◆ SpookStack

R=: Jc! L. LEWIS, ET ab INTERTLW tr BJ tae rvling in the constitution that the officials would go hick to the "face" aiter their term was up, Quite a few men went to the meetings so far as I know, I vas shot firing, and was not too interested in the affairs. I was not conm- plainir... avout things in the union. I recall that cbout 1935 or 1936, I was making the rounds before the men left, in the afternoon. At that time the mine Was not runninz repziiarly, and we were working just a few days every pay. John Schneider, who was a union official, had just got a new car, a new ice box, and fixed up his place, or at least, so I heard. I was mak- ing the rounds anc heard the men tuiking about it, and sor.c or the men asked me if I had hearu anything about it. A couple of deys later, pabneidar eats tc we and said he had heard that Iwas talking about him at the uine, and that he was goin, to prefer charges against mc. He did, and they fined me $15, which was quite a vit consicering the amount of work we were getting. I did not eppeal becsuse I was uncdle to get to “iitsssic, fll. where the appeal board sat. The tele me that there was nothing I couid do about it. I was disatisfied wih *hs way the union ran to prevent a hesring and so SS - forth. ‘that car. J some di s¢surs‘ion hetwoun Schneider and myrsclf, but I continued to Work at tho umes. 4 tT ~.5 “Mking my rounds thore often times men would ask me what I thot At ercut theo un tens, and I usuaily told them that I did not think that thurc ovsht to be to labor er sinizations for miners, Several men esked mo about it, and I men.ioned it to several men. E..rlr in ta. spring of 1937, there vas seme discussion ahout the contract and the men were talking about unions morc than usual. One of the nen I had hclaped to get his mine papers, prefurrcd charges on me. Charges were preferred asninst me quite a whille before the strike started, After that I did not talk about it at cll, because I covld not avford to heve any more fines, I wes not reeeiviny any money or éxpenses from the United Mine ‘Vorkers for tc.lkinz about these things. YF did not talk to any of the other men who were dismissed fron the union because of their attitude tovards the union. JI tried to stey away from such things at that tine. JI was stiil shot firing, and thus did nev go gown in ths mim. until about 1 o'clock ever, day, I did not imov that a strike was going to be called at the mine before it was called, but when I went out to the minc to go down on the day of the strike it was alrecdy called, co I got wy pit clothes, and went on hom. Ido not know what the strike was about, but I heard that it was becasuse the company would not discherze th. men who had been dismissed from the union. I did not go back to the wine, end did not sign any p:-titions out trere at that tine. NI was tricd and ex started ‘clled from the union sometime after the strike ~~ an iS did not toink that I nad chance, and I did not care See bOcaAUuSse too much.