Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-03
ROOSEVELT SEES
MINERS At HOME
InSpects Pennsylvania Coal
Breakers and Talks with
the LaborerS
IS SHOWN THROUGH SILK MILL
With John Mitchell He viii Make
a Tour Around Wilkes
81 Barre
is SHOWN THROUGH SILK MILL
CAssociated Press)

SCRANTON, Pa, Aug. 2.-Theodore
Roosevelt spent the day in Dickson
county among the workers in the heart
of the Pennsylvania anthracite re-
gion. While the real object of his trip
is not known, it is said he intends to
write a story descriptive of the fields
He met and talked with the men who
dis coal, as they came from the mines
black with Crime. He talked with
them about their homes, their children
and their manner of living ana ne
learned from their own lips how they
look at life. He climbed to the top OF
a coal breaker and spent half an hour
there in the sitting coal dust so he
might see what the boys who work
there have to do.
He spent another half hour in silk
mill talking with the girl workers. He
plodded two miles through the heat
up hills and in all manner of places,
and he returned to Scranton as even
ing was drawing near, black with
CRIME, but smiling with delight at his
experience.
Many of the toilers had no idea of
the ex-persident's identity, which he
took care to conceal when possible, un-
til after he had finished his talk.
Meeting Jake Kavanaugh, miner,
walking down the street Colonel
Roosevelt stopped him, saying:
"I want to go home and talk with
you," and Kavanaugh agreed,
AT MINERS HOME
They walked up a side street to a
small frame house with most of the
naint worn off Kavanaugh led the
colonel in and sat him down on the
porch. Then he went inside and
brought out Mrs. KaYanaugh and the
little I<avanaughs.
1t was at the noon hour so that
Kavanaugh had time to talk with the
former president, who spent half an
hour there. He went inside the mousse;
looked at the small, neat rooms ana
complimented Mrs. Kavanaugh on her
proficiency as a housekeeper.
Then all hands went back to the
porch. where they talked concerning
mining in general. Everybody soon
became aware of Roosevelts pres
ence, and the whole population rushed
out to see him.
Mr.. Roosevelt tore himself away from
the crowd at length and turning from
the main street walked up the hill.
At the top OF the hill is clustered
group of ugly black buildings at the
mouth of a mine. AS he walked up
Isaiah Jenkins pattered down, barefoot
in the dust Jenkins IS a miner. He
1aO no coat, no nat il' olA'oS' -
lust come from the mine and was black
with dust. Colonel Roosevelt stopped
him and they shook hands.
SEES BREAKERS
Jenkins offered to show him the
breakers and the colonel accepted
They climbed three flights Of stairs to
a dizzy height and reached the top of
+he chute. Colonel Roosevelt found
three breaker boys who kept on sort
ing slate from 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 mOtOred to Peck
willie. a hamlet four miles further
north, There is q silk mill in Peck
VILE and Colonel Roosevelt went
through it, talking with girls who
spend their days winding silk thread
N spOols
= After he had removed the dust at 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 10
wilkes Barre, eighteen miles away.
Early in the morning he will start
with Mitchell for an all day tour of
small towns around Wilkesbarre.