Show A SCENE the cirelli r t halfton M alch called the coal miner the picturesque predominates in the great anthracite struggle now being fought in lossl bly no labor war in the history of the united states has ev er had quite the alc beginning oc this contest bays a correspondent of the new lork post hesitating postponing deeper ate action from day to day lu the futile hope that murk blauna and his col leagues of the civic federa alon would somehow cement peace john matchell Ml and the executive board of the united mine s of emerica left the decision lu the hands of the TOO delegates called from every local union in the anthracite belt that final strike convention in the dingi hazleton opera house was a memorable one outside the hundreds of idle miners from the breakers ad joining hazleton were packed aion the uneven sidewalks like a snaring log glut in a maine drive the proceed inga the locked doors ere un biard b them but had faith in john matchell Ml face they wore upon the union buttons in their coat lapels they were waiting for a strike declaration and the lell eved they were not to be dosai i inside john ell sat at a little table near the wings and looked the eager assemblage over by him sat mlis morris his whose pret ty summer fiock and air of refinement contrasted strange with the rough faces and coarse clothing of the men about her besides mrs last the boffl caal stenographer of the united mine corkers she was the woman in the corn entson hall in the battered orchestra chairs were men who had walked fifteen miles to attend the convention men who had tramped over haid and uneven coal pikes from mining hamlets to the sound of a aflfe and drum shrilled and thumped by their sons who were at that moment tooting and thumping to keep up the eager of the crowd upon tie sidewalk there was a lull in the i proceedings roce edings while the corn matte on credentials adjourned to one of t ie dressing rooms it vv as during this interim that the most striking in cadent of the day occurred the chier took a fifteen minute recess and the delegates turned to one another or conversation the gathering soon be came boisterous with calls across the chairs and now and then a bit of song from a group of belsh pitmen from rio delegates caught the spirit of the thing and called for songs the welshmen Welsh men big dark skinned fellows ten 01 fifteen of them members of the musical organization in the mining town which famous for its singing societies arose and swung into the in w of comrades in arms the delegates w ere on their feet at the end imploring for more john matchell Ml sat and looked on with much the ap bearance pe arance of an old man watching ahll dren playing a a school recess there were calls for more music A tall straight shouldered miner from sic adoo was pushed upon a chair by his comrades one ight in june some one yelled the boy he was only twenty one emeled threw back bis chin and sang the song with a pure but untrained tenor that afternoon the convention unan linous ly parsed the vote to continue the general strike As the last ballot was counted some one snatched the amer lean flag from the wall 1 ack of the chairman s desk and threw it over the shoulders of john who stood looking out oer the house this time unsmiling and with tears in his byca the two women wore crying outright s tor the delegates they were upon the chairs cheering mightily alien in the loosed bedlam from the corner where the dark skinned dele aites stood came a swelling cote it reached the wings and echoed bac again until the walls rang and the triumphant bong burst through the locked door and out into the street where the crowd was waiting my country of aliee the delegates chanted triumphantly fervently io one who saw the miners at that mo ment could have doubted their sancer ity or tie determination with which they enter upon the conflict |