The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-09-30

in the brief is the story Of the man
lion horny handed laborers Of the
United States in the cabinet Of Presi-
dent Wilson. Born in Scotland fifty
years ago, the son Of miner. Com
ing to the UniteN States at the age
OF eight, and at nine delving in the
coal pits of the Allegheny mountains.
From that time on, until he was
thirty-SiX, his bOyhOod and young
manhood spent in the darkness, swing
ing the pick, drilling and blasting and
| loading the coal OH the cars. Then a
| fireman on railroad locomotive and
a worker at odd Jobs, at sawmilling
| and dltching. Then mining between
times and tilling mountain land on
the shares. At last petty farm owner
| of 100 acres Of hills and hollOWs, and
| finally, to cut short the story, mem
| ber of Congress, who was reelected
again and again as a representative
Of labor, and now a cabinet minister
with salary Of $4,000 a year.
This sounds like a story of the days
Of Aladdin. 1t is only the plain. sim
pie annals Of the evolution which is
constantly going on in our American
life. It shows what a boy can make
of himself and how, With everything
apparently against him, he need not
despair.
+ SO much by way Of introduction to
my interview with Mr.. James Bauchop
Wilson, the head Of the Department
Of Labor. I give it to show you that
he has right to represent the work
ingmen Of the United States in our
national government. The information
came from the Secretary upon my
!. asking whether he had ever worked
| Ixv;f1 h hor nd 10
j 1.-The greater part Of my life has
!, been spent in hard, manual labor.
| swung a pick in the coal mines for
| twenty-seven years, and that as q
miner not as a boss l entered the
mines as boy to help my father load
coal. My father was a miner, and al
the money we got came from the
, amount Of coal he could mine. He
was paid by the ton and upon the
{ output depended our living. This was
{ the situation when I reached the age
/, Of nine years. Then father had a bat
l attack Of lumbago. His back was
/ so weak and SO painful that he coule
t not lift the coal from the floor OF tht
! mine to the cars. He was ali righ
from his waist upward. and could Still
e sit on the floor of the mine and under
8 cut the coal with pick, but he coult
not StOOp to load it. l was taken dowl
e into the mines and did the loading
2 Later on, he taught me how to ait
him in drilling, and l finally Learned
S all kinds Of mining. Father and
4 worked together for seven years, an'
n after that l had a place for myself.
e continued mining coal for twenty
t years longer and later on mined Goa
t in the winter time and worked on tn
2 farm in the summer
e Your wages must have been small
: in those days?'
l. "YeS, they were small Until | wa
thirty-Six years of age, l do not thin
I ever made as much as $40 mont
e the wear round. l sometimes made a
d high as $50 month. but lean season
Is always succeeded the fat ones an
II kept down the average"
le These words Of the Secretary wer
n in good English; and his talk through
" out was more like that of a college
a bred man than one whose life ha
d been spent in hard, manual labor.
Il wondered and asked him where +
l. got his education. He replied:
Il could not go to school on az
le count of my work. out I was fortI
a nate in that my father was one
N those argumentative Scotchmen WI
1t not only loved to debate, but glorie
Ell in having his facts backed by tt
"a best of authorities He was not a
educated man, and could not rea