The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-01
First Celebration Of Kind,
in This County Great ..
SUCCESS.
Not Enough 1 Food in>the
Town to Provide for
Marchers,

More than eight hundred miners,
members of the United Mine Work,
ers of America. prnved blustcry,
stinging morning and celebrated today
the first anniversary OF the eight hour
day in Marion county mines with
speeches, parades and general jollity
at RiyesYille and Monongah.
The big feature of the celebration
vas the parade d members from the
various mines 10 oRiresville. Early
this morning 172 members of Local
4OO5( located at watson, started on
their long oight mile trip to Rivesvtlle.
On the way other tmines polncd them
and at 1O:45 Column more than a
half mile long, headed by the boys
from Watson with so, huge American
flags, marched into fsEs.town down the
river town.
Regular cheer lei ers marched at in
ter9als between tie g -;Sng rows q
men and every ssp.a cheer
tapatd eatie Sdsdte
stp a way tic ssE the II
windows. The first ,ldtima loo that
Rivesyille had OF the approach lof the
marchers was the cheers giYeIf when
the delegation at Dakota fell in Al
though Dakota Is more than two miles
from Rivesville, the cheering could be
heard distinctly;
Arrived IN Riyesville the miners pa.
raded the length of the town and then
marched about cheering and joking.
Hundreds of small American flags
we're carried, and a large number OF
italian flags were in evidence. One
British flag was in the review.
At noon the thoughts Of the cele.
brants began to turn from matters ot
organization TO things suitable for the
satisfaction Of the human appetite. A
large number Of sandwiches, pie, ETC.,
had been provided, but this supply was
wipe dout before even half OF those
present knew 1t existed Then began
a raid on the one restaurant in the
town. In ten minutes there was not SO
much as a sardine to be had in that
eating house Raids on the stores vert
started next and by 1880 piece OF
candy or a peanut was selling at a pre-
Iaaium. Some OF The men had nothing
| iof lunch but bottle OF pop. Every
one5Bas good natured though, and the
] scarcity 0f eats was made the subject
of many Jokes,
Several persons had remembered
that their eight hour anniversary
was also April Fools Day and many
! jokes wese framed. One man, +
member Of a local that marched sew
eral miles, joined his organization
this morning carrying a large basket
neatly covered with a white cloth
! He told his comrades that he was
taking a picnic lunch and several Of
fered to help him CARR it for 6
share when dinner time came. He
accepted their services and did MOI
carry the basket himself tot o.
the way. When opnd at noon It was
neatly packed with wooden paving
| blocks. Then with an April Fool
the joker pulled a good sized lunch
from his overcoat pocket and pro
ceeded to enjoy it.
The feature OF the afternoon session
was an address ~ c, F. Kenney oi
Charleston, president of District II
! United Mine Workers. Other address
es were made by other officials OF the
organization.
| Local 4O91, from Dakota, carried of
,honors AZ far as number OF men repre-
,serted was concerned. Dakota had
lI75 men IN line. Watson Local 1905
was only 3 men behind them, having
172 men on hand. a}ls
| Other locals with hlg representa-
[ions were Local 1927 from Shat Mine
with I45 men; Local 4047 from Grant
Town with 9S men; Local 4046 from
Baxter with 65 men: Local 1858 from
RivesViile with so men.
At MoHongah the men from the Con
solidatlon Coal Company mines there
with the miners from Kingmont and
other small mines along the river par
AIDED and celebrated, the anniversary
Music was one OF the features Of the
Monongat celebration
Miners were present from the follow
ing mines: Grant Town. Baxter, HlteS,
Dakota, the Traction Company mine a
Rivesville, Cleveland Coal ComI2any;
Montana, Parker Run, Shaft Mine,
Chesapeake Coal Co., Rivesvilie Coal
lCo., Robinson and Pollock.
.