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| National Guard troops at Shenandoah, Pa. |
Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, August 4, 1902.
GUARD WAS ATTACKED.
Entire Eighth Regiment Called to Arms.
STONES THROWN AT A SENTRY.
Second Attack Made on the Stable Guard—One of the Attacking Party Under Arrest—Colonel Says There is an Ugly Feeling in the Town Against Troops.
Shenandoah, Pa., Aug. 4.—The entire 8th regiment was called to arms during Saturday night as a result of three attacks made by a band of men in ambush who threw stones at the troops now in camp on the plateau outside the town.
These attacks are becoming so frequent that Brigadier General Gobin has decided to adopt stern measures to end them. Sunday night a double guard, supplied with ball cartridges, surrounded the camp and the sentries were instructed that if the stone throwing was repeated they should shoot to kill and investigate afterwards.
One of the attacking party is under arrest. It is not known how many were in the crowd but the officers of the Eighth regiment believe the number to have been more than a dozen.
The first attack, according to Colonel Theodore F. Hoffman, was made at 10:45 o'clock Saturday night. Private Payne of Co. I, on sentry duty, saw a party of men on the Mahanoy City road which separates the camp of the Eighth regiment from the Twelfth. He commanded the men to halt and called the corporal of the guard, but before the latter could respond a shower of stones and rocks were thrown at the sentry. One rock struck him on the chest, knocking him down. He jumped up and fired several shots into the air. As he did so the men ran down the road, all except one, a Lithuanian, escaping.
The shooting aroused the whole camp and the Eighth regiment was put under arms and Companies B, E and K were immediately thrown out in skirmish lines but could find no one. The regiment was then called to quarters and 15 minutes later another shower of stones was thrown at the stable guard. The guard turned out and three men were seen running along the road in the opposite direction from where the outpost was stationed. They were not pursued.
Shortly after three o'clock Sunday morning the third and last attack was made and it was of such a nature that the whole regiment was called to arms.
Stones were thrown at the stable guard and at the sentries nearby. On account of the laurel underbrush and the darkness the soldiers could not see the offenders. However, the sentries fired about a dozen shots into the bushes but no one was hit. Some of the bullets went whistling over the tents of the sleeping soldiers of the Twelfth regiment across the road.
Colonel Hoffman made a full report to Brigadier General Gobin, who came to camp during the day to make an investigation. The prisoner said there were only four men in the attacking party. While under examination he made several contradictory statements.
The brigadier general said he had issued orders that stringent measures be taken with all such offenders.
"I have ordered several rounds of ball cartridges to be issued to each sentry,'' be said, "and that the officers of the guard will be instructed to have them used. The guard at the camp will also be increased."
The colonel said there is an ugly feeling among many persons against the troops. Reports are being made to him dally of soldiers being elbowed and otherwise annoyed on the streets. It was the intention of Colonel Hoffman to give a parade in the town proper as a compliment to the brigadier general but owing to the recent attacks it has been decided that it would be better to have the parade take place within the camp.
No Union Men Have Resumed Work.
Shamokin, Pa., Aug. 4.—At a meeting of the executive board of the United Mine Workers held here reports were received from every local in the district to the effect that not one member of the union has returned to work since the strike, and furthermore that they have no intention of doing so unless ordered back to the mines by their officers.
PAGE FOUR—EDITORIAL.
Duration of the Coal Strike.
The Literary Digest is frequently asked the question, ''how long will the coal strike last," especially in view of the fact that the strike of the Pennsylvania miners is now entering upon its twelfth week, and the further fact that there seems no immediate prospect of any change in the situation. President Baer, of the Pennsylvania & Reading railroad, admits that the coal-road operators are not planning even a partial resumption of work at present, and President Fowler of the New York, Ontario & Western railroad, declares: "The operators do not intend to break the strike now by opening a few collieries. We are simply waiting until the miners have grown tired of being idle." The miners, for their part, seem to have settled down to a long trial of endurance. Says the New York World:
"The national convention of miners at Indianapolis has decided that there is to be no sympathetic strike. Instead of that, a huge fund in aid of the men on strike is to be raised by assessments on the soft coal men at work. The total levy will amount, according to Secretary Wilson of the Mine Workers' union, to $2,000,000 a month. It is estimated that this will give each miner on strike and out of work about $5 a week.
