The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-03
Il Mine Boss
Shows Us HO1U
Things York

THE genial superintendent OF the
1 Oak Hill Mine in Minersville,
Pa, known to his friends as Ell
mer," is showing us around. This
is the shaft. The empty cars are
sent down and come up loaded.
One hundred an hour. Yesiree.
And If it's less we want to know
why
AS the cars clattered up to the
surface loaded high with coal I
inquire for the method by which it
is determined whether the car is
fully loaded. when the loader
thinks he's full up we get him to
put on little more"
How do you manage that?"
1--WE got ways. Kinda kid 'em
along-or something" and he winks
impishly.
We inspect the breakers where
the coal is sorted and made ready
for delivery, and where the work
ers are constantly surrounded by a
heavy cloud of coal dust. Five min
utes Of it and we come out chok-
ing with the effects of it. Yeah,
they get asthma and all that,
working in there just like they
get it down in the mines"
do they get any compensation
for it?"
No stree, that amt due them.
No sir"
Next we venture into horizon
tai shaft and though the day is
unbearably hot inside it is cold and
dark. Rheumatism, plenty. But
that's like asthma-not entitled to
any compensation. CThe miners in
Pennsylvania had supported Pin
chot on the theory that he would
hold to his prediction promises.
adequate compensation for the
miners for asthmatic, rheumatic
and other occupational diseases)
Thence to the hospital" where
nurse, but no doctor, attends for
few hours a day When miner
is hurt a form must be filled out
answering such questions as: Does
the injured person speak English?
Is he foreign born2 Is he citizen?
The nurse explains, "You see we
must know all this in order to
see where the compensation is go
ing, if any,
DY THIS time Elmer and are
ID fast friends. We sit on the steps
and chew the fat a bit. Elmer
speaks soto voce, glancing around
constantly. "Or only real trouble
is with the shoemakers." The
term is strange to me. Shoemaker
is polite for a S. of b.. You
know these here guys that stir up
trouble and get the miners think
ing they amt gettin' enough or
that their conditions is bad-then
there's hell to pay Strikes and
plenty of trouble and the company
loses plenty. Sometimes we even
gotta give in to them They're
tough as hell. But we trim them
shoemakers when we get chance"
At this moment the day shift
energies, quite as black as the coal
they mine. Elmer cheerily greets
each as they pass, the while keep
ing up a running commentary con-
corning the history of each man.
That's Joe P, good guy. Gives
us lots of stuff on the shoemakers
Goddam them. They're planning
trouble right now. Want higher
wages. And they're gettin' too
much right now. That's the reason
miners Is always striking. Because
they get such big wages.
That's Nick D. Gotta family
of eight kids. He better watch his
step. I'm on to him. There's two
shoemakers, watch how nice I talk
to them. Hi, there boys-how goes
it. But they don't know what I'm
planning for them. I can kid lot
of the boys, drink with them and
all that. I make them think I'm
their friend. But those shoemakers
are tough. You see, they wouldn't
even say hello to me-" And so
on for half an hour.
We rise to leave and I thank
Elmer for everything. Elmer says
it's OK. ct like people to under
stand what really goes on in mine.
So they shouldn't get no wrong i'm
preston. Then they can tell their
friends the truth. y'know"
We shook hands, "I WILL" I said.