Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-12-11
STORY OF POVERTY
Deplorable Conditions Said to
Exist in Hard Coal Region.
Witnesses Tell the Commissioners
That Anthracite Coal Miners Are
Barely Able TO Live-nheir
Houses NotEEOmcs, Mere
Iy Resting Places.

nearing bl itlt IIllhtIH SlN' VI 'A''
case was continued yesterday, and
unless something is done by the law
yers on both sides to curtail matters,
its proceedings will surely run into
next year.
Yesterdays proceedings were of
more or less desultory character. Six
witnesses were on the stand. They
were President Mitchell, two pho
tographers, two practical miners, one
of them Hungarian, and the wife
of a German miner. Mr.. Mitchell was
called to show that a 20 per cent. in
crease in wages did not mean cor
responding increase in the price per
ton of coal. The photographers pro-
duccd about 80 photographs they had
taken of the homes of the mine work
ers in the Hazleton region. The two
miners testified with reference to
wages paid and working conditions
at the collierics of Coke Brothers &,
Co.. an independent concern in the
Hazleton region. and the woman,
whose husband is employed in the
Coke mines, told story of poverty.
The commissioners are anxious for
the documentary evidence, such as
Ndpt SidltHlltllIS ana DiIltI tdl a. btil-
ing on wages and conditions.
Scranton, Pa. Dec. at Thurs
days session of the anthracite strike
commission the representatives Of
the mine workers continued to call
witnesses, mostly practical miners,
who told their story of conditions as
they exist in the Hazleton or middle
coal fields.
Jackson Ansbach. Of the Hazleton
region, was an interesting witness
because he is the first fireman to
appear before the commission. He
said he received $1.57 for a day of 12
hours and his assistant S1.25. On
every other Sunday, when he and his
assistant shifted from day TO night
work, they were compelled to work
"a hours straight without relief. This
statement caused a buzz through the
court room and every commissioner
Strengthened up and became more in
terested. In answer to question
put by the commission he said he was
off duty one day every two weeks.
thus working six days one week and
eight days the following week.
"Supposing You should fall asleep
| when you work in the long shift OF
/ % hours. what would happen?" asked
Mr.. Darrow.
"Wen," he replied, "if / slept long
! enough the fans would stop, gas
] would accumulate in the mines and
If .an eynlpsion took place some tnn''
might be killed: that's ALL
| Rev. James V. Hussie, rector of St.
/ Gabriel's Roman Catholic church, Ha-
/ zlcton. and the dean, by appointment
| of the bishop of the diocese. of lower
| Luzerne county, an ecclesiastical pre-
! ferment was the next witness.
When asked ITO explain the general
/ conditions as he found them, Father
/ Hussie said he had lived in the coal
regions practically all his life. "The
conditions in this region he said
"are deplorable. The mine workers
are barely able TO exist. / say this
without any coloring. knowing that
| am under oath. / realize that what
| say is going to the American peo-
pie and ] want to talk cautiously. I
/ have been i'm their homes. They are
not homes, but merely a habitatiOn,
a resting place. They are frugal, con-
| servative, reasonable and a God-fear-
ing people E"
Scranton. Pa, Dec. 6.-The mine
workers lawyers continued to cal
witnesses yesterday before the strike
commission to testify to the methods
/ pursued by several coal companies in
refusing to re-employ strikers who
| took a more or less prominent part
in the affairs of the Mine Workers
union during the recent suspension.
All of them said they had been en-.
! ployeG before the strike, but were
trefused their old places after the
strike was ended. In most cases, ac-
cording TO the testimony, no salts
factory reason was given why they
were not taken back.
Two blind men who were also 9th
erwise badly injured by underground
explosions. were presented as living
evidence of the dangers in the mines.
When the commission adjourned for
| the day Rev. j. j. Curran, a Roman
| Catholic clergyman, of Wilkes barre,
who took a prominent part in the
| miners cause during thc recent
| strike, was on the witness stand.
Father Curran gave a description
! of the conditions under which the
mine workers live, which is somewhat
similar to that given Thursday by
! Father Hussic, of IIaZleton.
New York. Dee. G.-Wayne Mac
Vcagh arrived from Scranton last
night. When asked whether there
was any possibility of settlement
Of the strike 10y am agreement out
! side of the commission Mr.. MacNcagh
| said cmphatically: "1'hcre is no such
possibility and there will bc no fur
. thcr conferences outside the commits
( sion, except such as may occur be-
! tween counsel for tho clearing up Of
minor details. The commission win
! 60 ON with it's work TO the end"
VIII self 10 the ssi@ Follows.
! Scranton, Pa, Dec. G.--Rcccnt
events have given ground for ,hc be-
/ lief that the result of the ncgotia-
tinns now in progress will be the nj
| timate sale Of the properties of the
| individual operators to the large coal
| carrying companies This win not be
| done a, once. but IL is regarded here
g.. ~. 4