The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-10
BACK TOTHEOLD COUNTRY
STRIKING ANTHRACITE MINERS RE-
TURNING TO THEIR NATIVE LANDS.
Their Savings VIII Give Them "Posi-
ton Among Their Old Neigh
bors-Ways of Living.

n
western Europe has, since the commence
ment OF the anthracite strike, left the re-
eion in large numbers and there are many
who believe the region is wei rid Of him
Close estimates are that some 1900 OF the
mine workers have already gone TO other
fields and that $500 Of these were Siavs'
1fthuanians and Italians, with few Poles
and fewer Hungarians.
The Slav and the Lithuanian, Of the class
which comprises the mine workers, are not,
as a rule. good citizens; in fact, are not,
citizens at all They come here for the
money they can earn, spurred by the ambi-
tion OF going back TO the old country and
living happily ever afterward.
There is another reason why the English
speaking miner is glad this class may not
come back. 1t is certain that when the
strike is over the operators VIII not employ
as many men as they did formerly. Their
plan will be fewer men and steadier work.
Instead OF working two-thirds time, with
10000 men, they may work full time with
100000 men and accomplish just as much.
With the 5000 or more of the Lithuanians
and Slavs transplanted in other fields there
Will be greater opportunity for the white
men" remaining.
The foreigners" as the Slavs and Lithu-
anians are generally called, are to be dis
tinguished from the Poles and the Hun
garians. The Poles come here to an adopted
country and make good citizens. So do the
Huns But while many Of the Poles remain
in the mines and make intelligent miners,
the Huns gradually drift away. and now
there are few Of them working in the.
mines. Most Of them have opened stores or
saloons. taken up some other form of
work less risky and more remunerative
than coal mining
Nothing so annOys a Polish or Hun
garian priest as 10 have a fracas called
by Ioose-penned papers Another Hungar-
ian Cor Polish) Fight" They invade the Of
fees indignant.
These are good citizens, my people,
they declare. ''They are not these others,
bah. no. They obey the law. they are
good"
And so they are. In the same class with
them belong the Russians. who, though
not so numerous, are equally we'll be-
haved, solid, substantial. thrifty citizens.
Father 10th, of the Russian Orthodox
Church, of this city, has a congregation
OF 1,5OO souls, and in the long term of his
pastorate only two Of that number were
arrested and then because they were
watching a fight. He naively remarks: ''The
police got there before did
BECOME LANDED PROPRIETORS."
1t is the SIav and the Lithuanian who
are the undesirable residents, although be
tt known there are many good citizens
among them, too. The majority come here
because they can make ten times as much
money in the mines they can the
farms where they worked in the old coun-
try. They can I'm five or six years save 5000
70 $1,000. which means that when they re-
turn to their native heath they can. In con-
Junction with one or two others, purchase
farm and horse and be landed proprie-
tors" OF wealth.
As a class they are thrifty and fru-
gal and live for less cost than any other
class OF workers in this country II is the
custom when one OF them marrfes here to
start a boarding house, the wife being the
mistress and cook. Space TO sleep and pOr-
dodgers. each of whom buys his own food,
flour and meat chiefly, for the boarding
mistress TO cook OF course, man with a
small appetite has the advantage over a
man with large one, the dyspeptic gains,
the gourmand loses.
The foreigner is apt at getting his
moneys worth There is a story current
among shopmen who have this class of
trade that foreigner with a number six
foot will buy number eleven boot to get
all the leather he can for the price, and this
illustrates a characteristic of these work
ers. They are hard bargainers. They viii
fight over penny as dog struggles with
turn and return again until IT has grown
TO be the custom with the shrewd store
keepers 10 make a foreign price and allow
IT TO be beaten down until it stops at a good
profit.
HOUSES BUT NOT HOMES.
The homes of these foreigners seldom
deserve the name. Little furniture and
plenty of space is the requirement. The
more space the more dodgers. Most of the
lodging houses have hunks, many but
boards over which straw and a blanket are
spread, and there, some half dozen or more
in a room of ordinary size. sleep these toll
ers of the mine. while at a big table in the
kitchen they gather to eat.
These are characteristics of the class that
comes here to earn enough to go home
with. The others. those who come here to
live and stay, have comfortable homes.
Some OF the earnings are expended for
the comforts of life, they Ia e an interest
I'm the politics of the count y. they know
its institutions, they respect the law.
The "drifters'' do neither. To them the
law is ugly because it locks them up in
Jail and some one else may run of with the
trunk and what money II has. The law
does not recognize their right TO fill up with
po1nky and use pistol. knife and club to
express their enjoyment of the inevitable
fight In some parts OF the region the pay
day night fights are as regular as pay day
itself If the law inquiries too closely into
the facts OF fight or a man injured or
one dead 1t Is easy TO say, Me no know. %
and easier 10 look IL, and In these in
scrutable, battling three words the foreign
er frequently takes refuge.
POlinky holds the prize in this part of the
country as a hght-prOducing drink. 1t is
made OF whisky and beer. A sextel OF
quarter Of beer poured into a washtub OF
boiler, and a gallon OF whisky mixed with
81. little red pepper TO flavor and bite, and
there you are. IL takes an iron throat &c
swallow il. and iron head 10 hold its
fumes It's chief effect is a drunkenness
that has no memory and an Unsuitable de-
sire TO fight. anything or anybody
They have great respect for uniform
and a dozen or more. pOlinky-mad. willing
TO fight a score. viii flee at the sight of q
blue-cOat and buttons. During the exciting
times following the Lattimer shooting
when the coal region about Hazleton was
under martial law. an officer of the City
Troop. OF Philadelphia. was complmenteC
for his hardihOOd in riding into section
OF the country where hundreds of the sup
pOsedly bloOdthirsty foreigners We're.
1T ism daring on the part OF my men OF
ne" he said and the next time he rod,
among them he showed why.
crowd OF hundred or more each witt
a revolver in a ready pocket. were march
ing along the road near Honeybrook the
lieutenant and the six troopers approached
AT the first glimpse OF the uniforms, the
swords. and the carbine the men drew q
one side OF the road. sulien. revengeful but
as the little troop trotted past. there wa:
An involuntary strengthening Of bent back.
and dropping shoulders. heels were brought
together. and arms were prevented, only by
an effort, from giving the military salute.