In life and who,
spend much of their tlmo frequenting the
saloons nnd other loafing places where men
of character and standing refuso to congre
gate. Theso men constantly tried to pro
voko peaceful strikers Into tho commission
of somo overt net, In the hope, it ap
penred, that they might so enrago tho men
on strlko that they would commit somo act
of lawlessness which would alienate public
sympathy and give the coal companies some
plausible excuse for calling upon tho mill
tary arm of tho stato to guard tholr coal
properties and overawo tho strikers. Not
withstanding nil theso facts tho strlko was
singularly free from lawlessness and I bo
ltevo that this clrcumstanco contributed
materially to Its success. A notable feature
of tho strlko was tho absolute confidence
roposcd by the strikers In tho officials ot
the organization. A rather amusing In
cident occurred when ono ot tho mine
foremen posted a notice nt tho mlno noti
fying Us employes that tho company was
ready to resumo work at an advance of 10
per cent over the wages formerly nald,
A largo number ot non-English speaking
strikers collocted In the neighborhood and
the mine foreman, turning to tho crowd
said: "Boys, you enn go to work tomorrow;
this .company will pay the advance you
demand," Ono ot tho strikers, who evi
denced a limited knowledgo ot tho English
lnngunge, stepped forward and Inquired
whose name was attached, to tho notice,
Tho mlno foreman replied that the notice
was signed by tho superintendent ot tho
company, naming him. Tho spokesman ot
tho strikers, In broken English, replied
"Huh, he not boss; John Mitchell boss
now," and tho crowd all turned nnd wnlked
nway, cheering for President Mitchell nnd
declaring thoy would not enter tho mines
until advised by tholr officers that the
Btrlko was over.
Tho benefits which will accrue to all
other branches ot organized labor, as a
result of the successful termination of our
ABSOLUTE
SECURITY.
Genuine
Carter's
Little Liver Pills.
Must Bear Slgnaturo of
Sf Fac-Slmlle Wrapper Btlew.
Vary small ana as ttaty
tj take as nfar.
FOR HEADACHE.
FOR DIZZINESS.
FOR BILIOUSNESS, .
FOR TORPID LIVER.
FOR C0U3TIPATI0N.
FOR SALLOW SXIN.
FOR THEC0MPLEXI0N
85 a I Vanir TartaMo.x
CARTERS
H PILLS.
strike, will be so far-reuching as to prove
almost Incalculable. Heretofore merchants
n mining towns have handled non-union
made goods exclusively. With tho growth
of our union tho miners will demand, lu
purchasing their supplies, that all products
must bear the label of organized labor.
The consequence will bo that In the cigar,
tobacco, shoe, hat, garment nnd other In
dustries thcrr will be tho greatest posslblo
activity becauso of tho Increased demand
from tho miners for their products. Wages
will nnturqlly havo an upward tendency
becauso of this fact, and with Increased
wnccs tho standard of citizenship will bo
raised to a higher piano nnd tho world will
bo happier. Labor omnia vlnctt.
II Im (3ritftiliiK' l)lftoltlon.
Chlcnun l'osl: "They say." remarked the
mother thoiiKhtfully. referring to tho young
mini who had called tlio previous ovculug,
tlmt no is or n grasping (imposition.
"Well. I should snv ho wns!" exclnlmed
the small boy.
"wiiuer cautioned nis sisier, mil it was
too late.
"You lust oucht to have Been the way he
firasped I.ou when she said she'd mnrry
ilm, persisted the youngster,
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