Chapter 337 Chaotic Mining Area

"Actually, this is just a gamble. The president's inclination is so obvious. Everyone knows that the trust will face real pressure this time. Those two people hope that I will be hit first, but I also hope that they will be hit first. It depends on who can bear it." Morgan said with a relaxed expression, "I am involved in many industries, but the proportion is not large. It just ties up more people. If we are really in trouble with the antitrust law, it may be painful for the group, but I personally may not be that painful. It's different for them."

Young Morgan thought about it and felt that what his father said made sense. Although Morgan's indirect control did not give him a huge say, it was also an excellent way to protect himself. Now it depended on who was more powerful and could survive the next storm.

Business fights naturally have their own rules. At least for now, all parties who are prepared to place a bet are prepared to keep the battlefield within a certain range. Of course, not everyone has the ethics in this regard.

Taking advantage of the recent boom in the coal industry, Sheffield ordered Sheffield Rand Powder Company to reduce the prices of all its gunpowder products, officially launching a price war against the DuPont consortium.

In such a chaotic market situation, it is actually very suitable to launch a price war. Sheffield has wanted to do this for a long time, but usually there is no reason. Slave owners always want to have a legitimate reason. This strike has attracted the attention of the whole country. In fact, it is just the right time. If not now, when?

Both Rockefeller Jr. and Sheffield concluded that the battle between the cartel and the United Mine Workers would not be decided until at least autumn, because at that time the weather would begin to turn cold and enormous pressure would be on both sides. Now it is a hot summer, and the citizen class does not have an urgent need for coal. Ordinary people cannot really feel the urgency of the industrial sector. Only when citizens themselves are in pain will they really pay attention to this issue.

"The Chinese workers will definitely suffer from acclimatization problems in Puerto Rico. I won't say much about the prevention of diseases, just in case they can't be controlled!" Sheffield gave Jesla a look that you all understand, and the latter received it accurately, "I will never let them escape from Puerto Rico."

"Then you will arrange for the Chinese workers to board the ship. Draw people from the Black Gold Branch in Cuba to build a base in Puerto Rico." Sheffield stretched and said tiredly, "If there is nothing else, there is no need to inform me of the progress. New Orleans has been very busy recently."

It can be said that the entire United States now knows that New Orleans is officially going to host the World Expo, and Europe has also made the city well-known through companies that have business dealings with it.

The slave owner was busy replicating the Eiffel Tower at the venue, but it was scaled down to a quarter of its original size. This move undoubtedly confirmed the reputation of the replica empire. Sheffield turned a deaf ear to some objections and said to McHale, who felt a little embarrassed, "Annie misses home, so she wants to create a home atmosphere."

"It's just a girl. William, you don't seem like that kind of person." McHale looked incredulous. He didn't believe that Sheffield would do such a thing for a woman.

"You've got it wrong. I'm just that kind of person. I'll do anything for the woman I love." Sheffield pushed McHale, looking like he was possessed by King You of Zhou. "It's just some poor people who hate the rich who are causing trouble. They're just jealous that I can do it, but they don't have the capital. Who can I blame? If their wives and daughters are pretty, they can be sent directly to the manor. Maybe I can help them realize their dreams."

While Sheffield was wholeheartedly advertising for New Orleans, a shocking conflict occurred in the anthracite mines of Pennsylvania.

In a mine that wanted to resume work, a conflict caused bloodshed. This is not worth mentioning, because a small amount of bloodshed is very normal and it happens in every strike. This time is the first major strike in the new century, and there has been no bloody conflict so far, which is abnormal in itself.

So this did not attract Sheffield's attention. He talked with Rockefeller Jr. on the phone and continued to be busy with his own affairs, because some guests had already set off and would arrive in New Orleans soon. Anne, the guest who had already set off, was not looking forward to it because the guests were from Germany. Although she had lived in the United States for many years, she was still worried about the conflict between Germany and France.

The anthracite mine is a large area. In the town adjacent to the mine, a large number of adult men appeared on this day. These men were strong and powerful, but their faces did not show the frost of years of work. They stayed in the town temporarily after getting off the train station. In the late night of the town, a team of nearly 200 people walked south along the street in the dark. The leaders of the team were holding kerosene lamps in their hands. There were also dots in the middle of the team. Every few people had a kerosene lamp, forming a moving stream of light. These people were the heads of the bodyguard company in gray uniforms.

