The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-11-24
| G O Min u E D
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P a @ F. Q N F.
STARVING;

SO much for the bald facts
touching the strike.
4
We drove II miles out over the
snow to Snlemville. There, on the
outskirts of the village, we found
the remnant of one of the big
camps. The miners officials have
been making desperate efforts to
get their people under cover, but
there are still hundreds of people
in tents. At Salemville there are
dozen or more tents; perhaps
fifty people.
The first tent we came to fairly
teemed with children. They
swarmed with children. They
swarmed out like bees from smit-
ten hive. A mild-faced old man
followed. His arm was in a sling
in splints.
This man. said Paddy arrity,
of the miners committee, was
beat up by the cossacks. They
broke his arm with blackjack. "
The old man smiled patiently
andlogetically. He was the most
inoffensive looking rioter magma
BILE.
And look here" went on Gar
rity. He lifted the flap of the lit
tie tent. Within was disclosed a
woman with the tiniest baby in her
arms.
THE youngest striker in the
camp" said Clarity. This kid
was born in this very tent the 9th,
er day"
A bandaged head, sporting in
front board grin, protruded from
| the door of the tent opposite.
Head broke by cossack black
jack" said arrity.
Down the line of tents men
women and children swarmed out
eager to welcome ~any diversion
The men and youngsters lined W
promptly on request to have their
pictures taken. The women fled
to their tents. The men pursued
and dragged them out, laughing
protesting, struggling.
You'd think they were on a pic
mic, so cheerful they seemed, SO
ready to smile, even to laugh.
But their tattered garments,
their leaking shoes, the weather
beaten tents-even the rottins
American flag that flew from their
little flagstaff-all gave the lie to
their merriment All bore witness
to the wary months they had
camped there, living on hope and
meager stores doled out by the
commissary.
1t had been showing by fits all
day. A cold raw wind was blow.
ing, bellying in the walls of the
tents. The ground was beginning
to freeze. Winter was upon them
in grim earnest. If they laughed
it was because they found it just
as eXpedient to laugh as to cry.
At New Alexander we found a
bigger camp-perhaps a score of
tents and more than hundred
people. Nearly half of the tents
were crowded in the yard of the
little orthodox Greek church. It's
not easy to get ground for camps,
for the companies make it hot for
the farmers who lease land to
strikers. But the companies can't
get to the Russian church.
Here the campers weren't quite
so ready to laugh as were the Sa-
lemville folk. The iron of the long
battle had entered their souls, and
it showed in their faces They
were eager for news of the strike
in general-wanted to know if they
were ever going to get out of their
striking tents-if there were any
shoes forthcoming for the kids.
The kids certainly needed them.
So we drove from camp to camp
on to Deweyville, Heath and ia
mieson No. land everywhere we
saw the same dreary prospect, the
weatherbeaten tents, the rusty
cookstoves with their double ell
bowde pipes. the tatttered coats,
the greasy calico dresses, the lit
tie feet bare to the weather and
blue with cold, the brimy faces, the
heads, all filth and squat
or that must go with such a long
and desperate battle for freedom
as these folk are waging. or it is
a battle for freedom. The miner OF
the unorganized coal fields Is a
slave. These folk are slaves in
revolt.
At Jamison No. l camp, a boy
of years limped about in the half
frozen slush-barefooted. He had
been trying to wear a pair of shoes
much too small for him. His heels
and toes were frightfully abraided
and covered with ugly scabs. His
toes were stuck together by the
caking of blood that had run from
the cracks between them. He ad-