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Albert Morris 39
Q: Yow story is kind of similiar to sot^ others I 've heard. People, in
1929 when the layoffs hit, they mt up to Chicago.
A: Chicago or Detroit, ow -place up there.
Q: Yes.
A: There m s a lot of wrk.
Q: I guess the three or four people I've talked to so far all said they
mt to Wag0 in 1929.
A: Yes. That was during . . .
Q: So you guys =re all there.
A: 'Ihat was during that nine mnth strike. That was the tine they =re
calling, I don't laww what it wxs all about, to save the union. I think
they =re trying to get away then at that the, you bow, and instead of
trying to get away they =re trying to save the United Mine Wrkers.
Zhat's &at it a s all about.
A: %en they finally, in later years, that's b Progressive came in.
They finally did get away firm it over there, just a certain part of it.
But in order to keep the Unitd Mine Wrkers here, John L. sent a lot of
his ~~ in here ad kept it going. (laughs)
Q: Yes. Well, tell UE mre about pur role in fodng the Progressives.
Think about back dwn it first got started, I guess right after the
Fhlkeytown caravan.
A: Well you see, you'd get elected in your m mine or samething, maybe
a pit cdttecmm or trustee or treasurer or same- like that. So
then you'd finally get into it, that's how I got into it. I was--what do
you call that now--I ms auditor for a long th. Auditing the books,
you see, ad I was right in on all that.
Q: All right, so when the Progressives first got started, where did they
first form Were you with than when they first fond
A: Yes. Right there in Gillespie. That's where they actually £on&
the raonber one local, they call that the nuher one local. It fond
right there in Gillespie.
Q: W e
did they meet in Gillespie
A: Well, there a hall, I can't think of the nam of the hall. It
was up above a bowling alley. I think it was right there about Bizentines,
they call it the Bizentines. I think that's where they mt the first
time. It was a hall upstairs there, that's &re w met. That's the
first place I can rfsnember,