The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-03
STORY Of THE
COAL FIELDS
Col. Roosevelt in the Anthra-
cite Region of Pennsyl-
vania to Observe the Life of
the Miners at Close Range.

CCHANTON, Pa, Aug. 2-TheOdOre
- Roosevelt spent the day in Dick
son City, among the workers ia
the heart of the Pennsylvania anthra-
elite region. While the real object of
his trip is not known, IL IL said, ne
intends TO write a story descriptive OF
the fields.
He met and talked with the men
who dig coal, as they came from the
mines, black with CRIME. He talked
with them about their homes, their
children and their manner of living
and learned from their own lips how
they look at life. He climbed 10 the
Top of "A coal breaker and spent half
an hour there in the stifling coal dust
so that he might see what the boys
who work there have 40 do.
He spent another half hour in a silk
mill talking with the girl workers. He
plodded two miles through the dust,
up hills and IN ali msnner OF places,
and he returned TO Scranton as evening
was drawing near, black with CRIME,
but smiling with delight at his ex-
perienee.
Many Of the toilers had no idea o;
the eX-presidents identity, which he
took care TO conceal when possible, IN
til after he had finished his talk.
Meeting Jake Kavanaugh, a miner.
walking down the street, Colonel
Roosevelt stopped him, saying:
Il want to go home and talk with
you" and Kavanaugh agreed. They
walked up a side street to a small
frame house, with most of the paint
worn off. Kavanaugh led the colonel
in and sat him down on the porch.
Then he went inside and brought out
Mrs. Kavanaugh and the two little
kaYanaughs.
View of Home Life.
1t was at the noon hour, so that
4 . nit
former president, who spent half an
hour there. He went inside the house
looked at the small, neat rooms and
cOmplimented Mrs. KaVanaugh on her
proficiency as a housekeeper. Then all
hands went back to the porch, where
the talk concerned mine life IN
general.
Everybody soon became aware of
Mr.. ROoseVelt's presence and the whole
population rushed out 10 see him.
Mr.. Roosevelt tore himself away from
the crowd at length and, turning from
the main street, walked up the MIL
At the top OF the hill is clustered a
group OF ugly black buildings at the
Isaiah Jenkins pattere1 down, barefoot
in the dust. Jenkins is miner. He
had no coat, no hat, no shoes. He had
just come from the mine and was black
with dust. Colonel Roosevelt stopped
him and the men shook hands. Jen-
kins offered to show him the breaker,
and the colonel accepted.
Climbed 10 Top of Chute.
They climbed three flights Of stairs
TO a dizzy height and reached the top
of the chute. Colonel Roosevelt found
three breaker boys who kept on sort
ing the slate from the coal as they
talked with him. The dust was Sitting
and the heat intense, but the colonel
stayed there a quarter of an hour.
When he came down he was as black
as a miner.
Jenkins took the colonel home and
they found Mrs. jenkins on her knees
scrubbing the kitchen floor. The col
onel went over to the sink and washed
off some OF the dirt before he would
shake hands with her.
The party then left the village and
TO Preekville, a hamlet four
miles further north. There is a SILK
mill in Preekville, and Colonel Roose-
Welt went through ii, talking with youag
girls who spend their days winding
silk thread on spoOls.
After he had removed the dust al
his hotel, he met John Mitchell, former
president of the United Mine Workers
OF America He talked over labor con-
ditiOns with Mr. Mitchell for some time
and then went in his automobile TO
Is miles away
Early in the morning he will start
with Mr.. Mitchell kor an all-day tour
Of small towns around Wilkesbarre.