Cape Breton's Magazine

Wouldn't pay any more. And eventually they had to go back for a dollar and a half. You know, work wasn't very plenty then. A man couldn't choose a job. That would be a- round 1910. No, I don't think I was 20 when I was working there. It might have been 1908. But I was satisfied with a dol? lar and a half. I thought it was great. And they wanted two and a half. They were boarding the men then, you know, had a big boarding house, good grub--oh, the very best of grub. They had a regular boarding house and sleeping upstairs. (A sort of camp?) No, no--just as good as this house, all finished. Well, where the men slept was one big room, iron double bunks same as they'd have in the army. And lots of good wood. And the best water in the known world was there coming out of the mountain. Alex Poirier: They were getting good wages then. But he couldn't afford to pay more than we were getting--4 dollars a day. It was good wages then, huh? Board and 2 dol? lars a day clear. It was good pay. So we gave it up--same as today they did at the hospital there--they were stopped, they wanted to get more wages. He gave them 50 cents one time. And then there was once an? other 50 cents. "Well," he said, "I'm fin? ished, I can't give you more." So we all gave it up and went home. It was in the spring. We worked all winter. And there were a lot of men working there--12. There were 5 were working cutting wood for to keep the boiler going. And there were 3 pair of men were working at the face. That's 6 men. Then there was a cook beside. But I told those people there, "You'll be sorry by and by." One fellow told me, "Al? ex," he said, "the people weren't right to go like that. Because he was giving them all that was into it, that fellow there." They had to leave to go to Inverness (coal mines), some of them. Some of them went to New Waterford. Before that, they were mak? ing their living home, you know. Good board. They had the best cook. They had all kinds of good stuff. And 4 dollars a day then. That was big wages. Oh, god al? mighty, it was good wages. He was making money. But he was good enough to give them work, and give them what was in it. I nev? er heard nothing about it after I left. Never took any notice. It quit, I gave it up altogether. Sydney Daily Post, February 5, 1908 GOLD MINERS STRIKE AT BADDECK Men employed at the Great Bras d'Or Gold Mining Company out on strike rather than submit to a re? duction of wages • hope settlement will be reached soon. Baddeck, February 22. On Friday morning a strike took place among the workmen at the mines of the Great Bras d'Or Gold Mining Company on Middle Riv? er. The men's story of the affair is as follows: The trouble first started at the first of the year when Mr. Knutzen, superintendent, informed the men that it was the intention of the company to reduce the pay. The pay at that time stood at $2.00 a day for miners, $1.75 for helpers, and $1.50 for la? bourers. The men at once met and drew up a peti? tion signed by all, stating they would quit work rather than work for the reduced wages. They were then told to go to work at the old wages. On Friday morning the first pa3nnent of the year took place, and while some of the men received the old wages, others were reduced 25c per day. The men at once met and informed Mr. Knutzen that un? less all the men were paid in full, they would quit. The superintendent informed them that he could do nothing for them. The men at once quit, having packed their belongings, marched out to the tune of the bagpipes as played by Duncan MacKenzie of Margaree. The outcome remains to be seen.... Georgie H. MacRae: From December 1909 to July 1911, there was no crushing done be? cause, in going northwest on the Number 1 level, the lead was lost; and in spite of considerable digging and cross-cutting, it couldn't be located. Many people thought that "Mr. Scranton, who still lived in his house, knew where the vein could be lo? cated, but he denied any knowledge. But he was a keen businessman, and he had ac? quired most of the good woodland around the mine. The mine managers supposed the wood was there for the taking, but they soon found that they had to pay for every cord the crusher used. All these things led to disappointment, and in mid-1914 the Great Bras d'Or Gold Mining Company quit operations, and the boom was over. In August 1914, the Bras d'Or Gold and Cop? per Mining Company attempted to salvage the industry. Although they worked areas 956 and 959 and did some crushing, the a- We still put out the welcome mat At George's Dairy and Laundromat. Convenient hours, convenient store-- What advertisement need say more? GEORGE'S ENTERPRISES & LAUNDROMAT, BADDECK ' f

Cape Breton's Magazine