Himlerville: Hungarian Cooperative Mining in Kentucky - The Filson ...
Himlerville: Hungarian Cooperative Mining in Kentucky - The Filson ...
Himlerville: Hungarian Cooperative Mining in Kentucky - The Filson ...
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1992] HimlerviUe 535<br />
responded by writ<strong>in</strong>g a series of articles <strong>in</strong> English <strong>in</strong> Magyar<br />
Banyaszlap expos<strong>in</strong>g all the "dens of <strong>in</strong>iquity" <strong>in</strong> Logan oper-<br />
ated by immigrants or natives. He then challenged the Logan<br />
police department to "save the decent foreigner from these<br />
sharks and to elim<strong>in</strong>ate this curse." Vice, Himler told his readers,<br />
could not survive without the knowledge of the police depart-<br />
ment. "Each and every one of the brothels and speakeasies is<br />
pay<strong>in</strong>g regularly to some one for protection." If the Logan police<br />
did not "clean-up" their town, Himler threatened to organize<br />
immigrants <strong>in</strong> the area to combat crim<strong>in</strong>als, who, Himler said,<br />
were "cheat<strong>in</strong>g and fleec<strong>in</strong>g the foreigner and <strong>in</strong>fect<strong>in</strong>g him with<br />
gonorrhea and syphilis. ''65<br />
<strong>Himlerville</strong>'s <strong>Hungarian</strong> population had problems with the<br />
United M<strong>in</strong>e Workers of America. Apparently the union discrim-<br />
<strong>in</strong>ated aga<strong>in</strong>st immigrants. Himler warned the UMWA that it<br />
would have to "mend its ways." Foreign-born m<strong>in</strong>ers, observed<br />
the writer of "A Friendly Warn<strong>in</strong>g to the United M<strong>in</strong>e Workers<br />
of America," are be<strong>in</strong>g treated unfairly. Strike benefits were<br />
not distributed evenly among union members s<strong>in</strong>ce immigrants<br />
received much less than did native Americans. Local officials<br />
and committee members were mostly American; they played<br />
politics and distributed union funds, cloth<strong>in</strong>g, and groceries on<br />
the basis of nationality rather than need, even though foreign<br />
members assumed the same obligations and risks that natives<br />
did. <strong>The</strong>y paid the same dues, struggled and fought when called<br />
upon, and were always <strong>in</strong> the front l<strong>in</strong>es of a strike. Justice,<br />
however, was not even-handed. Immigrants also suffered more<br />
at the hands of local officials dur<strong>in</strong>g a strike. While natives<br />
were usually only f<strong>in</strong>ed for picket<strong>in</strong>g, foreigners were f<strong>in</strong>ed and<br />
then made subject to deportation.<br />
65 See the follow<strong>in</strong>g articles written <strong>in</strong> English by Mart<strong>in</strong> Himler <strong>in</strong> Magyar<br />
Banyaszlap at various dates: "To the Civic Association of Logan and Williamson,"<br />
26 January 1928; ''To the Chief of Police of Logan, W.Va.," 15 December<br />
1927; "Is Logan Clean<strong>in</strong>g House.'?" 19 January 1928; "Big Burlesque Show <strong>in</strong><br />
Williamson," 2 February 1928.<br />
66 Mart<strong>in</strong> Himler, "A Friendly Warn<strong>in</strong>g to the U. M<strong>in</strong>e Workers of America,"