No strike fund of this size and character has ever been seen in this country before. It is a remarkable indication of the prosperity and thriftiness of the whole body of miners that those who remain at work are able to appropriate $2,000,000 a month to support those who are on strike. Their willingness to do so without the slightest hesitation is also a proof of the sincere and earnest sympathy of the miners in the bituminous districts with those in the anthracite districts. They are evidently convinced that the demand for higher wages in the anthracite coal mines is just and fair.
The operators, on their side, still insist, however, that there is 'nothing to arbitrate.' Yet they admit that the liberal provision made at Indianapolis for the support of the strike destroys their hopes of speedily reopening the mines with their old men. The immediate outlook for a settlement of the strike is not, therefore, improved; indeed, the enrollment of a quarter of a million of soft coal miners as regular contributors to the hard coal strike fund seriously extends the area of the conflict and tends to prolong it."
The long continuation of the strike evokes in some quarters comment severely criticizing the course pursued by the operators. The Brooklyn Standard Union thinks that "some way should be found of compelling the mine owners to do their duty to the public." The Chicago Tribune says: ''The longer the confederated owners delay, the stronger will be the demand that suit be begun by the general government against a monopoly which controls the output of a valuable natural product which the people need but are not allowed to have." And the New York Times declares:
"This inertia on the part of capitalists who have monopolized a natural product of prime necessity is probably without precedent. It warrants legislative action in Pennsylvania which could not be excused on any other grounds than that the operators, having elected deliberately to trifle with the public interest, can not be trusted to organize and manage their own business in their own way, but must be placed under conditions and restraints which have never before been deemed necessary in this country. The coal operators are very powerful people, but they are not so powerful that they can successfully defy public opinion to the extent to which they are now doing. It is neither expected nor demanded that they shall concede the terms of the strikers, but it is both that they shall do the best they can to resume an industry upon which so many other industries are dependent, and which so intimately affects the comfort and well-being of the population of the Eastern and Middle States."
President Mitchell of the United Mine Workers is of the opinion that if the miners can hold out for ten weeks longer, their demands will be granted, and he is evidently bending all his energies to the achievement of this result. General Manager J. E. Childs of the New York, Ontario & Western railroad, on the other hand, declares that the striking miners are already showing signs of weakening. He expects that the strike will be "pretty well broken up" by the middle of August.
THE SUNDAY STORM.
Cortland Fared Well, But Binghamton Was Hit Hard.
The regular Sunday storm put in its appearance about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Cortland got off pretty easy this time. Though there was incessant thunder and lightning for an hour a small amount of rain fell, as compared with other sections of the surrounding country. The heavier portions of the showers seemed to go south. Virgil must have received quite a wetting and in other places in the southern part of the county west of the city the country was deluged.
At Binghamton the storm was terrific and Ross park was hit pretty hard. The large hall quickly filled with people when the rain began. Lightening struck a tree about 50 feet from the crowded piazza and the people were badly frightened. Three minutes later wind uprooted and blew down a huge pine tree which fell across the corner of the porch, smashing it badly. The people made a great rush from that corner as it was evident that the tree was coming over and succeeded in pushing back far enough so that no one was hurt, though many ladies went into hysterics. The water in the creek rose so rapidly that the conduits were powerless to take care of it and a lake an acre in extent and 20 feet deep at the lower end formed about the upper culvert. It lacked but a few inches of overflowing the road. Had it begun to pour over it was expected that it would have washed out the whole road and done much damage. Fortunately the shower stopped just in time.
