public work; and whenever a miner stopped from his work to rest for a moment, a prick from a bayonet soon reminded him that resting was a serious offence against the laws of Colorado and the Consti-
122 The Pinkerton Labor Spy.
tution of the United States as understood by Governor Peabody, General Bell, Captain Bulkley Wells, C. C. Hamlin, James McParland, Bishop Matz, Chief Justice Gabbert, and other leading citizens.
This condition of affairs continued in Telluride till the end of the year 1903, without the miners wavering for an instant in their allegiance to what they considered their duty, and without showing the least sign or intention of resuming work, unless the mill and smeltermen in the district were given an eight-hour workday. In view of the iron endurance of the miners, and their apparent indifference to indignity and persecution, the mine owners decided that their only recourse was to drive the Federation from San Miguel County. They sent instructions to the State House at Denver, and the desired result followed quickly.
On January 3rd, 1904, the governor issued a proclamation wherein he declared in so many words that the membership of the Western Federation of Miners in San Miguel County was up in arms against the constituted authorities, and he placed the county under martial law. Immediately the governor's proclamation was formally read in Telluride, the newspapers, telephone and telegraph were placed under military censorship ; and so far as the crusade against the miners was concerned, Telluride was cut off from the rest of the world.
For a little over eight weeks, the people of Colorado wondered what was going on at Telluride.
The only way news was obtained from the town during this interval was through the United States Mails, and the little news which filtered