Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-09-26
HOW THEY MAKE
THEIR MILLIONS
Personal Experiences Of a
Former Coal Miner.
D. D. Davies Tells How He
Was Robbed and Black
listed and Driven Out of
the Anthracite Region.
From the Stroudsburg Times.

From the Stroudsburg Times.
"If there ever lived class OF people
upon whom society is so dependent for
the comforts and blessings of modern life
it is the coal miner" said d. ID. Davies
to Times reporter the other day, land
no workman is more poorly paid, gets
less sympathy or less regard"
For many years Mr.. Davies has work
ed in the anthracite coal fields OF Pennsyl
vania. He moved to Stroudsburg re-
Gently and is engaged In the manufac-
ture of patent cover for pots and pans.
At the request Of the Times Mr..
Davies has written his experience with
coal companies, which, in view OF the
present strike, are interesting.
Let me tell you my experience of
their mode of dealing with the indi-
vidual. | have lived in tho coal fields
since 1858, was raised among the mines
and understand mining and handling
coal. | also try to live a Christian life,
as there are many thousands OF miners
and there are no better church support
ers and attendants in the United States
than among the miners.
NJ say this in justice to my fellow
men, when outsiders think they are
heathens, especially some coal presi-
dents treat them so and who try their
utmost to bring them into disrepute and
contempt when they'employ sneaks and
blacklegs to go among them to incite
riots and ncendiaries, to create damage
to mines and properties, but no law
abiding citizens will do so.
The coal combine employ men to do
these things but they do it on the sly
and II any of the perpetrators are
caught they do the same as they did In
the Mollie Mcguire scheme, the Kerri-
gans and the meanest and lowest are let
loose for lying and telling upon the very
ones they had made tools of to do their
dirty work.
81 was working for the d. S. & S.
Company, or Coke Bros. & Co., at that
time. My wife and mother were with
me. At tho time | am about to speak |
was driving gangway for them. l had
to send in a contract, or terms upon
which | would do the work in writing.
The proposition was accepted, got the
job but kept copy of the terms for
| future use ii ever necessary.
"Then | started religious service dur
| ing week nights and Sunday school and
religious service during Sunday, for it
was a new mining village. l did my
best to elevate and better the condition
of my fellow men where l had an op-
portunity but trusts take no stock in
that
| zone month | found my account $50
short. l went and told Dan Coke and
'Bill' Seiple about it, asking them to
correct the mistake. They would not
do it. / would have to see to the cor
rection myself. They would not in any
manner assist or enable me to get my
| $50 back, according to the terms OF the
/ COuJldCb. Ouo uuJ WIObo w buo COu-
pany at their home Office about it and
how it was made.
~ never got reply but the next day
as we were going to work | was told a
dispatch had been sent to stop the job
and my place was given to another man.
They kept my $50 to increase their mil
lions and they are still keeping it. |
wrote to them several times about it but
they never answered letter.
"Then went to another part of the
coal regions to live, seeking for work at
many mines under different owners and
management. At every colliery would
be asked my name aud where l was
from, at which mine / worked last.
Then l would be told to call around 10
couple OF days and they would let me
know. They always told me my services
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