The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-04-08
THE HUNGARIAN COOKERS:
somothinB About tho Conncllsvillo Region
and Its Nino Thousand Strikers.

somothins About tho ConnollsvIllo Region
ana It's Ntno Thousand Strikers.
A Mt. Pleasant, Pa, correspondent
writes: The Connelsvillc coke region,
where nine thousand men are striking
Tor increased wages, and where small
army of deputy shcritls and detectives
are stationed to protect property, is COM
parativcly little known outside of west
crn Pennsylvania.
The first Hungarian labor in the coke
region arrived at the Morcwood works
IN the spring of 1880. 1t consisted of
fivc families. They were ignorant, filthy.
and apparently scm-barbarous. They
were domicilcd in 4 long, low she'd on
the hillside above tho Morcwood ovens,
and here they lived until provided with
frame houses by the company. The wo-
men dressed then as they do now, in
short blue drilling skirt. top boots, and
gaudy bodice and kcrchicf. 1t was
picturesque costume, barring the dirt.
Shortly after the arrival of the first
families little child died. Nothing was
said about the matter until the supcrin-
tcndcnt of the mines happened into their
abode on business. He found the par
ents preparing to bury the infant in II
ralsln-boX. Last week the wife of a
Hungarian laborcr died at one of the
stations on the Baltimore and Ohio
road. The body was placed in coffin,
and, accompanied by the husband, taken
by train to Sutcr station. There it was
taken from the baggagc-car and placed
on the depot platform. Just us the west
bound train pulled out, the eastern train
halted; the hungarian lcapcd aboard
and went back to his work, leaving the
corpse behind. 1t was buried by Some
people in the ncighborhood who wit
messed tho occurrence. In defense of his
action the man said he was afraid of
losing his job if he waited to bury his
wife.
No class of people, except. perhaps,
the Chinese, are SO grasping in the mat
ter of money. Their purchases at the
company or "pluck-mcn stores are con-
fined to the commoncSt ncccssarics of
life, such as bacon, flour, and potatoes.
They indulge in no luxuricS, except
whisky that cuts like rip-saw. Wifh
the assistance of his wife and half
grown son, one Hungarian in three
years, at N1cClurc's works, saved $1,000,
and went home to life like prince.
occasionally family will 90 west to
live on farm, but this is The exception.
At Morewood the Hungarians violate
the revenue and license laws by selling
liquor TO friends and ncighbors. The
same is true ut Alice, Besscmer, and
other places where they are employed.
When fired with whisky they arc rcck-
less, vicious, and rcvcngcful using knife
and bludgcon indiScriminatcly. Over
onc-half Of tho criminal business trans
acted by the local justices here and at
Scottdalc and Conncilsvillc comes from
the Hungarian and Polish contingent in
the region.
There are exceptions TO this, however.
Here and there Il home will be found
that will compare in cleanliness and ap-
parent thrift with any American citi-
zcn's, but such persons get away from
the coke country us fast as they can.
There is one feature of the strike at
Morcwood and Standard that has not
been spoken of. In the background and
out of harms way when danger threat
cncd, were native American miners,
urging on the lawlcss demonstrations of
the Magyars. The English, Irish. and
American cokc-workcrs hate the Hun
garians. The English and Irish had
the places of the strikers five years ago,
and were the club which the operators
used to subjugatc the home talent The
object of the mining leaders is to urge
the Hungarians to deeds of violence and
SO stimulate public feeling against them
that their own success and interest will
drive them from the region. Out of the
eighteen or twenty prisoners in Jail at
Grccnsburg charged with riot it is no.
ticcablo that not more than two or three
are natives.
Regarding the justice of tho present
demand Of the miners and cokc-draw-
crs, there is something to be said. When
the last cut in wages WAS made two
years ago, coke was selling ut 95 cents.
Coke is now at least 81. Is on the aver
age, while furnace coke brings as high
as S1.25. There has been an advance
of from 20 20 80 CENTS on coke, but no
Improvement in the wages of the miners
and burners. The operators say they
can not pay the advance because they
ran their works at n loss for two years
just to give employment to men and
keep things moving around the mines.
They arc just getting out of the snap,
and as soon as coke gets up to better
figure, which it will do shortly, they
will give their men the benefit of it. In
the past, however, such promises have
not been "urried out. The cOkcrS were
always compelled to strike or threaten
strike before they received an advance.