Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 127, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 November 1904 — ILLINOIS MINES IDLE. [ARTICLE]

ILLINOIS MINES IDLE.

Strike of Hoisting Engineer* Begi—and Thousand* Are Idle. Two hundred and forty mines, practically every coal mine in Illinois, employing 46,000 men, were closed Tuesday by workers thrust into idleness by the strike of the hoisting engineers. 800 in number, whose wage scale was attacked by the operators. The miners and other mine employe*, sympathizing with the engineers, walked out quietly at midnight, and the machinery for hoisting coal in every mine in the State ceased running. Efforts have been made by the operators to man the pumping machinery and keep the water from accumulating. The strike of the engineers, it is believed, is but the beginning of the struggle, although the operators declare they will man the engines with non-union engineers. They declare that the army of miners is not in sympathy with the strike and that they will return to work with non-union man at the engines. Already the coal dealers of Illinois art predicting an increase id the prices of soft coal, which, of course, will be reflected in the price of anthracite. The coal industry of Illinois was paralyzed by ona blow. The strike is not sanctioned by the United Mine Workers of America. The huge walkout entails the loss of $140,000 a day in wages to the miners not directly involved and $1,200 a day to the engineers.