New-York tribune., 1922-04-09

.rse published IN this section of The
~zhnne two weeks ago. brief mention
r,sdc of John L. Lewis, commander
II the organized miners and their
= ,se United Nine Workers Of America
= .he mos, able leaders that tho labor
,,f has Vet produced shrewd, adroit,
.,,,.sfpl aud dangerous opponent either
s.rgaining table or on the industrial
I'd ei Bsttie"
p.,,es Of space limitations and the ncces-
If presenting ia some detail the main
- The situation as it stood at that time,
- more could be said Of the miners
t. by way OF biographical character
Since .hcu. however, the strike has
AZ everybody hut few gentlemen in
.s;ncfon seem to have known it would.
!, with the public now getting its second
I'd after the shock Of its inception, and the
airing and rehearng of the complex issues
.rcd there appears to be considerable
..,osr demand for information as to who
=. levin, person is, anyway-where he halls
toa. what he looks like, why he goes around
4, covrtry getting the miners to knock Off
.,.t ard whether it. is true that he cats three
-. bcefstcaks for breakfast and then stands
4 .ho,t or street corners urging the proletariat
,,g,h on the Capitol and throw bricks
ah
J. * The purpose Of this article not only to
.,deay,r 10 answer these questions, but also
IA oent out chat developments since the first
.sfle ,yss published have shown that the esti-
rs,e Of Mr.. Lewis contained therein was sub
saplaly correct.
Iohn |, Lewis was born in Lucas Iowa, a
gosD mining town, on Lincoln's Birthday OF
1850 His father and mother were Welsh.
! Both his father and grandfather were coal
/ mlners in Wales. where coal miners are born
and not made His parents came to the Unit
cd States IN the '10s. settling in Lucas. The
! eler Lewis worked in one of the mines there
oc several years, until 1882. when, at the
! age Of two, the present miners president came
INTO bis first contact with coal strike.
This vas known as the big screen strike
i 4 That time miners were not paid by the day
9 o. the tonnage they actually mined but on
z Tie fasis Of how much Of the coal they mined
sas in chunks of such a size that they would
Ass orer series OF screens set at the bottom
81 tae chutes leading from the "tipples,' as
he bltumlnous breakers" are known. In
lis bo j i
Quantities OF coal which cost them nothing in
I me matter OF wages One day the operators
got the bright idea that the scheme would be
even more remuneratve if they were to in
cease the size of the screen widths a couple
Vi iacnes or so. When the idea was put into
eject the miners soon discovered that it was
mostly case of much screening out and little
sreenmg IN so far as their pocketbooks were
neerned, and the strike began.
The lighting blood of the House Of Lewis
ao"ed itself during that strike. for the elder
eNIS was placed on the blacklist Of all the
lacas operators and could not get lob there
fitef the trouble was over Hence. the family
EnoyeJ to Des Moines, where the father sue
esssded III getting a new JOB at his trade.
Sonn' the boy, was reared in Des Moines.
pc attended the public schools, but left high
ssAool before completion o. his studies to go
:" work as pick-and-shoveI miner He was
2agnt the trade by his father. by whose side
oe worked for several years.
AZ mat time conditions in the mines we're
W Aeafiy as advanced as they are now. There
sefe 10 safety laws in an industry which even
avs' WITH numerous legal requirements for
"'eeuafoing the workers. takes a toll through
u. .Ne'i's Oh some 5000 lives year. None of
p'eSen' VENT alton laws was then in ex-
'e, ana the miner was forced to perform
~ VI his days work amid powder fumes
ny Ten and eleven hour day was usual. and
%' ~ miners earned as little as S1.6O a day.
u '" coal MINER is pretty much fatalist.
:" WORK IN the backness Of the mine cham
VOL. surrounded as it is by many hazards, de-
ypN m nm reckless disregard of life and
IN Shen daily work below ground, the
-. lhe mines hourly take chances that
aas'S IN many other industries would not
4ssn of taking.
a., sS'ss II take chance--my time hasn't
9a miners.
ae. 'hese same hazards and the staunch
s,'a' powers required by the nature of the
sss;. ."@' make the miner one of the most
lsa, @ minded of workers. Through him.
la..s p'"ai'Pe force finds it's way into the
n.as Mine Workers of America. 1t has