The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-05

years, six of which years he has spent here at Banner. Said he:
 T have worked as a union man and also outside the Jurisdiction of the union. Years ago I determined never to align myself with the order again. I have been more successful as an independent miner than 1 ever was while union member. You know 1t is impossible to serve two masters. This you must try and do if you are a union miner, You , must please the organization as we'll as the operator, and their orders too often conflict. The assessments by the union, too, are burdensome and their rulings arbitrary and onerous.
 Why do 1 not return to work in the mine? as you ask. Simply because fear for the safety of my family I live here in one of the company's houses, sur rounded by union men, who do not view things as do l. They are my neghbors- many of them I have known and labored with for years. l dare not offend them by returning to work. I will not under any circumstances join the union again; will suffer hunger before I will deprive myself of the liberties of a free man..
 Asked if it was true that rations were issued by the union to non-union men who were temporarily out, he answered it was not true. He tells me that weekly rations are issued to the striking union members here every Thursday, and that men of families at this point do receive provisions for their wives and children as well for themselves. He says, too, that while $5 per week was promised by the union to strikers, in addition to ra- lion,sI mot one dollar has been paid them.
 Deputy Sheriffs.
 It requires the services of 20 deputy sheriffs here to guard this valuable prop erty and to keep back the would-be trespassers who gather in punches on the surrounding hills There has been no violent outbreaks. no dynamiting, no shooting at this point. It is only the gatherings and the intimidating threats of the strikers that give annoyance to the men who do desire to work and enor- nous expense to the company, which must protect the innocent and defend it's own property.
 One man, who still stands at his post, where he has stood for six years, tells me that he has received threats of vio- lence if he did not cease his labors and abandon his post, but that as yet he has seen no horns,' and will not obey the mandates which come to him under cow ardly cover. Said he: "I have been in this mining business for many years, and I know these union leaders and these strikers. They cannot succeed and the more intelligent ones of them know it full well. As for the negro strikers, they are a migratory class, each one bearing many names and aliases. They will not leave the district, but will go from mine to mine, giving a new name at each''
 A Marred Picture.
 This Cain creek branch mining section presents a magnificent proposition. The geological formation for 20 miles west D. ic ri i,. ,,,i, hot railroad cuts and grades expose their value at every turn. The country is picturesquely grand. the valleys fertile and the hills affordng beautiful health giving sites for homes for miners. All of this lay dormant until few years ago. when the quickening touch of that great developing agency, the Louisville and Nashville railroad, blazed the way for this magnificent development. and thus led capital and labor to this fertile field. Numbers of mines dot the way, and be- fore this trouble, presented a most cheer ing picture. How lamentable 1t is that Lighting and disturbing hands should now mar this picture in this great state which boasts of civilization, law and or der.
 Houses Not Available.
 The matter of recruiting these unions more rapidly with new men rests not so much upon the inability of the opera tors to procure recruits as 1t does upon their inability to furnish them with houses. It must be remembered that the houses provided for the mining force are not now available, as they are held and occupied by the strikers under the law of limitation. It would he folly and enormously expensive to build for 30 days occupancy new houses that would not be longer needed.
 To Be Considered.
 Today while en route to this point this correspondent was shown a letter from the president of the largest coal mining company in Pennsylvania, who is also interested in mines in this dis trict. in which he predicts that this