As for the destination, only Jie Lin from the team knew it. However, Captain Jie Lin frowned after receiving the order. The destination was not an easy place to go, and they had to be fully armed. Now the company's full arming was not like before. Holding a shovel was considered armed, and wearing a shield was considered fully armed.

Today's full armor includes a lot of equipment. Although it is not as complete as that of the military, in addition to the original company's firearms and cold weapons, everyone has a share, and the number is not small.

Jie Lin did know the destination of their overnight journey, which was the anthracite mining area. However, Jason did not understand what the intention of the hired man was. To be able to become the leader of a private armed company, even if it was a small team, commanding more than 200 people, he was not an ordinary muddleheaded person.

If the price for this trip was not so irresistible, Jason would never have come to the anthracite mining area that had already caused such a big disturbance. He knew that this place was now a powder keg, and if something went wrong, it would attract national attention.

It was not until midnight that the team arrived at their destination. There were thirty or forty people guarding the intersection on the road to the anthracite mining area. They were still surprised to see a strange team of nearly two hundred people coming, but they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw who was coming. Although these people could not be said to be particularly smart, they could still be identified at a glance whether they were miners.

"I'm West, a worker who wants to start working in the mine. I really need your help this time." West stepped forward to introduce himself. What he was doing now was undoubtedly dragging down the strike movement, which was what the miners called a scab. Starting work would inevitably be accompanied by huge risks, and this traitorous behavior might endanger his own safety.

Naturally, a little extra help is needed. Jie Lin nodded and said, "We understand. We will bring enough weapons this time. We must explain that I will do my best to ensure the opening of the mine."

As the sky gradually brightened, a new day began, but many workers who were sleeping heard a sound that they had not heard recently but were very familiar with before, the bell that woke up the miners to work. Many miners were awakened by this annoying sound and sat up in a daze, but they immediately understood what this sound meant: a mine had started working!

The word "labor scab" appeared in everyone's mind. Many people didn't even have time to put on their clothes, and ran out of the miners' shacks to find the direction where the sound came from, to determine which mine was actually working...

The miners swarmed like ants and rushed towards the operating mine. They saw a large group of strangers, armed men led by Jie Lin. Everyone was wearing a gray uniform, guarding here to stop them.

"Who are you!" The miners who rushed over saw that there were many armed men blocking the way, but when they looked at the five or six thousand miners gathered behind them, they couldn't help but shout with courage, trying to scare away these armed men who came from nowhere.

"Not everyone is like you, living here to eat and wait for death. There are many miners who need to make money to support their families, do you understand?" Jie Lin looked at these miners calmly. To be honest, he was a little timid in his heart towards so many miners, but since he had been hired, he had to speak on the side of the employer, and he also carried enough guns. Everyone is afraid of death, so he should be able to intimidate these miners.

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The confrontation took place in front of the two groups. As time went by, especially the work in the mines, it seemed to be a worrying sign that many miners had already backed down in their hearts.

There was no way to retreat at this point, and the miners began to encourage the armed men to move aside. Some miners were holding shovels, hoes and anything else they could find as weapons. If there was an accidental discharge, it could turn into a violent conflict.

Bang... God did not show up at this time. The gunshot was like a signal, igniting the entire Pennsylvania anthracite mine. The long-tightened string suddenly broke. The entire anthracite mining area was filled with smoke. Riots and arson were seen everywhere in the mining area. The mines were flooded, and the mines that tried to open were besieged by striking workers.

"How could this happen?" Sheffield, who welcomed Rockefeller Jr. to New Orleans, was confused after hearing the news. It seemed that something was not right according to the normal development. But if there was an external force involved, this person was not him anyway, so could it be an accident?

"Yeah, how could this happen!" Rockefeller Jr. followed Sheffield's words and teased, not taking the matter to heart at all. There was only a coal cartel in Pennsylvania, and people seemed to have forgotten that Standard Oil's main operating area was also in Pennsylvania. How could it be possible that it didn't have its own connections.

This time it was Rockefeller Jr. who added the fuel, but he also wanted to keep his fame and achievement secret and did not plan to reveal this to Sheffield.

Happy New Year, but I personally suggest that staying at home is the best choice now. I have nothing to do during the New Year, so I can guarantee normal updates. I won't guarantee anything, because it will hurt if I can't do it.

(End of this chapter)