The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-26

AN AVS between the sky and their earth the
MINERS saw the unhallowed grim, irregular
mass of the coalbreaker, a tall structure black
with dust and ugly as giant toad. 1t dominated
the whole valley.
There were green trees in that valley, meadows
and fowers.for the light to kindle in the summer
days. The spring brot soft flush there, much
as in other parts of the world. There were stars
and moon at night, the sun by day.
There was beauty, but it lived furtively under
a shadow. A great sombre coal mine was in that
valley. 1t had dragged its black, Shiny trail
across the clear brightness of nature. town
of dirty sad houses was heaped about like stacks
of filth on the grass of the valley level. Huge
hills Of Stag stood about the mines mouth,
mounds of darkness from which spurted over jets
of diabOlical flame.
The humble men of all the races lived in the
stumbling houses of the town. They shuffled in
the gray morning thru the muddy streets toward
the mine pit, and returned in the dusk with their
emptied dinner pails their faces black as sinister
masks tBsr bodies dripping sweat and stopped
Saturday nights there was one brief candle of
romance lit in this dark reality of toll The min
ers drew their pay then, and spent some of it on
liquor. They danced they sang, they fought and
their human heritage of play
i was in Miduvski's general store on night
such as this The place was dimly lit by lamps
and Miduvski, big, bald-headed, shrewd specu
! latOr stood plotting behind his counter. There
few odd customers lounging about. Moth
opened for an hour or SO; then some of the
-T--.sfs came trooping in.
There were about eight of them, and few boys
pEQd in fho hrool fpo.I oI .1.,as,.
ingly in the rear. The miners were dressed in
Overalls and black caps with tiny lamps fastened
on them, and these lamps seemed like the horns
OF group of wildfaced devils. The men were
of all races, most of them short and squarely
built. Their white teeth flashed out of the gloom
OF their faces as they laughed uproariously, for
they were all a little drunk.
"Set em up, Miduvski!" shouted one, stout
powerful man with merry black face and little
i ohlnese eyes I"The kid here is treating!'
He dragged forward a youngster who was no
more than ten years DID, and who was dressed
IN ragged overalis too long for him, and a min
ers cap that came over his ears The boy had
] algh cheek bones, and coal dust darkened his
ssualyht nose and sandy hair of young Slav.
i TIE little Hunkie is goin' to treatr' roared
the stout miner again. '"This is his first week in
tne breaker, and he's celebratin' Ainchyer, kid?"
i "Yeh" the boy said, laughing mirthlessly and
staring at them all with big, dazed eyes. 'I'm a
man noww
AT THIS there was general outbreak Of laugh
| Ter, and one Of the men clapped the boy approx
lngly on the shoulder Miduvski filled the
glasses with whiskey, which they gulped down
win great smacking of lips and long "Ah-h-hs!"
| Give the kid hooker too" shouted tall
reckless freshman, pounding on the counter
He's one of us now, by goryw
Yes, yes" cried the other men, and The store
Keeper poured another glass Of the red fiery