ash ▁rather ▁than ▁company ▁scri p , ▁which ▁could ▁either ▁be ▁used ▁only ▁at ▁company - owned ▁stores ▁with ▁marked - up ▁prices ▁or ▁be ▁re de emed ▁for ▁c ash ▁at ▁a ▁percentage ▁of ▁its ▁value . ▁Min ers ▁also ▁demanded ▁they ▁be ▁allowed ▁to ▁use ▁their ▁own ▁check we igh men — ▁the ▁special ists ▁who ▁we ighed ▁the ▁coal ▁and ▁determined ▁how ▁much ▁a ▁particular ▁min er ▁had ▁earned — ▁instead ▁of ▁check we igh men ▁h ired ▁by ▁the ▁company . ▁Since ▁state ▁laws ▁already ▁bar red ▁scri p ▁payment ▁and ▁company - h ired ▁check we igh men , ▁most ▁mine ▁own ers ▁accepted ▁the ▁dem ands , ▁though ▁they ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁an ▁economic ▁dow nt urn . ▁However , ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Co al ▁M ining ▁Company ▁( TC MC ), ▁which ▁operated ▁a ▁mine ▁near ▁Br ice ville , ▁rejected ▁the ▁dem ands , ▁and ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁shut ▁down ▁operations . ▁Two ▁months ▁later , ▁the ▁company ▁demanded ▁its ▁min ers ▁sign ▁an ▁iron - cl ad ▁contract ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁work . ▁The ▁min ers ▁refused . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 5 , ▁T C MC ▁re open ed ▁the ▁Br ice ville ▁mine ▁using ▁conv ict s ▁it ▁had ▁le ased ▁from ▁T CI . ▁With ▁t ensions ▁already ▁high , ▁the ▁company ▁t ore ▁down ▁min ers ' ▁houses ▁in ▁Br ice ville ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁stock ade ▁for ▁its ▁conv ict