The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-16

a single prop meant being buried alive not I'M
known occurrence to the miners
A gang of men were digging on the main drift.
Shovels buried into pile of coal and emptied into
which sweating pushed along tracks. The
miners backs began to twingle from constant bend
ing. Noses inhaled the odorous air. and sneezed.
canary churped. Glimmers of mine lamps cast
shadows of light across the let black hole
Everywhere rats scurried about which the miners
did not mind Some refused to work without the
rodents being about, they oft times warned them
of impending danger.
Continuous murmuring of the coal breakers, drift
ed occasionally into dstingushable talk. Spy yin
go wude like to get out of ERE" chanted one, in
an attempt to start conversation. Nobody an
swered. Some minutes later he tried again. COW
long you tink' dis strike7l lest, eh Burke?" dis
gusted grunt was the only reply. "Vot you med
fer chi fex you later" The steel pick bit harder
into earth. The same person again broke into I'M
desired speech. 'Py yimny"-A coal smeared face
turned around. "Shut this Swede up somebody or
I'll split his head open" Silence followed angry
looks The tension frightened as fists cenched and
unclenehed Another miner addressed Burke, "What
the hell you sore about" For answer Burke
spat against the shagged wall. "He's peeved be-
cause it's the first day he's scabbing, poor boEe
an he amt used to it yet, God blast 'em," another
chimed in. "Shut your bloody trap" yelled Burke,
cor they'll be one guy less in this world" More
profanities and again the silence that comes of
fear swept the strike breakers.
In the valley below life began to STIR On Maine
Street. shop keepers had already opened the stores
Life began to give forth odor. The low dwell
ings seemed suddenly TO wake up from sleep.
Shades began to rise and men and women walk out
of DOORS In the streets broken strings of people
began making their appearance. They brought with
them smell of coal with which their clothes were
heavily CREASED.
w
style shuffled along with baskets under their arms
Their faces were drawn and their heads covered
with red shawls. In and out of stores they went
searching for someone willing to sell them food.
Near butcher shop woman recognized the wife
of scab. She gave her a piercing look, followed
by an oath in Hungarian. constabulaly patroling
the street, arrested her.
On private plot of ground were set up rows of
canvas tents which served homes for the evicted
miners Here too life assumed color A more sombre
hue than elsewhere Mothers sent their children
to sprawl in the wet grass while they busted them
selves with domestic duties. distant campfire
gave it an outward appearance of picknickers on
vacation.
South Fork is one of the many eastern mining
towns where not themselves. but mere
automatoms of the coal magnates. These men, prac-
tieally all of whom are employed in the mines
now questioning their independence
The strike was in its fifth week. and the miners
tired of the resistance policy Of the Lewis ma
chine rallied around the "Save the Union" bloc
who determined to organize the only union
mine in the district Loyal strikers began gathering
around the union headquarters in preparation for
pcketing demonstration. 1t still early, barely
past six a. m.
large crowd was beginning to gather in the
street Passers-by stood before the front Of shops
gazing at the ever-increasing throng. Up and down
the streets uneven columns Of men moved. On cor
ners police clubs began swinging. In the gutter an
army truck loaded with troops passed by at high