|
CHAPTER II.
LETTER FROM THE SMOKEY CITY.
TEN DAYS AMONG THE WAGE-SLAVES OF PENNSYLVANIA -- LARGE MEETINGS AT COAL CENTER AND ELIZABETH -- MAGNIFICENT RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY -- POVERTY AND MISERY OF THE PEOPL -- STRONGLY DEFINED CLASS DISTINCTIONS -- INEVITABLE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES AND THE DISINHERITED -- TRAMPS AND STARVING MEN IN A REGION OF WEALTH -- ROBBERY AND EVICTIONS BY THE COAL CZARS OF CONNELLSVILLE -- ARMED SOLDIERS AND SHERIFFS SUPPRESS THE POVERTY - STRICKEN PEOPLE -- LARGE MASS-MEETINGS IN PITTSBURG -- MR. GESSNER'S ADDRESS -- STRONG RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED -- NEED OF GOOD LEADERSHIP -- SOCIALISM A NECESSITY.
Taken from "The Alarm" of February 4, 1886.
Comrades: Since writing my last report in the Alarm I have spent ten days among the age-slaves of Pennsylvania. One mass-meeting was held at Coal Center and another at Elizabeth, on the Monongahela river. Coal Center is located fifty miles above Pittsburg, in the Monongahela valley. From Coal Center to Pittsburg is one continuous coal mine of almost inexhaustible quantity. The country is beautiful with its valleys, mountains, and river, and is said by those who claim to know to be almost as picturesque as Switzerland. The soil is of the richest character; the great hills abound with coal, iron, stone, oil, natural gas. the river is navigable, ad bounded on either side of its bank by a railroad. Te climate is delightful and healthy, the water pure. With all these natural conditions of abounding wealth which only requires the magic of labor's hand it would be reasonable to expect that its inhabitants were prosperous and happy. But, alas for our boasted, so-
|
