Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-07-14
AMERICAN WORKERS LEAVING
coAL INDUSTRY FOR OTHER
AvocATIoNe.
MANY GO TO FARMS
AND ARE SUCCESSFUL
ht,ts INSPECTOR says Movement is Duo
70 Education Of Miners Children -
Eorsioners Who Take Their Places
less Desirable Citizens and Make
Work Dangerous BY Isnoranca-

Oskaloosa. July 14.-The American
born miner, ard particularly he who is
born Of American parentage, is fast
disappearing as worker In the Iowa
mines. according 10 the observation OF
4. T. Rhys state mine inspector for the
Second district.
Inspector Rhys has made a study OF
the miner for the past ten years and
1, is his conclusion that another ten
years will see no American miners in
the Iowa fields. He gives as his reas-
ons for this disappearance OF the Amer
lean miner, the education which the old
miner has given TO his children
"My observations covering period
Of ten years." says Inspector Rays,
~teach me 20 believe that the A-neri-
can born miner viii soon De thing OF
the past so fer as Iowa min es are cor
cerned Very few OF them are 20 be
found IN the mines now, as compared
with the number working ter years ago.
The American miner gets no better pay
than the foreigner and ne is nuch
better and safer worker. But he IS dis
appearing from the Iowa mines ne
American miner IS steady worker
He wants his children educated. He
Will sacrifice and slave and deny him
self even the comforts Of life thai his
children may have at leas- a high
school Il not college education. Once
those children have had a taste OF
something besides the life Of tie coal
miner, 1t IS almost impossible 70 ge-
them back 20 -ie -nices. The educated
sons Of coal miners will work at al
mos. any other kind OF work before
they will go into the mine.
This Is rot rejection or them, but
rather, something 70 their credit. And
the most Interesting feature % this
transition N the mining conditions Q.
Iowa Is the fact that the educated
boys Of the American born miner are
becoming small area farmers. That
Is, they VIII get small farm near
some city and become garden truck-
ers. The hope o, the farming indus
try Of Iowa depends. Il seems 70 NE.
largely upon these children OF the
miners. They are the ones. who more
than any other class OF young peo-
pie, are going back 70 the farm. In
farm depends the hope o. the farming
industries Of this state
The foreign miner TOO ts rapidly
catching the spirit OF the Iowa born
miner As soon az he has settled in
his work and become proficient
miner he begins 20 want his children
to get out OF the mine. The genera
ton which comes from the old coun-
try will work faithfully IN -he mine
and his con will work n the mine.
But the son VIII have had q touch OF
American life and American stand
ards OF living and the sons son will
probably never see the inside OF the
mine The miner n Iowa does not
last over two or .h-ee generations be-
fore he goes into some other line Of
endeavor
Foreigner Uneducated.
sThe one unfortunate Ting about
the advent OF the foreign miner Is
hi. lack u knowledge II tie An7Ar
ican way OF living and the English
language This makes him 2 more
dangerous man to work beside N the
mines He must be show. everything
even to the manner OF boring z hole
and touching off the charge Of 5yna
mite which is used for blasting IN
the mines. In many OF the mines Of
this state are dozens and dozens Of
English. One man IL kept as an in
terpreter to show the men what to
do and how to 10 t and 20 give 70
them the signals in their native
tongue"