ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1956-08-29
By STJEPAN GAZI, Member, L

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CROATIAN COMMUNITY
The striving of Croats to be publicly recognized
such by Americans - Competition for supremacy
within the Croatian community
7 he Croatian colony in Allegheny City and Pittsburgh
numbered in 1900 about 13 900 persons 1000 in Pitts
burgh and 5000 in Allegheny City The Steel Mill on 28th
Street employed O0 of them South Side Iron and Steel
Co., 6OO Clinton Iron Works. 500 Carnegie on 28th Street.
1000 and small MILL 400, Black Diamond, 1000, Iron
City Steel Co., 2OO Carbon Steel Co., 600 McConway and
Co. Steel Works. 600 and Carnegie Bridge works, 300.
Besides the Pittsburgh industries they working for
Ritter and Coney Iron and Steel Co., Thomas Carn Sons
H. j. Heinz and Co., Keffer ndstiefe and Lape and Coz
The big steel strikes of 1901 affected the Croatan
workers considerably although the famous Homestead
strike at Carnegie and Frck did not touch them for few
Croats employed there at the time
X
Once again the National Croatian Union selected Al
legheny City the site for it's convention 1t held In
the German Masonic Hail. September 29 to October 7,
1902 The convention promptly emphasized it's national
and political character It sent greetings to Bishop Stress
mayer and sepan Radio secretary of the newly formed
United Croatian OppostionS Moreover, it established
Foundation to promote Croatan schools in America and
another to aid the prosecuted patriots in Croatia.
At this convention the bitter struggle for domination
the National Croatan Union from the start evil
dent Frank Zott businessman from New York and DR..
Milan Kovacevc of Allegheny City, joined the Rev. Lju-
dev effort to GUST the present leaders of the
Union Pavlinac, Marohnic and Skrvanic. For the
ment however, they failed Not giving up the ambitious
Dr. Kovacevc and two priests, DR.. Laus and Dr. Kajc,
formed association, called the Croatian Catholic
Union and published their newspaper Hrvat (Croa
in 1908. 1t did not exist very long.
In time the National Croatian Union had spread
the United States; thus the conventions had to be
held alternately in different cities Allegheny remained
it's administration CENTER well the center of all Gro
attain immigrant life in the United States
The former editor of Napredak, G. A. Skrivanc, be-
gan to publish in 1908 another daily paper, Hrvatska,
Croatia In Rankin, there appeared some editions OF
Hrvat America, (Croat in America), in 1902 and in
McKeesport Veka Hrvatska, (Great Croatia) in 1908
e. " Muzina apparently had intended publish Croatan
books regularly under the of the Croaan Colony in
America but trace revealed whether this project
ever carried out not
good many of the leading Croats began to copy,
only the good but also the bad habits prevailing at
that time in American public life Thus, corruption found
it's way into the activities of the National Croaan Union
Frank Zotti banker ship and publisher of the Ma
rodni List (Nationa News), in New York, succeeded in
gaining control the National Croatan Union, when
he elected president at the ninth convention in New
York September a. to October g. 1906 He bought the
sympathy of the oty of delegates by paying all their
expenses.
The convention then decided to publish it's organ,
Zajedncar, bmonthly. It's first editor G. A. Skriva
mic, succeeded by Gabro Rack In 1907 Zajedncar ap
peared small bimonthly paper n- Pittsburgh For,
Allegheny City became, June H. 1906 part of Pitts
burgh by decision of the Legislature and by approval of
the voters is known since North Side Pittsburgh
The initiative of the priests and DR.. Kovacevc
couraged Others The Croaan Fraterna and Beneficial
Association Sloga founded in Pittsburgh, May 49,
1905 by Stephen Jurkovc Isidor Nance Savko Brajdic
Paval Cujko and John Jurkovic Judge Marshall Brown
granted it charter June II, 1905.
That year witnessed the birth ofmany other societies.
The choral societies Javor, Sloga and Berslavc began
their activities in 1905 Many others had but short span
of life These manifold undertakings most probably
the natural results of modest prosperity among the
numerous Croats of the colony Socially and economically
their life had not undergone great change Their
pations still the Of 1925 Croats employed by
Carnegie Steel Co., March, 1907, 21 skilled SO semi
skilled, and 1115 unskilled workers.
Despite their modest earnings they put aside some
economies depositng them at the various so-caled Cro
attain Banks, which mushroomed everywhere When the
financial crisis of 1907 swept the country small
unscrupuous banks succumbed first declaring bankrupt
cy and swallowing large part of immigrant savings
Lots of similar establishments, dealing with Croatian
mmi grants collapsed
When the Zotti companies declared bankruptcy in