MR ROOSEVELT AND THE MINERS

Evening Star, Issue 14530, 5 December 1910, Page 7

MR ROOSEVELT AND THE MINERS

Mr Roosevelt (says Hie New York correspondent of -{he ' I>.iily Telegraph') recently spout a few days in studying at first hand the condition of tlio workers in the heart of the anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania.. It was Mr Roosevelt who took such a prominent part in settling the great coal strike eight years ago, and his appearance among the niincrs themselves, seeing how they work and how Ihey live, created an enormous impression. Mr Roosevelt met. the rough, hearty toilers, covered with grime, grasped their hands, and had many of them gasping with astonishment. Ho drove in a motor ear to Dickson City, near Scranton. This was during the dinner hour, and one fellow, Pete Evans, happened to be hammering nails into .a loose board of the fence surrounding his wooden home. " Say," he yelled, '' that's Roosevelt; I know it." "You're craay," replied hi 3 young son. "I seen him once, and ho ain't as fat as that." A littlo further on Mr Roosevelt stopped a mill girl. "My little lady," he exclaimed, "arc you a mill girl?" •" Sure." was the response. " Why r 1 " " Because I'm cx-Presidsnt Roosevelt, and I want to find out about things that interest you," was his reply. The girl afterwards confessed : " I told hiui I was fifteen, bo that I could get. work at the mill. I'm not that old, but I fooled him." The first miner Mr Rooscvolt encountered had worked ten hours underground, and was very tired. "My dear man," said Mr Roosevelt softly. " I wish I could say a. few words to vou. I'd like to see if I can help you." "'Well, what do you want, boss?" asked the miner wearily. "I'd like to go to your homo and talk with you and your family," explained the csPresident coaxingly. "Maybe I can say something that will make your life easier. I am ex-President Roosevelt." ".Well, I'll be jiggered," came from the miuer as h9 poked his sooty hand into Mr Roosevelt's palm, " I thought you looked like Roosevelt, but I asked myself what irnwrdon—you'd bo doing here. Come right «lonc. Mr President, and we'll talk it over. The missus-will be raigbty glad to boo.you."

—Ex-President and Children.— And tho miner grinned expansively, and led Mr Roosevelt up to his shack. at tho base of the mountain. Mr Roosevelt ambled up the piazza, and tho miner, rushing into tho house, called out to his wife: "Oh, Margie, come quick, here's President Sir Roosevelt come to sco us. Brine the little jiggers." Marjrie almost fainted, but soon hurried out her three boys and a girl, who will some day be working in the mines or mill. It turned out that tho miner was a veteran of the Spanish-American War. They talked for half an hour, the miner suramins up what he had said with " Honest, Mr President, this lifo is darn tough." Another person interviewed was William Sears, who runs a geueral store for the miners. Mr Roosevelt found Mrs Sears more communicative, and ho lcarnd from her ins... what the average miner preferred to buy. and how much ho paid for it. After a twenty minutes' chat ho emerged from her house to find ii crowd of children cheering him. This immensely delighted him, and he distributed a nickel (2.U1) to each, telling them to buy i sweets, but they Hew into the shop and purchased brilliantly-colored pictures of Jack Johnson giving James Jeffries a series ot upper cuts. This village store did an enormous business. One bare-legged, freckledfaced girl in her excitement swallowed her chewing gum, and was seized with a fit of couching. Mr Roosevelt slapped her on the back like a discerning father, and when the trouble was over everybody shouted: "Good old Teddy!" Suddenly a big Dutchman pushed Ins wiiv to the front, with "Teddy Rosenfcld, 1 voted for you once, and I'm going to vote for you again in 1912." Mr Roosevelt, grinned, and answered: "Well, well, that's fine; but you mustn't talk about that." A little later a young girl offered him a glass of milk. Mr Roosevelt drank every drop, saying: "By George, there's nothing like it!" Tho girl was so impressed that she ran up tho village street, and fetched a chum, a pretty sixteen-year-old lass, and proudly remarked: "Jennie, allow mo to introduce Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, exPresident of tho United States.'' Jennie was so overcome bv tiio announcement that tears ' came into her eyes, and she seized Mr Roosevelt's hand and kissed it. Everywhere Mr Roosevelt went ho was quickly recognised, i and in many instances he introduced himself, and seemed to relish profoundly the consternation with which the news of his presence was received. He shook hands with the miners until his own were as black as tho natives', and he chatted with the housewives and joked with tho children until he made himself even more popular, if that were possible, than ever before. Upon his return to Scranton he refused to comment upon hi", I trip bevond saying that he had tried to find put tho social conditions of the. community, ' particularly in regard to what form of amusements existed. The only efficient way t« Prevent harmful amusements was to establish tho ri'dit sort. Beyond dancing halls, which

mostly adjoin drinking saloons, be found that the principal recreation features were "Nickelodeons." —- .. i

Mr W. M'ltfan, of Wellington, told a. : leporter in Christchurch (says "Our Own ") that, although reports had been circulated in regard to a bad state of affairs in trade in Wellington, there wa6 no alarm whatever in commercial circles. A few land speculators and jerry-builders had succumbed, and a few more might meet with tho same fate ; but on the whole there was a very healthy spirit in the city. Trade would revive," and then the recent lesson would be appreciated. Land outside of the citv arras was not r.s saleable as it was a feu- years ago, but in the city itself there wa« 'no falling in prices. He understood ! that the tendency was for city values to harden. Mr M'Lean was for many yeaw I known as a very strong supporter of ii:-? i Single Tax. " I "do not think that we_ wi! 1 ever have that principle in our time," h' : en id, "and perhaps it was a mistake I>> advocate it. We ought to have advocated the taxation of land values ami the redui'- j (ion of taxation in many other directions."