The Wilder Davidson Story: The End of an Era; Part 3; The Strike

The following program has been made possible in part by a grant from the Tennessee Humanities Council a not for profit corporation whose principal funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities by contributions from businesses and individuals in the upper Cumberland region of Tennessee and by W. S. t e TV. When I got the router off the CV they with the new used to be a pretty place last place and while it was to Holland to down it just disappeared the people there. I never dreamed about what the date would be like that I always know badly of me up there all my life. I love to live there. I sure did back then as a good place to live. They were a lot of people in there too. The first six months it was just like a war going on and while he could hear a shooting

than him. They are now better people in the world. The wilder Davidson story the end of an era is a community based oral history project that tries through the voices of those who lived there to preserve the history of the five upper Cumberland coal mining communities of Wilder Davidson

Crawford and Highland Tennessee. Part three. The strike looks at the development of the labor union in the wilder Davidson coal mining complex and the nationally prominent strike of 1932 33. The coming of the railroads to the south in the 1880s and 1890s paved the way for American industrialization in the form of coal mining. Southern workers used to an independent style of war found themselves confronted with large corporations that made them wage earners and control their lives in an attempt to retain some control over their own futures. Appalachian coal miners joined the developing American labor union movement especially after the federal government supported unionization as part of the world war one mobilization. The United Mine Workers of America achieved impressive strength by 1919 but it broke down because of a wave of post-war strikes that year a declining demand for soft coal during the 1920s and an unfriendly national

climate for unions. A UMW local was formed in wilder in a 1919 strike but was broken by the coal operators in a 1924 strike that drove wages down to the 1917 level. What makes you what makes a union if you work in condition man's treated the way they treated you see they can't. The company almost when I asked when I've come in for your they own the store where they own the house they own the doctor they own the they own the politicians whatever they say about that. Sort of condition got get bad and they just keep getting bad and worse and told directly to me and they get part of it if they had a union they about 19 and 20 somewhere back in there. But when I went out there there was no man in the union they are in. And they didn't organize an about 1931 I think when they were going out when they had the big

stack. Well it was to slip around a deal if that to see if the company node you found a card so you need organizer coming and they had to get you get all of me into town if they could use a report to get a charter and get all of them in and if sleep around in the mood you know you mean to get together somebody how often they'd get him you know the company founded out at the time you see. Phil wrote about it all after he passed a law that you could could organize not get barred by stopped all at that time. You didn't have a you didn't have any. Support from I don't know how to say it I guess from the law or from the government state federal whatever. And you had to get out if you if you join a union you you would have to maybe go out in the woods and meet a fella

and maybe two or three of your sound cards you know. And that way that way you got in Union and. He was persecuted quite a bit iffy if you join the union. If they knew it. Course done secretly you know. But after they changed the ministrations back in that time I had one too. But it was the way it was a trying time a few you had to be pretty well I don't know where you'd say bravery was that you had to believe in the cause yet you were engaging in that time a few when you were to join you did it that particular time. Now do you remember the Manning strike of 1924 and Wouter our new. Yeah we'd be out and out here on the mountain in Morgan candy van and

people lives whenever we're rightly of the round mound. We're on a big farm which is all rot. But they met me and farmed and now nothing. We raised our Lord they come out of a right good little beggar now for I am I would tell yours my Laius isn't anything we had. Before Christ that was just moved to us here and there one time somebody shout man no homo I'm sassy Is he your new man do. And they shot his ass in his wrath for the cook and some for a number let me miss her a bit. And never know who done it but if you're not him or any people killed here in the strength of 1925 or rather not I don't know I never hear them no right to be able to hear but they've done a lot of danger signs. There's a rotten tomato with the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929 and the already ailing American coal mining industry was devastated. Small coal operators such as those in the wild are Davidson complex were forced to

