The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-11-04
Daughters of the Amsyican
Revelation and the Colonial
Danes 70 the Contrary
notwithstanding

spy and outwardly they are stoical,
something like the American Indian
whom some Of the miners somewhat
resemble. They are waiting for a
chance to get even with the gunner
and it is this situation spelling war to
the bitter end that makes the situ-
alton in West Virginia so vital to the
workers of this country.
There are approximately 5000
men, women and children living in
the miners tent colonies in Mingo
county where the strike has been in
progress since July, 1920. Some
5000 were involved at the outset but
some of the men found work on the
railroads and then went back to their
farms thus relieving the union Of part
of the burden.
Every week William Petry, acting
president of District II, United Mine
Workers Of America, with headquar-
ters at Charleston, sends out strike
Il
checks to the many little colonies to
buy food. clothes and some medical
supplies for the strikers. Even now
this sum totals $4,000 week. Other
expenses Of the strike, the long list
of murder trials that have resulted,
the many Investigations and hearings
and the legal expenses bring the total
cost to this one branch of the miners
organization to more than 100000
and it may cost them $2,O0O,OOO be-
fore they finish. The union almost
Immediately, from the first hour of
strike, has to provide homes for the
coal miners, for the moment they
strike, the miners, who are forced to
live in company houses (since there
are no street car lines or passable
! roads to take them into the coal re-
glon) are evicted and their posses
sions thrown on the muddy roads.
So heavy outlay must be made
for tents. Fortunately the miners
national Organization has stored thou
sands of tents that were purchased
from the army after the soldiers
were demobilized They are usually
new tents and arrive in carload lots
a few days after strike is in effect
Then the union buys lumber to make
floor for the tent, arranges for a
store in the neighborhood. and sup
plies this storekeeper with the pro-
visions, or else arranges to have g
sympathizer conduct store in which
the union members will exchange
their strike checks for groceries
meat, tobacco and the like,
Occasional special contributions OF
clothing are made, and then the doc
tor must be sent for an emergency
case of sickness. There were times
when rifles were thought to be ne
cessary contribution but now, after
the troops have been in the field, M
rifles can be found. The miners out
wardly have been disarmed and are
at the mercy of their heavily armed
foes, who, in the guise of deput,
sheriffs, state militia and eonstahu
larry, roam the country along the Tug
River where most of the colonies arr
situated, barking their guns at the
moon or in the direction of the miner.
tents,
Life in the Lick Creek colony
Blackberry City and Goodman colony
would be very comfortable for the
miners if it were not for the frequent
raids that are made upon them anc
the danger of violent death. The
tents are kept scrupulously clean BY
the women folk, some have ever
pianos and monographs that were
rescued from the homes before they
were ruined entirely, and the health
of the men living out in the open anC
that of the children has visibly i'm.
| proved. And, since a miner rarely
enjoys the luxury of cleanliness when
he is at work, practically all of the
men are painfully clean judging by
the appearance they made before the
senators. In each colony there are
many negroes, but like everywhere
in the south, no race problem arises,
as the dark people keep to themselves
and mingle with the whites only when
trouble is in sight.
In West Virginia there are only
two classes, miners and the rest of the
world; or miners and those who make
profit out of them. You can distin-
guish miner whether black or white,
by his uniform. 1t consists of spot
lessly clean blue overalls, a blue
denim shirt, black felt hat and,
when on strike, a neatly shined pair
of brown shoes. When he is working
and returns from the mine the blue
and brown turns to black. There is