Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1897 — MINE OWNERS AT SEA. [ARTICLE]

MINE OWNERS AT SEA.

Combine of the Big Coal Operators Is Badly Shattered. At Pittsburg Wednesday, the coal operators practically split and went home. They held a session in the forenoon and gave out a statement that they would “continue the struggle along the lines that may appear to be the most productive of the results desired in the interests of miner and operator alike.” None of them could explain what this meant. In the afternoon, after a conference of some of the leading shippers to the lakes, another statement was given out by Operator J. C. Dysart. It contained the information that another committee had been appointed to continue the work of getting the mines in operation, which had been started last week in Cleveland. As the statement issued in the forenoon said that all committees had been discharged, the conflict of statements caused some inquiry as to what the operators really meant. Inquiry failed to bring any result except the impression that they are trying to find “where they are at.” At the forenoon meeting some of the anti-lake shippers proposed that the operators pay the C9-cent rate pending ar-

bitration. This was opposed by the representatives of the big companies, who have been running the meetings. The meeting adjourned without either side coming to any conclusion.