Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-11
MINERS SUFFERING FOUND
WIDESPREAD IN STRIKE AREA
Investigator Finds Families Living Amid
Squalor and Dire Want In Situation
Pinchot Termed General Calamity.

only q generation or two removed from
Soulhe astern Europe.
Strangers are not welcome. because
of the constant fear OF eviction, but
the people who have been sent out with
their belongings onto the highways,
with permission to stay there for "a
hours. are willing to tax II they are
sure that the stranger has not come
from the company"
II. B. Mitchell OF the Manifold Mine
2 miles out OF Washington, the county
seat, had plenty TO say. He Is great.
strapping fellow. with the physique OF
a Dempsey. and the education OF the
average person OF the East who has
had, perhaps, two years OF high school
learning.
His belongings had been put of the
company patch" as the settlements
are called, and he was up against It.
Until this noon. when he had his first
sirloin steak in months, he had gotten
used to being hungry His five chill
dren are pallid. and they have not had
proper SuStenancP since the strike Of
1927, when Mitchell got in wrong"
with the companies.
Home Broken Up.
Mitchell wasn't compla ming. how
ever. and he had the energy to solve
his problem temporarily. Instead Of
leaving the furniture on the road for
the State troopers to pick up and
Store-at fixed rate-he became
friendly with a farmer, who gave him
permission to store his worldly belong
ings, which were worth about $25, in
a vacant barn. His wife and children
he distributed here and there with per-
sons slightly more prosperous than he.
of course, the children haven't had
q drop Of milk in six months" he said.
grimly, and the thing that worries me
Is that my garden, which planted with
seeds given out by the county, has been
taken over by the company. If l go
in to get some fresh vegetables for the
kids, III be in jail with other tres
passers.
Walter Mccullough, who once lived
on the path" at Canonsburg and
worked for the Charters Greek Coal
g. Gas Co. Mine, was on the job in the
district for IL years before he quit.
If / didn't work." he said, the
hunger didn't matter so much, and the
children had more. But when had to
go out all day, had a cup of coffee
for breakfast and a piece of bread.
We haven't seen butter for years MY
bucket has at noon two slices OF bread
spread with lard and moistened with
water. That's what we call q water
sandwich. Sometimes I could have a
few beans or little meat, II l had
made enough In the morning.
Sought Job for Years.
But there were days when came
out and couldn't draw anything at all
and I couldn't eat unless I 'bummed'
something. The children lived the
same way. They had no shoes and just
a few rags for clothes. They looked
the same when I was working as they
do now. I've been looking without
any luck for a job for a year, and
hope, for the children's sake, that l
get one pretty soon."
Virginia Bielinski, IL, with the ma
ture face of young woman of 20.
opened the door to the barracks run
by the relief funds Of the Pennsylvania
Ohio striking mine workers. There
were two rooms, one with coal stove
which must remain unlighted until the
family can afford stove pipe. Mean
while, they "mooched" on the neigh
borS. so far as cooking was concerned.
Virginia said quietly that she had
never heard q radio except from the
street in town, where the mine superin-
tendents had them in their homes.
Six Sleep In Two Beds.
Her mother was out somewhere look
ing for food and her father is in Jail.
but she was in very capable charge
There were two beds for six people.
And no sheets" for only blanket
was spread over each lumpy mattress.
Why, I've never slept under a sheet
In my life" said the child. When we
are lucky, sometimes. we get some -four
sacks and sew them together. They
feel much nicer than the rough blankets
when we can't afford nighties. But
we're better of than Mrs. - down
the line. for she hasn't any mattresses. "
Next door In the long building that
reminded one of Army days, except
for its inexpert construction, was Mrs.
Clyde Alleman. In the room that
served as parlor, bed room, kitchen
and bath-when the water was brought
in from the pump on Saturday nights
she and her husband slept with the
five children. There were no pictures,
nothing decorative except tiny bunch
OF rambler roses, set In Jelly glass.
Il picked them along the road this
morning" she explained. My babies
like pretty things"
more descripfipe ineideHts of HE in the
coal region and the detailed budget OF the
average MINER
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