A Costly Strike

PiTTSBtTBGH, Pa., July 24.- The coke striko just ended was one of the most stubbornly contested battles ever fought betweea capital and labor. For eleven weeks and four days the flght went on, and now that it is over the feeling between the men and the operators is, if any thing, more cordial than it ever was before. The amount of mouey lost by the long idleness can not be accurately calculated, but it runs up into the miliions. When the strike began four-fifths of the 11,000 men in the región had money of their uwn, but very few of them have enough money now to take them out of the district iL they wanted to leave. For the first six weeks all of the 11,000 were striking. The average wages paid, including mine boys at 75 cents a day and coal-miners at from $2.50 to $5 a day, is $2.05. Counting at that rate, the Rood men lost during the first five weeks $553,600 in wages. Then A. Carnegia gave the advance, and 3,000 went to work. For six weeks the remaining 8,000 have been carrying on the strike, and have lost $443,800, making a total loss in wages of $996,300. If a sliding scale equal to 12)4 per cent advance is arranged for them it will taKe a year ana mne uiunvu steady work to make up for the time they have lost The operators have also been heavy losers. The pumps have been kept running at all the pits, yard and pit bosses, superintendents and clerks have been drawing salaries, and mules and horses have been getting fat on oats and hay that they did not earn. At West Leisenring, where the Pinkerton men have been stationed, the expense has been ovei $1,000 a day since the strike began. Besides this, the ovens have become cold and badly out of repair. Fully a third of them all over the región will have to ba overhauled before coal can be put into them. Then, too, the coke trad e has fallen off, and it will take time and money to build it up again. It is estimated that tha actual expense to the operators has been from $7000 to $10,000 a aay, while tbeir loss entire will foot up to over $1,000, 000. Dispatches from the coke regions report that a large number of strikers hav resumed work. At many of the works the strikers reported for duty, but would not go to work unless the non-union workmen were discharged. The operators refused to concede this and the men teturned to their homes.