373 



INDIANA. 



straightening the river from a point near South 

 Bend to Momence, 111. The air-line distance be- 

 tween the two points is about 70 miles, while the 

 length of the river is about 160 miles ; the aver- 

 age slope of the valley is 16 inches to the mile, 

 while the tortuous course of the river reduces 

 the fall to 6 inches. Furthermore, the obstruc- 

 tions of the channel retard the flowing and cause 

 the deposit of so much silt in the river that 

 part of the adjacent valley is lower than the 

 river bed. Opening a straight channel would 

 give sufficient current to wash the channel down 

 to a much lower level. 



Coal-miners' Strike. In April, during the 

 general suspension, 5,000 of the United Mine 

 Workers were reported out in Indiana. These 

 were the bituminous-mine workers, and the fact 

 that the block men did not also strike at the 

 time caused ill feeling and some disturbance at 

 Brazil. In May a fight occurred at Little's Sta- 

 tion, near Evansville. Two hundred and fifty 

 strikers marched to the mine to compel the force 

 at work there to join in the strike, and a fight 

 ensued, resulting in the killing of 2 men and 

 the wounding of 5. In May several hundred 

 miners of Brazil boarded a freight train to go to 

 Pana, 111., to drive miners from their work, but 

 the train was side-tracked at Terre Haute and 

 the men taken back the next day. Thirty cars 

 of coal from Tennessee en route to Chicago were 

 held up at Lyford, Parke County. On applica- 

 tion of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Rail- 

 way Company a temporary injunction was issued 

 in the Federal court in Indianapolis restraining 

 the strikers from interfering with their proper- 

 ty. The strikers had threatened to shoot certain 

 officers of the corporation, and captured several 

 Terre Haute policemen sent out to help the com- 

 pany's officers move the train, took away their 

 revolvers, and made them walk back to Terre 

 Haute. Cars carrying coal were also stopped 

 near Fontenet. Companies of militia were or- 

 dered out to escort coal cars past the mining 

 camps. Near Farmersburg dynamite was placed 

 on the track in front of the train carrying the 

 militia, but the train stopped before reaching the 

 point. The coal trains were at length allowed 

 to move. The Governor issued a proclamation 

 calling upon all sheriffs and other officers to 

 break up bands of men obstructing the passage 

 of trains, and bring law-breakers to punishment. 



At the State convention of miners, June 16, it 

 was resolved not to abide by the settlement made 

 at the Columbus conference accepting 60 cents 

 for bituminous and 70 for block coal and the 

 resignation of the State president, who signed 

 the compromise scale, was called for. The con- 

 vention decided to hold out for 70 cents for bi- 

 tuminous the year round, and for block coal 75 

 cents for summer and 80 for winter. The block- 

 coal men were in favor of accepting the compro- 

 mise. The operators threatened to put a force 

 at work under the protection of armed guards if 

 the miners decided to abide by the action of the 

 State convention. The men proposed to retaliate 

 by calling on the officers to enforce the mining 

 laws, which demand a weekly pay day and pay- 

 ment for mine-run coal, and prohibit company 

 stores popularly called " pluck-me stores." The 

 law makes it a misdemeanor, punishable with a 

 fine not exceeding $100, to issue checks, cards. 



or other paper that is not at the time of tender 

 to the laborer commercial paper. The sale of 

 merchandise, directly or indirectly, by any com- 

 pany or corporation to any employee at a higher 

 price than they would sell it for cash, is by the 

 same act a misdemeanor. The operators 'hold 

 that the law is unconstitutional, but it has not 

 been brought to a test. 



The strike ended about June 20, the miners 

 deciding to abide by the decision of the Colum- 

 bus conference. July 20 the executive commit- 

 tee of the State organization of miners and the 

 executive committee of the operators' association 

 met to arrive at an understanding about minor 

 details. It was decided that the presidents of 

 the two organizations should act as a board of 

 arbitration to settle disputes and grievances, 

 with power of substitution. 



Railroad Strike. The strike of railroad em- 

 ployees in July was still more serious. In con- 

 nection with the general strike that began in 

 Pullman all the employees on roads entering 

 Indianapolis were ordered out. The greatest 

 trouble was at Hammond, beginning July 7. A 

 riotous mob assembled there, pulled train crews 

 from their engines and beat them, fatally pound- 

 ed a switchman, and drove telegraph operators 

 from their offices. During the night they burned 

 cars and disabled engines, blocking the tracks. 

 The sheriff's deputies and the marshals were 

 powerless to restrain the mob, and, as there was 

 no hope of the Indiana militia arriving before 

 late in the evening, an appeal was made to the 

 Federal authorities in Chicago, and a company 

 of 35 men was sent out at once. The troops were 

 stationed about the Monon depot. Their presence 

 quieted things for a time, and the blockade on 

 the tracks was finally raised at 1 o'clock in the 

 afternoon and several passenger trains pulled 

 through. The passage of the trains aroused the 

 mob again, and the soldiers were attacked with 

 sticks and stones. At length the rioters rushed 

 toward the soldiers, and were met by a volley . 

 from the rifles. One man was killed, and at least 

 5 were wounded. The excitement increased, and 

 more companies were sent from Chicago in re- 

 sponse to a call for re-enforcements. Sixteen 

 companies, of Indiana militia, including a section 

 of artillery, were sent to Hammond by the Gov- 

 ernor, and order was restored in the city. A 

 mass meeting of citizens was called, and the 

 firing by Federal troops was denounced. 



At Fontenet a train was wrecked by the open- 

 ing of a switch, and the engineer and fireman 

 were killed. The man that threw the switch 

 pleaded guilty, and was given a life sentence in 

 December. 



A convention of the State Federation of Trade 

 and Labor Unions was held at Peru, July 17-19. 

 A resolution was presented proposing E. V. Debs 

 as the candidate of the trades unions for Gov- 

 ernor of the State, and carried by a majority of 

 3. Among other important resolutions adopted 

 were those urging Congress to adopt the $350 

 bounty on each immigrant ; that arbitration be 

 made compulsory: that the Government obtain 

 control of and manage all the telegraph lines in 

 the country; that official weekly papers be estab- 

 lished by the Federation, and a fixed wage scale. 

 The minority bolted when a resolution was passed 

 inviting all farmers' organizations to participate 