retrench in order to survive during this period labor unions were rapidly disappearing all over the South. Indeed after impressive successes during World War One only 12 percent of the American workforce belong to unions in early 1930. Despite this setting up economic depression and a failing labor union movement miners and wilder Davidson were able to reorganize and gain a one year union contract in July. One thousand thirty one they you begin to get a little stronger I think and the way the way the man had been treated between the years during the years from 24 to 32. I think that I think that goal should be stronger because we begin to realize that there was no organ ever going to get no recognition and till they did band together and force I'm going to turn the union workers of value to the

people to the ME. We were treated differently. When we when we got the union in there. We try to treat it quite a bit different because they couldn't they couldn't tell you if you didn't like the job get off of it is a barefoot demand out there they want your job. And I've heard that I'm not just not seeing it I've heard it. And me and be talked to like these are a bunch of cattle. You put it that way I heard that. I was raised right there with them. I don't know what went on. House I was asked a question how. How the. The company treated then the May end. And some ways to treat demand pretty good. Another way to treat them bad. I know that to be a fact Gautami always I had I had a brother that was pretty bad drink

and they told my daddy that after on him he have to make him leave home. And I doubt he told him he wouldn't run. He wouldn't do it. Course after that they got him for him they did. Fire him after that. Yes move or things like that. He said humanity. Is that way people should be treated. No I'm a Union man. And I'm a strong union man. And I don't mind people who want the wilder Davidson minor success in organizing a union in July 1931 was short lived where they were hit by three wage cuts and a violation of their union contract between July 8 1931 and July 8th 1932 rather than give in to a 20 percent wage cut while their miners went on strike July 9th 1932. Well a contractor and I out and. Carney didn't want to sign a new contract and they talk around a

while and then. The company decided they didn't want to book to the union and back in the minors for better working conditions and better pay and they were entitled to it of course. They were working for real low wages and. The Times for. Times are hard then and people are people who did work were desperately in need of money to support their family with in a pattern typical all across America at the time. The mines reopened with strike breakers on October 19th 1932 and extra mind guards were hired. The burning of railroad trestles the destruction of company property and widespread violence prompted the governor to order out Tennessee National Guard units from Cookeville and Cleveland Tennessee. Well we're going back to work. And I put out I put out the word for

people to work. The people that are Good morning to work first Langerhans I work I happened I brought about a $20000 table now that don't pay a lot much money and. Not being a day to fix but not the third to do that a lot of money now and they build up a plant in a burkha railroad in Bangkok for bad. They thought again they broke the color and then later they and I maybe the knife no guard now whatever they call me. What really got us up there I think was. That they killed the mine superintendent of the Davis mind. He was sitting in his office about 500 yards away. They shot him with a high powered rifle to kill him. The relationship between the managers say they all got along just fine until until they organize them and they had their strike and then after that miners came in

from different localities you know when they when they started the mines back to displace those that would. So. The ones the ones that came in to work were called scabs and friction developed between the two groups and then they they had shootings dynamiting and. They had to call up the National Guard. Before the strike was over to try to maintain peace between the two groups that went on for several months they bore least true a couple times are not your burden and they both implying that they were in no way Anderson they get a chance to railroad and I build them big fans of all different heels while they have bent my hands and I guess of all scabs that come out are

hollering for our flag. Sage been much buying them their kids as I've done same thing and maybe 26 people were shot and injured to some degree. Shootings mostly of bushwhacking they have a lawyer friend then that was raised over and and my community you know when they came down from Crawford and his father had a big family I guess about six or eight children in the family and he used to walk from Crawford to wounder and he had two grown sons and they used to guard their dainty to wear when I'm walking on one side of the road in the woods and the one on the other side and he had he had walked down the railroad from Crawford go out of the war and they they made him with shotguns every day to protect him keep him being shot. Former residents remember their reaction to the National Guard in wilder and

Davidson You Barker boys would have bought you a whore. Not like the Cold War Problem solved. They would get scared them say of times and start shooting then you'd just be like a war they have machine guns and rifles and pistols and everything. Going off so you had you would wake up powerful in the moon and dynamite and shooting at these people didn't have a chance but yet so nice and guard that place you know it was. That Steel Company A of the 190 cavalry of the Tennessee National Guard from Cookeville was stationed in Highland junction and later in Davidson There were 18 years old and we don't know what the spec we'd already been grilled that we would get ambushed time. They were trying to blow up them trust so let's keep that train I was there that's the only thing that we had bothered to worry about where they go and blow up the next trestle with the biggest problem we had.

