The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-05-30
Miners Of BUTTE DISTRICT.
MINERS OF THE BUTTE DISTRICT.
wv. D. Lauck in Mining and Engineering World)
During the past Is years the Butte Mont mining district


petition OF the southern and eastern European mine worker
years ago. has already been pointed in these columns
caused disruption OF the labor organizations in the btuir
GUS mines OF western and led to the migration
large proportion OF the native American and British EN-
poye to the bmnous mines the middle west and sout
west AS the southern and eastern European penetrated west
ward the native Americans and older immigrants and thei
descendants moved onward Colorado and thence to Mon
ana after the labor dssensons and the breaking up of
trade unions Of the mine workers in the former state In TIN
same the progressive and ambitious Of the ecen
immigrant mine employees of West Virginia Pennsylvania an,
of the middle and central west who have advanced beyond
the Of their counrymen have moved westward ant
have in considerable proportions found Judgment the oper
atng forces of the Montana mines This condition of affair
been due to the constant strength Of the labor organza
tons in the Butte district The employees of the Butte mines
strongly organized branch of the Western FEEDER
,aon of Miners Unions of central utilization another
have dominated the labor supply of the mines for 80 years.
i Races Employed.
Il AS result of and exhaustive study Of $3.50 mine
workers in the Butte district the United States immigration
commission found that 100 native born white persons
OF this number $50 native Americans and 1910 were of
the second generation of native birth but of foreign par
enage Most conspicuous among the latter the Irish
English, Germans and Canadians who had been born the
United States but whose fathers had been born abroad
Eighteen distinct races were represented among the foreign
born element OF the operating forces of the mines The Eng
s OF Orign birth first in numerical Importance and the
Irish second The French and other Canadians and the Firms
also constituted an important proportion Of the employees The
members of races of recent immigration from southern and
eastern Europe who most extensively employed were M
north Italians Montenegrns and Croatians Wy
| Period Of Residence of Immigrant EMPLOYEES
OF the total number of ore born workers in the Rntte
mnes about threehs had been in the United States IL
years longer which in itself is almost conclusive evidence
of the fact that the majority Of the immigrant EMPLOYEES had
come from other sections of the United States All races en-
oyed except the Herzegovnans and onenegrns have been
coming to the United States for 20 years more and
W of the representatives of every except the Damatans
Films, Herzgovinans and Montenegrin have been in This
country 10 years or longer The older foreign born employees
represented by the German, Scotch Welsh and French
Canadians The with the largest proportions among
the more recent immigrants the Monenegrns Herzego
vnians and amaans the great majority of whose
tavesover ineenths in the of the first two
have resided in the United States for less than years Be
tween these two extremes regards length of residence are
the Croatians Fnns Irish North Italians Norwegans and
Swedes.
Conjugal Condition of the Mine Workers.
IA considerably larger proportion of the foreign born than
the native born mine workers married OF the native
Americans larger proportion of those of native father were
married than those of foreign father Among the foreign
oor the married are in the maortyusualy by large mar
gnexcept IN the of the Irish Hezegovinans and the
Montenegrns Of the 1895 married immigrants more thar
fourfifth had their wives and children with them Only
ee races showed majority of wives Of married males
still living abroad These the Damatians Herzegovin
lahs ana MonteneSns all races OF recent immigration
Literary and Political Condition.
VI the 1880 foreign born employees in the Butte district
who were studied in detail by the federal immigration
MISSION only 1903 members of English speaking
races and of these 1910 could speak English and 64 could
write and read the English language
Athough the employees of all show large proper
on able to speak English still only among the Germans Nor
and Swedes does the proportion those able to read
IS well as speak the language rise above nine ens Among
me Croatlans Fnn and North Italians from half to two
rds are able to read but less than are able to write
IS well as read English OF 1866 foreign born employees who
lad been in the country five years and who we're q years of
ge or over at the time of immigration us recently reported
the national that they had secured second nat
azaton papers, and oil that they had secured first pape rs
'nly l29 were still aliens The most conspicuous among the
aces reporting large proportion of their numbers as aliens
'ere the Montenegrins, Dalmatians and Croatians.
Race Changes in the Operating Forces
mace changes IN the mines of the Butte district hav>
wed the general trend of such changes in the metap o
us1es OF Colorado and the sneIters of Montana ieo
er immigrants have been gradually dropping ont me ear
rcesome dying and others withdrawing to or OF the labor
ndS in tho