The Strike of 1906.
April 5, 1906 -The miners working in the mines owned by members to he operators' association were all out on a holiday April 2. Many were in town making the most of what is expected to be a few days' strike. No Sullivan County operators have yet signed the 1903 scale, but some have signified their willingness, and operators in other parts of the state are signing.
April 19, 1906 -Miners have been idle two weeks, and business men complain. There is not the usual amount of drunkenness. Squire High of Fontanet asked the brewing companies not to follow their former custom of sending free beer to aid the miners, and the brewers heeded the request. In former years there was much carousing during a period of idleness among the miners. The Sullivan County Coal Co. at Dugger has signed the scale, being the third member of the operators association to do so, and for this it will probably be expelled from the association. The Carlisle Clay and Coal Co. had signed previously, and both mines are open and a full force at work.
May 10, 1906 -The fear that the railroad would refuse to furnish cars deters many small operators from signing scale. District President O'Connor furnishes statement to show that at least ten large owners have signed.
May 24, 1906 -The joint convention of miners and operators fails to agree. The miners declare that it would be unfair to arbitrate as long as enough operators have signed to produce one-fourth of the regular output of the state.
June 14, 1906 -Agreement is reached by the strike committee of the Indiana miners and the operators on June 13th, after a session of 17 days. Four hours after signing of the agreement the whistle of Citizens Mine announced work to begin following day. The men to get the 1903 scale means an increase of five and a half percent over the scale of 1904-05. About 52 mines had agreed to the scale between April 1, and June 1, and about 3,000 miners were at work before the final agreement.
July 19, 1906 -The Carlisle mine resumes work after being closed two weeks, new machinery having been installed to increase the output from 200 tons to 2,000 tons a day.
August 2, 1906 -There is no demand for coal, and the miners of the 11th district are practically without work. The only mines working are those under contract to supply manufacturing concerns.
October 4, 1906 -The government reports five important mining consolidations in Indiana during 1905. The Vandalia took the Island Coal; Co. in Sullivan and Greene Counties, the Indiana & Chicago Coal Co. in Sullivan County, as well as many mines in other counties. The Dering Company bought the J. Wooley Coal Co., Brouillets Creek Coal Co., Wilfred Coal Co., Indian Fuel Co., W. S. Bogle Coal and Mining Co., Willow Grove Coal Co., in Sullivan, Vigo and Vermillion Counties. The Consolidated Indiana Mining Co., the Sullivan County Coal Mining Co., the Union Coal Co., harder and Hafer Coal Mining Co., Hymera Coal Mining Co., and Kellar Coal Co., all but one being in Sullivan County. The Indiana Southern Coal Co. took over the Indiana Hocking Coal Co., the Citizens Coal Co., the Cummings Coal Co., the Rainbow Coal Co., New Pittsburg Coal and Coke Co., Greene Hill Coal and Mining Co. in this county. Many other properties were brought under one management by the transactions of the large companies in adjoining counties.
March 14, 1907 -Nearly every mine in the 11th district running on half time on account, it is claimed, of no demand for coal. Miners are facing one of the most serious propositions in the history of the district.
April 23, 1907 -All joint traffic rates on coal existing between the Southern Indiana and the Big Four railroads to sixty cities on the latter road have been suspended. it is understood that many if not most of the thirty mines on the Southern Indiana will be compelled to cease operations. Many mines are already closed for repairs, lack of work, great amount of coal on hand, and no market. Because of the withdrawal of the rates no coal from the 11th district is sent into the gas belt.
March 14, 1908 -16,000 miners in the 11th district vote to strike. The fining system, docking, delivery of powder, and top wages are the subjects of contention. Miners claim that they are fined for failure to live up to contract, when there is no corresponding penalty for the operators. It is considered an inopportune time for strike, since there is no demand for coal.
June 30, 1908 -T. E. Willard, the government expert in the employ of the geological survey, ahs visited and examined all the mines in the county except a few small ones. He thinks the mines in Indiana far superior to those of other states in methods used. West Virginia is the only state outside of Pennsylvania where he has seen mines in the same class with those in Sullivan County so far as methods go.
Source: A History of Sullivan County, Indiana. Closing of the first century’s history of the county and showing the growth of its people, institutions, industries and wealth. Thomas J. Wolfe, Editor. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909, page 261-263.