OCR Text |
Show This Is a talk with Maj. McClellan of Cripple Creek. The man that is known , as "Maj. Tom" from one end of the State to the other.' The man who was the chief of etarr of Gen. merman M. Bell -during all the strife between the mine operators and mine owners. ' Maj. McClellan was provost marshal for the full thirteen months of the war that raged back and forth between the miner? nnd their employers. Maj. McClellan Mc-Clellan had under his personal charge more than two thousand men. No one save Gen. Bell, himself, was In higher command. '.' President Moyer of the Western Federation Fed-eration bitterly scored Bell and McClellan McClel-lan while the Federation was in session here on account of the "bull pen" campaign. cam-paign. Unbiased citizens of ' Colorado also denounced Bell for his tactics. Maj. McClellan has since been placed on the retired list of the army. But he is subject to call at any moment.. He has, furthermore seen service In Cuba. Lawyer by Profession! Maj. McClellan is by profession : a lawyer. At the present moment he Is City Attorr.ey of Cripple Creek. He is also the legal advisor and personal 'attorney 'at-torney of Gen. Bell. Maj. McClellan is here on a visit. He is stopping with frlend9 at No. 12 Emery apartments. Mrs. McClellan will be here next week. Their trip Is Just a social visit and has no polltical or military significance. "Conditions at Crlople Creek at the present moment," Maj. McClellan sai this morning, "were never better. More than seven thousand men are at work In the mines. ;The 'strike' from the Western Federation of Miners' standpoint stand-point Is still on, but every difference of trouble and strife have been. happily adjusted. , . - "The mine owners now have the 'card' system of employment. Every man looking for work in the mines at Cripple Creek must go to a certain headquarters and there fill out this card. Then his record is looked up. If it is found out he is not and never has been in any way affiliated with the W. F. of M. he is immediately given work. The mine owners have set their edict for all time. Never- will they, again employ any member or members of the Federation of Miners. New men have taken their places and they are forever barred in Cripple Creek. All Ilines Are Running. "At the present' time all mines are running on full headway. More are being be-ing opened up each month. More tonnage ton-nage Js being taken out each thirty days than ever before. During the Cripple Creek trouble, I was ordered by Gen. Bell to maintain order. I simply did so. That was solely the whole policy pol-icy of Gen. Bell. There was no attempt at 'running riot' or being dictatorial or dynastatic. . "We were forced io maintain a detention deten-tion place or what has been called the 'bull pen. We were under orders of the Governor of the State of Colorado to maintain order. It wasn't our duty to reason or argue why. We simply obeyed orders. Disturbers, of course, had to be subjected to some drastic measures to prevent their casting firebrands fire-brands of speech and inciting riots, which they did repeatedly. Every man, woman and child was treated with all the courtesy that man can bestow,- Bell With President "Gen. Bell, as you know was much with President Roosevelt on the recent hunting trip of the Chief Executive in Colorado. I too had the pleasure of be-fng be-fng with the President upon this occasion. occa-sion. . "Gen. Bell is still In Denver. I understand un-derstand the condition Is now to ap point Gen. Bell to one of the South American Consulates where his military mili-tary knowledge will be much to this country's safety in the revolutions which break out there. I am not at liberty lib-erty to tell fuller details Just 'now. They of course must come-from Washington Wash-ington or Gen. Bell himself. This plan will be put Into force within the next few weeks as I am able to say now. No better man could poesbly be found to safeguard the American Interests In the turbulent countries of the South American republics. - " No Danger of War Now. "The United Slates Is absolutely In my Judgment fres from any fear of war at the present moment. We are outside the pale of trouble or armed conflict Matters are adjusting themselves finely In the Philippines and the Cuban situation Is no longer troublesome. "The army is being held down to the minimum. This is well for the volunteers volun-teers have shown what they can do. In case of call by the President ha can raise at an instant's warning as large and as good an army as he desires or the conditions may need. The idea of a larger navy is fitting and proper to my mind, although I am an army officer and not a naval man. 'The newspaper men have always been very good to me.. The public is entitled to know things. At Cripple Creek I would not sanction a 'censure-ship 'censure-ship restriction' and the men with my command sent what they saw and desired. de-sired. Not a single word was ever sent cut reflecting opon the conduct of the soldiers. Those reports came from 'outside 'out-side sources' and printed in certain part pa-rt rs for obvious reasons. A rumor once started Is hard to down. "See how Gen. Bell was maligned. He was alleged to have 'made $100,000,' out of the trouble. As his personal at torney I know things. Instead of 'making 'ma-king $100,000,' Gen. Bell came out of the strife $18,000 behind. |