United labor bulletin., 1910-09-22
THE STRIKING MINERS
OF PENNSYLVANIA.

THE STRIKING MINERS
OF Pennsylvania.
DR.. Daniel L. Schultz, pastor of the
Lorenzo Avenue Baptist church of Pitts
burg, Pa, has been investigating the
camps OF the striking miners in towns
OF South Greensburg. Derry, Latrobe and
Bradensville in Pennsylvania
DIR. Schultz sums up his Investigations
in two sentences. saying:
mo newspaper account overstates the
pitiable conditions prevailing among the
strikers.
The women are the real sufferers and
the ones whose suffering will increase as
cold weather approaches"
Continuing, DR.. Schultz says:
when | first heard of the supposed
.inhuman treatment of the miners, de-
cided that as one who wanted to preach
intelligently on the subject, l should visit
the scene of the strike. Accordingly l
took the week allowed me for vacation
and went to four OF the mining towns
prominently mentioned in the newspaper
dispatches.
Arriving in South Greensburg. the
first two | visited, was forcibly i'm
pressed with the truth of all the state
ments which newspapers have published
Not only was my attention called to
the lamentable lack OF sanitation pre-
yailing among the colonies living In
tents. but the equally unhealthy arrange
ment Of the houses, from which the min
ers were evicted. They are shells of
homes constructed with an eye to cheap
ness. Such places must be veritable
pest houses should an epidemic OF any
kind break out
From these homes l visited the tent
colonies. There 1t is the women and
children who are suffering The men
possess the hardness that is required in
their rough life. But the women and the
little children-their sufferings cannot
be understood except by those who have
seen them. Huddled like sheep in small
tents many OF them sleeping on the bare
ground with only a coarse blanket over
them. they are inviting death by expos
ure and neglect. Yet nothing can be
done. Only a few OF the strikers pos
sess cots.
The dresses OF the women are ragged
and dirty. Unsanitary conditions are
fairly stamped wherever one of these
camps has sprung up-and its imprint is
found in the sallow, drawn faces of the
women and the haggard. pinched express
sion on the pale countenances of the
children.
THAT terrible epidemic has not yet
sprung up is remarkable. Should there
be an outbreak of some contagious as
ease. the strikers would be practically
helpless and would die like flies There
would be-so far as can see-no ade-
quate way to check the disease.
The women and children have an un-
derfed appearance The five months oil
privation have told on them terribly.
From South Greensburg l went to Derry
where I found the situation the same.
Talking to the strikers l was amazed at
the attitude of forbearance which was
characteristic of them all.
Men who had been living in little
tents for months. showed no bitterness
toward the coal operators. Their cry
was always the same; patient reiter-
alton of the demand to be treated like
American workmen and not like slaves.
Most of them were vague as TO the man
ner in which this would be accomplished.
They would continue their strike. they
said. until their demands had been ac-
ceded to.
.Of all the men met. only one urged
violence and he was a foreigner. The
others-and some Of them had suffered
outrages at the hands Of deputies-were
in favor of a peaceful settlement, pre-
ferably by arbitration.
~ continued my trip TO Latrobe and
found the life OF the strikers there as
bad as It had been in other places. The
same unsheltered, poorly nourisned
women and children. ill-clad and thin'
were to be seen everywhere. There was
no disturbance. The camps seemed en-
quilted in hopelessness.
while | was there my attention was
called to the outrageous practices OF the
so-called company store, which charge
exorbitant prices to the men who WORK
for the company. Technically the min
ers are not required to deal there, but
as nm actual fact there is no other place
where they can deal They are com
pelled to pay the excessive prices ue
manded or go without necessities.
ut was while was here l made the
acouaintance OF one of the deputies.
was standing on street corner talking
with several men, when the deputy ap
proached us and gruffiy ordered us &c
move on demanded whether he meant
me and he. after looking at all of us, pro
ceeded grumbling on his way. l was told
that his manner of address was courtes,
| itself when compared with that OF his
brethren"