Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1904-01-15
An Old Woman
And An old Man
: From Ohio

struggle that concerns all the peo-
pie In the State of Colorado.
The old man owns some coal
mines In Colorado, and his 20. 600
miners are now on a strike because
he has been treating them worse
than he v ould treat his horses and
dogs.
The old woman has been the
life long friend of all coalmiuers,
and she IS now In Colorado organ
izir & and cheering them on. She
has been the me ais of winning
dozens of strikes In the last IS or
80 years.
The name of the old man Is John
D. Rockefeller.
The name of the old woman Is
Mother" Jones.
1t appears that John D. Rookie
Teller has for years been running a
number of mining camps In Color.
ado and conducting them as If they
were penal colonies. These camps
and small towns are scattered here
and there In the wild mining reg
ions of the State, and until lately
the general public knew nothing
of the labor conditions that pre-
vailed there.
But FIVE weeks ago Mother"
Jones went to these camps. She
went from one shanty to another.
She climbed into the coal buckets
and went down into the mines. She
talked with the grimy-faced mia
ers aud found out the story of their
hardships.
Here are a few of the facts she
has discovered:
10 Hastings, the largest Of these
mining towns, the miners live in
novels that would not be used IN
Pennsylvania to stable mules
These shanties are not furnished
free, but bring In a large rent to
the old man.
John D. Rockefeller, who see ms
to need the money.
Every pay day certain sum If
money Is taken out OF the NIL ers
wages for school purposes,ye there
Is no school.
Aaother sum Is taken out for
physiclan.yet there Is no physician
A third sum Is taken out for a
preacher, yet none of the miners
asked Tor a preacher.
There are saloons Ia every camp,
and the saloon keepers pay IS
cents a month for every miner In
the camp.
After all these sums have been
taden out of the pay envelopes II
the miners they receive the rest OF
their money In Scripture bills.
The old man has started a general
store In each camp and he compels
all his miners to buy from him
His prices are higher than those of
any other storekeeper, but he has
a sure grip on all his customers.
He charges trem 90 cents for
quart of molasses that costs him "a
cents. But his customers cannot
complain. If they do they are dis
charged.
Several weeks ago farmer came
into Hastings with load Of fresh
vegetables for sale. Instead OF
selling his produce to the store
keeper, as usual, he thought he
would sell directly to the miners
As soon as he was seen doiCg this
the armed guards who are hired by
the old man to maintain order
seized the farmer and compelled
him TO drive out OF the town.
IF course, John D. Rockefeller
may not krow that these things
are being done. He has never been
In these mining camps. But every
one in Colorado knows that much
of the profit goes TO him and that
he has the power ~ remedy the
grievances of these miners.
The miners are compelled TO
work 10 hours a day. For every
ten and quarter that they dig up
they are paid In scrip for a to-,
minus what Is needed 20 pay the
school teacher, the doctor and the
P eacher.
The miners ought 10 be happy
because, as the old mans son said
recently In his Bible class. There
is more happiness In giving than In
settipg" They give everything
and get nothing, so they should 'e
srnremely haDDy. II order that