The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-10
THE WELSH MINER.
His Home, His Politics and Literary
Attajnments.

| The best class of miners in Pcnnsyl-
| Nana to-day are the Welsh miners. They
| are not college graduates, but are men
! of literary habits and fond of home aud
| children. II Is very seldom you will meet
with one who does not know and under
stands something about geology, history,
| theology and music He is IN general
! easily In advance of other mining nation-
! nlities in education and general inforfna-
! tion. The majority of them can read and
| write in both the English and Welsh LAM
| guages and are fun OF Christian feeling,
and love God and humanity. Their homes
are not an atmosphere of coldness dark,
yellow Naw York newspaper world,
| dismal, dirty and cherries as one of our
| have the people believe, but bright.
| warm, cheerful, comfortable happy, neat
and attractive Christian homes where
father and mother work in sweet accord
together for the welfare OF their chill
dren and each other. If you doubt 1t,
just give them a visit yourself. They
are open for inspection to all
The mother Is the leading spirit in the
Welsh miners home. She looks after all
the innumernble household duties; also
after the welfare of her boys and girls.
and 1t is generally her moral and spiritual
influence that directs. guides and con-
trolls to great extent the future well
fare of the family She is the queen
around whom gravtate the happiness and
| sociabiity of her childrcn through her
kindness and gentle touch and influences.
also, the father is drawn into closer re-
lations with his family circle. and mutual
sympathy pervades the whole family.
IT is very seldom you see Welsh miners
homes without some games or amuse-
ments, such as the plano, organ, violin or
some other musical instrument. and one
of the most striking things to me Is that
You will hardly ever come across one
in his household who cannot play, sing
and read music. Furthermore in the ma
iority of the Welsh miners homes YOU
will find plenty of papers, good books
and literature, and. am glad to proclaim
to the public, the greatest of all books
in his home is the precious Bible from
which they draw great deal of sweet
ness strength hope and comfort In their
dark hours of grief, sorrow and trials in
this life.
1t Is not an uncommon thing for
stranger who visits Welsh miners home
to see graceful pictures hanging on the
walls with Scriptural and Biblical mot
toes in large letters: 1.-The Lord Is My
Refuge and Strength 1.-THE Lord Is My
Shepherd, Shall Not Want" etc. There
are pictures on the walls of every room
not expensive ones, either. but pictures
which mean and tell somcthing--land-
scapes, pictures of Christ and saints: his
torical scenes and family portraits. These
are the homes of the Welsh miner
Politically. mostly all the Welsh miners
are thorough liberals in their views.
They believe in the welfare of mankind,
irrespective of color privilege, position
or power. They believe in the liberty Of
thought, librty of speech. and liberty of
action They believe that the spiritual
law of God controls the mind, the affec
tion the desires. the will: and that mans
spiritual comfort and welfare are thus at
tanned and thus alone. They also believe
that to deprive man OF moral government
would make him a captive without a ray
Of hope-a. machine without lifc-a pillar
OF ice. The great desire of the Welsh
miner is toward progress and reform.
| hope the day will come when both
father and mother will endeavor more
faithfully in the future than in the past,
to give ther sons y thorough education
that will land them out of the dangers
of the coal mine.
DANIEL f.. GREGORY.