The New York herald., 1922-05-01

This Is the eighth and last Of n
aerics Of articles by THE NEW
YORK HERALD analysing the coal
strike, its progress. causes and
{ outlook.
Erecidl Dispatch to THE New YORK IIEnAtp.
CoNNELLsvnLE. Pa, April 30.--Along
The writhjng course Of the Monon-
kahela in southwestern Pennsylvania
most of the. coal mines are dead. The
United Mine Workers, attacking tho
hon-union fields from the west bank,
fave carried their immediate objective,
but as one travels eastward away from
fbe river and through the heart of the
coke country he begins to understand
tho faith of the operators in their own
power Of resistance.
THE NEW. York HERALD correspond
-ftnt traversed the coke region for more
tLan fifty miles. The tour began at
Brownsville on the river and ended !.
Greensburg In Westmcreland county,
and included side trips TO several
mines. It cut through the center Of
feeds the steel mills of Pittsburgh
with coke or colSing coal. The union
Is trying to cut Off this essential
Eourishment by drawing the great
non-union coal field into the union
(. strike. Among these smoky hills the
real battle of the coal strike Is being
fought.
Near the river the mines and ada
cent beehive coke ovens are as lifo!ess
to-day as the volcanoes of the moon.
Pat Fagan and Bill Feeney, union lead
ers, intent on overrunning all the non
union area OF western Pennsylvania
and adding 1t to the United Mine
Workers map. have captured the river
z The correspondent also saw non-union
mines that they had closed for twenty
; miles inland. Then as he went along !
signs of life were visible. Here and
there few cars were humping away !
from tipple with coal. and sections OF |
4. coke oven batteries were ahame. The |
proportion of activity increased until
late In the afternoon we passed through |
valley after valley in which there was
no strike at all. The mines were run
ming full. Thousands of the brick and |
stone beehives, full OF coal being re- |
duced to coke. were spouting fire and |
Fmoke into the air. Locomotives were |
busy on spur and sidipg shuffiing laden |
: cars about or starting for Pittsburgh |
with trainloads of coal or freshly drawn |
coke
ssHeart of COkc' Bents strongly,
a This is the heart of coke---ea stern |
Fayetto and southern Westmoreland |
rrunties-and it Is still beating strongly. |
The union organizers are trying to reach |
It and extend the strike. The operators
ere resisting fiercely. Every mining
town Is an armed camp. The operators
have not taken possession Of the public
highways, ss the writer found to be the |
rase up at Vintondaic I'm Cambria
county but their police and deputy
kneriffs and minc bosses form a barrier
,yscross company property" including
The company owned miners villages,
which no stranger without credentials
can pass. At some of the mines that
hre on strike near Uniontown the
strikers wives have entered the war
6 tnd have thrown salt and pepper into
khe eyes of men trying to go to work.
The first mine the correspondent
visited on this trip Is at Bridgeport. on
the east bank OF the Monongahela two
miles above Brownsville. It and a great
many others in this region are owned
y. ".
which Is a subsidiary Of the United
Etates Steel Corpo oration and has the
same policy as the corporation toward
labor unions. Always open shop and
etrikeless heretofore Bridgeport Ia now
m strike. This although the customary
trouble OF the miner Of bituminous coal.
ssntermittancy OF employment, has not
been experienced.
Bridgeport, until this strike began,
oplt At IL.
past three years. It's machine miners
have averaged $3.50 and $40 a day its
1oaders $3.50. It's motormen, mule
drivers and other skilled workmen In
ride the mine have got s5.o5 day since
last August. Before that they got s755
Those who live In company houses pay
$3.50 month for four rooms and $3.50
!, for nvc rooms. The houses arc lighted
bv kerosene lamps. Water is free
rcal Is delivered by the company at
. sI25 ton. The company ploughs and
,ranurcs the miners gradens without
charge and annually gives prizes nj
$40 S. and $3.50 FOR the best gardens
,recsidcs many. certificates OF merit. whirh
}ho miners hang in their best rooms.
Free Bus mud Free Baths.
A free bus for the miners who prefer
70 live In Brownsville. two miles away.
shc men coming from tho mine may go
homo clean and refreshed the company
supplies a free bathhousc. II Is big
ono. made OF steel and concrete, with q
'tJong row of shower baths and an i'm
viepac drying room. In the morning the
miner changes to his mine clothes in
The bathhouse. hooks his home attire to
o chain. hoists the ,lothcs up and lea aves
them to swing ~ day in the clean
~arm air. In the evening he takes n
shower thot or cold). changes his clotbe
snd leaves his sweaty mine outfit to drv
rvcrnight On Saturday night the miners
and their wives take their progeny TO
AAo bathhousc for the weekly scrub
yYrc patch" as tho settlement OF com
many houses is called In every coal mine
I town. lies at Bridgeport on nat above
IN. river. Each house has concrete
walk in front and around to the back
door. an1 plenty of gardening room The
Correspondent grass. no flowers
'rho miners dig up every inch for vege-
tables.
The company store. large brick
Itlldng. normally zivcs tho miners
credit and the store bin Is deducted from