The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-12-12

of how she and her two boys worked
thirteen years to pay an accumulated
house rent and coal bill due to the
Markle company, the narration OF
which deeply interested the commits
sion. She was examined by Lawyer
Darrow. and in answer to his ques-
tion she said her husband was an en-
gineer inside the Markle mines.
THIRTEEN YEARS.
The husband was killed under
ground, leaving her with four child
ren. the Oldest of which was a boy
eight years. The company never Of
fered her a penny. but the employees
gave her about $3.50 to defray the flu
neral expenses. After he; husband
had been killed she moved from her
four-room house into one containing
only two, one room above the other.
and for the next six years she strug-
gled as best she could to get along.
She took in washing. scrubbed for the
neighbors, and once in while she
was given work cleaning tho offices
of the Markle company. During these
six years she said she kept her chill
dren at school. AS the eldest child
was fourteen years she said she sent
him to the mines to help earn the
daily bread At the end OF the frSss
month the lad brought home his
wage statement showing that his
mother owed 1896 for back rent. The
hoy's wages for the month had been
taken off the bill and he came home
empty-handed. She submitted to this,
and in the course of time her next
boy was old enough to help earn a
living and he, too. was sent to the
colliery. Like the older brother, the
second boy received no pay, his earn
ing being deducted for rentS When
she added that the money she earn
ed for cleaning the Markle Office was
never given her, but kept by the
company for rent, the commissioners
looked at one another In surprise
She said 1t took the three of them
thirteen years to make up the debt,
the mothers earnings from neighbors
being the principal contribution to-
ward the maintenance of the family.
The debt was cleared last August.
During the six years, from the time
her husband was killed until the time
when the first boy went to work, the
company never asked for rent.
DANGEROUS PLACES.
James McMonigle, a miner, former
ly employed by Markle and company.
said the breast he was working in was
so dangerous that he complained to
the company officials that he might
be killed. He was told IL he worked
or nfhar hrnoc hn v,nppId ha
given any cars. He went out on
strike, and after the suspension he
was evicted from his house.
Two more witnesses told of how
they were refused work by the Markle
company. and then j. b. Gallagher,
national board member of the United
Mine Workers of America, for the
Hazleton district, took the stand and
told of conditions as he found them
and told of the Markle company. The
air in some OF the gangways, he said
was so bad that miners lamps would
not burn. If he had drill hole start
ed and the lamp went out he would
continue to work in the dark until
his condition became so weakened by
the air that he had to get out.
So far as he could remember, not
one man who was on any of the Mar
kle grievance committees is now
for that company.
Gallagher explained the troubles a.
he Markle mines after the recent
strike was over, when the men re-
used to go to work because John Mar
fle imposed certain conditions.
EXORBITANT PRICES.
M. d. Gallagher. another Markle
miner, testified that the company
,harged him 35 cents a gallon for oil
hat sells in HazletOn, a few miles
away, for Is cents, and 80 cents a |
,uire for blasting paper that can be
lad for Is cents.
Chairman Gray asked what the out
'ide market price for powder was.
some of the independent operators
aid $1.25 keg. but attorneys for the
miners said 80 to 95 cents keg. The
are selling 1t to the miners
It $1.50 a keg.
There has been considerable sur
rise expressed that the company has
lot made greater efforts to refute
ome Of the seemingly damaging tes-
imony that has been presented. 1t
$ expected. however, that the COM
,any will do so later. The attorneys
or the large coal companies have
loth!ng to say regarding the character
Il the testimony being presented, but |
hose representing the miners are we'll
,laaced