I think it was Morrison who went along with the drinking and fighting. Far as we're concerned we were never in any danger I don't think i course we didn't see danger we would. Be a patrol and when I we first went up by we had just about twenty men I think it was something like that maybe 10 horses troll of the day time. And we he had a school and I kept his going out into the woods and places and we went up on a group of men. Sitting around a little fire. I don't know. We figured out you know meeting. And lot of men have. That was before you ever had in a long whiskers round it were and they'd have whispered to me to go out on them. And they'd be set and called we wouldn't bother we'd speak to him and. We had the motor car patrol of the truck will coarsen day time there wasn't much danger because they were not a book night and night we had to. We had a guard today have a truffle as people go.

About but they were. All right thus we got along well it. Didn't take much off and. They didn't take that off and we knew you had the sense left not given death and. We have no static and they didn't give us no study. And one day when I was up when something the little boys. When we see you know I don't heal up by we we put it out. And when you try and while the body all the bikes loose on you when. You go out and cover the majority the people were really nice people not being in. The isolated state in the commissary now they give me that job to stay at this commissary. Just be there all day long raid hours and I'd stay right there. And everybody that came in that commissary scene they they they just treat you nicely. But. But we had a few people up there was doing his dirt. That's about the biggest thing it was they were they would

know you were by all of my one doing that is just part of they were good people. I found I found him as a whole. Good church going people we went to church with him on Sunday out of St.. We dated some of the girls. They were they were wow thank wanted to have got my school the girls of Harvey Mayberry made a girl up there. But I found him as a whole just hard working people. People that were solid people. We always thought we saved a lot of property damage too. We saved a lot I live but go away with those people that McAuliffe in that picket line. And going in there they are they were. They was in trouble. The strike lasted from July 1932 through that terrible winter and into the summer of 1933 in the depths of the greatest depression in American history. Mining families suffer tremendous hardship and

deprivation. Organizations in Nashville sent aid trucks to Wilder Davidson with food and clothing. Many former residents also remember driving trucks through surrounding communities collecting food and you know not to start the dance here and I'd take an old troop and they spend it. They take anything you know potato go into the well and the trip I went on a wet pony and Bolo knife. And they croak and then they go back in this park and divided up the family you know would probably. Equal it out we both the good news I actually think you know news on this show that they come and see you. Yeah. I usually come around and them farmers would give them things and squash and taters and all kinds of that stuff. I guess I swallowed it. Bombing is glad to get it now. Titus I know Wanda some might give us a bushel right as we

had him fried Steve but I ate well and had none so long you know. Thanks to Mayor White we thank you. But it is a yearly thing had a halo they had the tire of the hassle of not not buying they finally got the young people the most important thing that stands out in my memory was a people. The fact that. The suffering that had gone through. And we sense that when we got up there. And we knew that they were having a hard time and just like. It was Loren said well go. We. We gave them stuff we could the food we could. And. Specially kids things us later. Mean kids that hang around the place. And I think the thought of living in those houses. That I

saw. Some below zero. No coal maybe a little notebook like they would have normally. Is the most outstanding thing in my memory. They will always stay with me. I guess that's about right it's the people I guess would be the biggest thing to be outstanding where they had to suffer. Especially in the Chi in the times we live in and when you know you're having a strike in a depression on Tuesday that's just terrible. Captain Crawford had a bunch of cattle leave a feed not fattening. And when we get out a steak of meat Well when we come down and kill a calf and take it right on up there we get to first class and then we feed those kids they come in I well I don't know how much extra milk we'd have for them. They'd kids were coming and I hungry and we'd feed them and take care of the house and when we