The car tracks leading to the park were covered with driftwood and rubbish and traffic was at a standstill for a little time.
At the Carmel Grove Chautauqua grounds twelve trees were uprooted and the crowd was very thoroughly frightened. Considerable damage was done.
Lightning struck several houses in the city.
BIG BARN BURNED.
F. N. Sweetlove's Barn Struck by Lightning on Sunday.
During the heavy shower that went west and south of the city at about 6 o'clock last night the big barn of F. N. Sweetlove, who lives on the road from South Cortland to Dryden, was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The barn was 36 by 80 feet in size and had a basement. The men had just finished milking and had turned the cows out into the pasture when the bolt came. The barn was full of produce from basement to gable as Mr. Sweetlove had just completed his haying and had harvested his wheat. The hay and wheat was all burned. Everything portable was removed from the barn before the flames drove the men out except a reaper and binder, a hay rake and two bicycles belonging to Mr. Sweetlove's daughters.
Twenty-eight years ago a barn standing on the same site was burned, but that fire started from a bonfire.
BIG RAIN WEST OF CITY.
E. E. Ellis' Narrow Escape—Saved by His Long Legs.
At about 6 o'clock yesterday there was a tremendous shower west of this city. It swung south over the Virgil hills. Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Ellis and their mother, Mrs. William Ellis, spent the day in Groton, N. Y., and were returning when the rain was pouring the hardest. Mr. Ellis says he was never out in such a storm before. Five miles east of Groton two showers met where they were. One came from the southwest and the other from the northwest The rain came down in torrents. Mr. Ellis is fully assured that he should have been drowned had not been for his long legs.
HAIL AT FREEYILLE.
Residents Shoveled it off Their Walks With Snow Shovels.
Freeville got a big hail storm yesterday while it rained in other sections. Hailstones larger than hickory nuts fell and after the shower was over the residents went out with snow shovels and shoveled the hailstones off their walks.
DRYDEN SUFFERED SEVERELY.
Wind and Hail as Well as Plenty of Water Sunday Afternoon.
Dryden, N. Y., suffered very severely from the two heavy showers of Sunday afternoon. In addition to the great rainfall there was an accompaniment of hail and a terrific wind. Upon the farm of D. T. Wheeler seven large apple trees were uprooted and a large barn which was packed full of wool was moved from its foundations. On the George Ellis farm two apple trees were blown down. Others also had trees uprooted. The streets were almost impassible from limbs and branches off the trees, as well as from whole trees down. Windows everywhere were broken by hail. At the Dryden Herald office a large skylight was broken and the Dryden fair catalogue which was being printed in that office was badly damaged by water. Corn was stripped clean and the general loss to crops was very great.
LIGHTNING KILLS SHEEP.
Were Lying Against a Barb Wire Fence Which Was Struck.
Sixteen valuable sheep on the Sanford farm between South Cortland and Dryden were killed by lightning yesterday afternoon. They were part of a flock of thirty and were lying close together against the lower wire of a barb wire fence. Lightning struck the wire somewhere and killed all of the sheep that were against the wire.
BREVITIES.
—The W. R. C. will hold a meeting at 3 p. m. Tuesday in G. A. R. hall.
—Over 1,000 people were carried to Sylvan Beach yesterday by the Lehigh Valley railroad. A large number went from Cortland.
— Misses Belle and Mary Atkinson gave a thimble bee this afternoon at their home, 20 Argyle Place, to a number of lady friends.
—A game of baseball between the Cortland Y. M. C. A. team and the strong DeRuyter team will be played at Y. M. C. A. field next Wednesday afternoon.
—New display advertisements today are—M. W. Giles, Special sale prices, page 7; C. F. Brown, What to Drink, page 4; Hollister Hardware Co., Binding twine, page 6.
—In Syracuse rain fell on eleven days in July and the total amount of water amounted to 6.25 inches. That is considerably less than Cortland's 10.45 inches on nineteen days.
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