The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-05-19

HihSs rccelcred by the widows were
the pine boxes in. which Their HIS.
bands were buried"
J The West Virsnian does not pro.
Tess to speak Tor all the mine opera.
tors OF West Virginia. nor all of those
III the Fairmont region, but It does
cain to have all acquaintance with
the most OF them in this region, and
many OF these men are among our
best citizens. full of charity and be.
pevo'ence and have as high regard for
human life as any men in the com.
munity. These statements are gen.
eral and might be disputed by any one
who chose tc do SO. bur nevertheless.
tEey are facts. but We want to prove
by figures and mdisputed evidence
that Mr.. Montgomery has either
through isH0renee or malice. grossly
mlsrepresented the facts II he gave
cut the statements attributed TO him.
The greatest mining disaster that
ever occurred in the Stale or possibly
III The world was the Mononguh min,
explosion which occurred nj Monuu.
gan lew mics from Failrnont on the
morning o! December .. 1907, in which
5'S lives were lost. These upiortu
nate men were mostly foreigners In
whom the citizens of this community
had no particular interes, except tina.
which all good people have in the
cnasc of humanity.
The bodies OF these men were nj,
given careful and decent burial and
every form Of relief that money could
extend was given the families of these
miners. Altogether there was rollrr,
o: Tor the relief fund for this disaster
the sum OF $l54.360lO.
This money was OF course raised il;
he most part by popular subscription
and every State in the union contrbn.
ed to tho fund as well as some foreign
countries.
West Virginia led in the conlribn.
lions and gave for relief purposes $I3,.
1919, and from the city OF t'airmort
S29.S59?S OF this amount was re-.
cCivcd.
PENNSYLVANIA came next with over
$4,000: then Ohio with over Sl2 ,oDO.
Maryland with over $1,000: New York
with over $1,000 and no on from Stat,
to State until the grand total reached
nearly over $l54 100000.
1t might be said that this was the
fruits OF charity. SO it was. No one
Vas compelled to give penny to this
large fund. but the Farmont Coal
Company in whose mine the disaster
occurred gave almost half the total Of
the West Virginia contribution. to 5a
exact that company gave $l7.5OO. %
which added to the $1,000 contrbut
cd by the Monongah company made 4
total for the coal company of $50. Gbp
for relief of the widows and orphans.
such charity even by Il gigantic indus
trial corporation is not 10 be passed
lightly. This company even sold the
tools OF the dead miners and turned
tho proceeds over TO the relief com.
mlitee. From this source $3.50 was
received. Small. It's true. but 1t show.
cd the proper spirit.
1'hc report of the relief COMMITTEES
which was composed of the leading
business men OF Fairront, and whose
accounts were carefully audited BY
the American Audit Company, shows
the manner of distributing the fund
and the report in part reads as fol.
lows: The committee decided final
y by unanimous vote to apply direct
ana in lump sums the funds III its
hands where It was wise 10 do so. In
few cases the committee found 4
advisable to deposit the sums set aside
Tor some OF the families in trust to be
paid out monthly in the form OF a pen.
sion. This was done only where the
committee deemed 1t wise 10 do so;
also in cases where widows had reimar-
ried prior TO the distribution OF the
'hnd the committee set aside IN spe.
clal deposits the funds for the chill.
dren's benefit. directing the trustees
TO pay to the mother u stipulated
amount per month for each child.
The funds set aside for such families
were deposited in strong banks, locat-
cd TO best serve the families"
Under this plan of distribution 5000