left I'll have them kids cried us like babies see us leave. It has outstanding memory in my life. That I will never forget. I may forget all the details but I won't forget it. The culmination of the emotional intensity of the strike came in the early evening hours of Sunday April 30th 1933 when union president Barney Graham was killed by company guards Jack Shorty green and Doc Thompson. Everyone agrees that Graham was shot under the light of the gas pumps across the street from the wilder commissary and most say he was then clubbed on the head with a pistol butt. However there are dozens of variants to the sequence of events motives. The number of persons involved and the number of shots fired. Shorty Greene and Doc Thompson were acquitted in Chancery Court in Jamestown Tennessee shootings and other violence continued into June. But the union was effectively broken with Graham's death.

What was their reaction after the death of morning Graham. Well. Of course so those people that were for the union felt that they had been done a great wrong you know. But then people only had their side and were just as determined in their viewpoint that he was just a trouble maker and had been drinking too much in the way that their own place at their own time. MARTIN Graham was right. HEIST the terror. That Barney Graham was was drinking and had too much to drink really. And when my dead mother came out of the store where he stopped my father and I had my father between him and Frank Shillito Frank Surely there was a David to be sure. And he was placing my father between him and Frank So Frank wouldn't try to shoot him but he had a gun in his pocket that he was holding. He didn't have the gun out but he was aiming the gun toward Frank and

was cursing Frank and trying to start trouble with him in that manner when Shorty Green came that he set up for it. I believe that. And I have heard that I didn't have anything to do with either he decided that yeah I love how I heard that Ted. Well one of these things that you don't know. You don't say that you know because I don't know that that truck. But it looked it looked pretty obvious now that I didn't play he was you know he had a way of. Really the hole through his body. And then maybe do you do there. Yeah and you can leave. Theirs for a shoot with him on top of the store the name of your gun started firing from on top of the commissary and behind the lo there was a log

rolling low between the store and post office. Let's see what everybody wanted I'm trying that but those in say a plane because they had Wilders leading citizens and not by probably there all they had but they had him. That man never want may just go right for it close enough I had a more I'm this own store and let me tell you my dad a member on Barney Graham people people right here didn't know and my sister. So you fly so far it was far no name from how they ran the house he was in a cross bar and I was always told that Shorty Greene used two pistols that he was shooting. With two handguns at same time and he hit he hit by a grandmother with about 11 or 12 shots out of 20. That's a nobody grand that present a union I just met him when I was there before and we got to be good friends and then when

I was over there I found out that the company had hired two professional gun thugs who had a record of a known record of convictions of killing Wellman kill four people instructor here in Illinois and other places. Another killed two people when I was named Thompson I forgot what the other's name. I did think it was a needless murder and it was a murder I didn't take because it would cause the striker's was broken. Really course that did break then that really broke the back of the Union when they killed because of a barn Barney barn was the. Union Leader. He was a he was a person that all of. You you man looked to for leadership. And he was the only one that he was really there. He was ahead of you. It gave me a real respect and understanding of working people how they how they'd be willing to sacrifice everything you know for what they believe is right. And now

they stood together. That's what solidarity really meant. And and I could on a collective level and on a personal level you start to get the complete courage you're a person like Barney Graham you is dangerous and you know you probably kill and he just had that personal integrity and courage you wouldn't you know you have to have a command like respect for people that kind under you wouldn't put your life on the line you we don't believe in anything you know this if you don't win the die for what you believe in you don't really believe it I'm convinced of that I saw it as there were right from what I've seen all along. And he helped me learn that lesson tragically. Was break even. Thank.

You.