◆ SpookStack

Re: JOHN L. LUIS, ET Al. ‘ 7 7 was formed there were 28 nen who voted to take the ; cut that Jotm L. Lewis wanted. The rest of us voted not cont imie to take the cut. That was when the Progressive Mine Workers of America vas formed, These 28 men at Haine 2 more or less stuck together during all the years, and I think they all vanted to go back to the UM. Some of them went to the UMi mectings, I saw them, Aside from these men, the rest of the men were satisfied to belong to the Pi, of A. Bill Ryan, tho had been running Mine & had been hard to get alon: vith for a long time, and had always wanted to have the mine go back to the U4. I know, because J heard him aay so, “along in the summcr of 1941, rmmiors started going around that Ryan vas going to sell tine a and that the cool rould be takan out through Hine B. tf know that that could be done. It was Well knorn that Mine A and Mine B rere connected, They used thc same air shaft, and there ¥cre several places where thc entries from & and B wont to within 20 fect of each other. Then therc were some old Yorkings that ran straight across from A to B. Most of us knew that becauese once re had to go out fron ine A through Hinc 6. "Soon after the announcencnt came out in the paper that Elshoff vas going to operate Mine 4, I got a letter from the Unitecd inc orkers. It vas a form lettcr, printed, and was signed by fey Baunson, It camc through the mail. is near as I can remember, | the Tctter said that Elshoff wus going to operate Mine J, and that he ves going to take coz) out of minc 4 through Mine B, and that re vould not be able to work unless vc joined the UNITED MINE *-ORKERS,. Tho letter stated that if te joined the United Mine Tokers that Mine A Yould be opened, and ¥e vould be able to rork, He invitcd us all to join the United Mine Vorkers, I think all of the men at Mine & got such aletter. I do not renambcr what hapyened to my copy. oo "Folloving the announcemant in the paper thet Elshoff.as going to operate Mine /., and the receipt of this letter the Special Uocting of local #51 res held. I think that the committee which was olocted that night could not find Eishoff, and came back and reported thet. The men on that committce that I can remqaber ar dead nov. it the Socond neating, these men reported that fact, and a nav carittee ras appointed to see Elshoff. This new committee vas mado up of nen fron the 28 tho had not wanted to forn the Pw in 1932. I think that they got ahold of Elshoff, but I do not knor, ‘ist the first meeting not rmchvas done but talk about the situation, the possibility of not being able to Tork Mine Athen they wore takint coal out fron B, cte. The comdttee being appointed vas about the only business taken pleec, L - 397 - ~ * EF a a PS EE EI AEA Se en a RR A a a