The record., 1911-03-16
PART Ill.


coal mine near the railroad two miles
north of Greenville. This enterprise
was a novel one; each man put in
$s5, those who did not posses that
much in money, gave the sum in
work. The site was at that time
known as the Irwin farm, and was
purchased for $3.50. John ID. Long
est was the first president of the
coal company, and the following
are some of the stockholders: Geo.
Miller, Francis, Theodore, and NAL
chi Withers, Robert Winnie, Will
liam Shrum, Al Shrum, Dick Mer-
cey, Oliver Perry Hill, John Ten
nant, William Summers, James Rob-
erts, Jack Spargo and Lewis Hunter.
The village was named in honor of
I. V. Powderly, who was before the
public at that time as leader in the
great labor question.
Neat cottages were built by the
miners who brought their families
there to live, though nearly all of
them came from different localities,
they soon became acquainted, and
all lived in harmony. There were
very few vyoung folks" if any in the
settlement, and the social conditions
were very limited, now and then a
dance would be given at some of
the homes; it was conducted in a
quiet, orderly fashion, and served
to bring the people together, for
there was little to break the monot-
ony of their lives. The dances be-
came less frequent, the parents were
deeply interested in bringing up
their fast-growing children in the
best way they knew how. A neat
school house on a nearby hill was
soon finished and in 1890 many OF
the children from the mining village
attended their first school. As "hrs'
impressions are most lasting" il
must be said of that first teacher,
Miss Bette Pace, that she was a
true one, for many OF the pupil:
from that school, today occupy
prominent posi- life, anG
nearly if not all, are honest, noble,
and trustworthy men and women.
A Sunday school was organized
at the school house, which was vel
attended. How eagerly the littl,
folks waited for Sunday to come
when they would 60 with their fathe
and mother, too, sometimes, to tn,
school house on the hill and Their
learn the old, old story
Plans were soon made to build
church; the good women of tn
place solicited funds, they were as
sisted from every direction, almost
Many of the miners thinking it wa
to be a union church, gave larg
sums of money TO aid in the cause
but when the church was finished, -
a large, we'll constructed building
it was dedicated as a Presbyterian
{ church. This was a great disaI
pointment TO many; however the
r made the best of it, and with q reg
ular preaching day, and Sunda
i school every Sunday, the villag
started on hei upward trend.
The men worked long and late 4
the mines, yet some of them wer
, never too tired at night to delv
. deeply into the histories of sncier
: times or read for hours and hour
the master pieces of literature.
it any wonder that in such homes Z
q these sturdy, manly boys, and stud
I Gus, modest girls grew to noble mar
. hood and womanhood.
In almost every hamlet or localit
I of few years standing, there is SON
I characteristic peculiar to that pa
ticular people. In this instance
i seems that certain peaceful, dreaI
+, like repose. lowered over the villag
like that SO ably described by Irvir
E in Rip Van Wrinkle, the people live
II the quiet simple life, the only TIL
h life.
h With the purchase of Powderly |
.s the Greenville Coal Co. there begs
v change. Nearly all of the form'
n stockholders sold their homes
o well as their interest in the mine
and moved away, some to 9th
states, while a few remained ne
their native hsunts. The vaca
homes were soon filed with peop
from different places. A row of t
a nbox" houses, known as vOklahon
Row., was built north of Powder
proper to accommodate the negroe