The great majority of the Slovak and practically all the Lithuanian, Polish, and Belgian miners have immigrated to the county within the past six to eight years, this period marking the expansion of the mining industry in Guernsey County. The Welsh are much older immigrants, and came in individually during the previous forty or fifty years.

The Massillon district, in which mines were opened sixty years ago, is the oldest field in the State which has been developed on a large scale. The greatest expansion of the industry occurred about 1870. Up to this time there had been a constant and general immigration, the men arriving individually rather than in groups. Those who came to the region at that time were Welsh, English, and Germans. The majority of these people entered agricultural pursuits, and some sought employment in the mines. With the expansion of the industry following 1870, immigration increased, particularly that of the Welsh miners. This movement was steadily maintained until it was checked by the panic and general industrial depression of 1892. At the present time probably 90 per cent of all the miners in this district are American, or the second generation of the races mentioned above. About eighteen years ago a few North Italians drifted into the region. The movement never assumed any importance, but these North Italians and their children have remained in the industry, and at present constitute probably 8 per cent of the miners. After the years 1893 and 1894, however, practically no more North Italians came into the district. During the year 1899 a few Bohemians and Slovaks arrived, and are still working in a few mines, but these races have never assumed any importance.

Some mines were opened in Tuscarawas County forty or fifty years ago, but the industry did not assume much importance until more recent years. Up to the year 1894, the small number of miners employed were chiefly Irish, with some Welsh and Scotch. In the year 1892 there was a strike in this region, during which a few North and South Italians were employed. Since that date many of the latter have continued coming, though their immigration was checked by the industrial depression of 1907. At present the miners of this region constitute approximately the following numbers of different races: Native-born and races of older immigration, including English, Irish, Scotch, Welsh, and German

1,000

150

850

250

200

100

The Tyroleans came to the district from 1901 to 1906, the Magyars between 1902 and 1907, and the Slovak, Polish, and miscellaneous races have come individually since the year 1901.

In the Belmont-Jefferson-Harrison field, mining has been carried on in Jefferson and Belmont counties along the Ohio River in rather a small way for more than sixty years. The miners have been Americans, English, Welsh, Scotch, Irish, and Germans. During the

a Includes second generation of English, Irish, Scotch, Welsh, and Germans.

two years 1889 and 1890 several large mines were opened in Jefferson County. Owing to the absence of sufficient English-speaking miners to operate them, about 300 Magyars and South Italians were brought from the neighboring Pennsylvania and West Virginia fields. Before this development proceeded much further, however, the panic of 1893 and the resultant depression checked it. Five years later the development of this field was revived on a large scale, starting more especially in Belmont County, and this expansion marked the beginning of the large immigration. Local labor was not adequate to work the mines and numbers of immigrants of various races were secured from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York City. As early as 1896, a few Bohemians, South Italians, Magyars, and Poles had been drifting into the region, but since 1899 and up to 1907, the immigration into these counties has been in direct relation to the development of the coal mines.

At present the operating force is racially made up as follows:

In the Hocking district, mining has been carried on for fifty years. The miners employed prior to the year 1875 were all American, English, Irish, Scotch, and German, with a large percentage of Welsh. It is impossible to state the numbers of the above races. coming to this region during that time, but their immigration had declined since 1875, and had practically stopped by 1893. In the years 1881 and 1882 about 300 German miners immigrated to the district, the occasion of their coming being the scarcity of other labor. In 1888 a few Magyars arrived and were soon followed by Poles, Slovaks, and Italians. In 1890 a few Finns also came. With the panic of 1893 further immigration of these races was checked until about 1897 and 1898. Since that time, however, their immigration has not been large, owing to the fact that the production of this district has reached its maximum and will probably not increase to any considerable extent.

At the present time the miners of this region are approximately as follows:

a Includes second generation of English, Irish, Scotch, Welsh, and Germans. b Includes second generation of English, Irish, Welsh and Germans.

CHAPTER III.

ECONOMIC STATUS.

Industrial condition abroad of members of immigrant households studied-Principal occupation of immigrant employees before coming to the United States-General occupation of women at the present time, in the households studied-General occupation of males at the present time, in the households studied-Daily earnings-Relation between period of residence and earning ability-Annual earnings of male heads of families studied-Annual earnings of males 18 years of age or over in the households studied—Annual family income-Wives at work-Relation between the earnings of husbands and the practice of wives of keeping boarders or lodgersSources of family income-Relative importance of the different sources of family income-[Text Tables 322 to 342 and General Tables 106 to 117].

INDUSTRIAL CONDITION ABROAD OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

Before entering into a detailed discussion of the economic condition of the immigrant mine worker in the Middle West at the present time, it will be worth while to consider the industrial status of the immigrant mining employees and their families before they came to this country. With this object in view, the following series of tabulations has been prepared, showing the general industrial training and experience abroad, as well as the specific occupations in which the foreign-born persons of bituminous focalities in the Middle West were engaged before coming to this country. This information relative to female members of the households of foreign birth is first presented, followed by a like presentation of foreign-born males. The first two of the series of tables are submitted below and show the general industrial condition as well as the principal occupations of females who were 16 years of age or over at the time of arrival in the United States, by race of individual.

TABLE 322.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born females who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

TABLE 323.-Occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born females who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.

As can be readily seen in the above tables, 65 per cent of the females were without occupation abroad, 29.2 per cent were working for wages, 5.8 per cent were working without wages, and none were working for profit. Proceeding further with the analysis of the four industrial groups it is seen that 5.8 per cent of the total number were farm laborers working for wages and 3.3 per cent were in domestic or personal service. All of those working without wages were farm laborers. The exhibit for specific races shows also a wide variation in the industrial condition abroad of the North and South Italian women; 90.5 per cent of the South Italians were without occupation, in contrast with 33.3 per cent of the North Italian women, and 61.9 per cent of the North Italian women worked for wages before coming to this country, while only 4.8 per cent of the South Italian females were working for wages abroad. It is also worthy of note that 18.7 per cent of the Lithuanian women were working abroad as farm laborers, 14 per cent for wages and 4.7 per cent without wages.

As regards the mining employees of foreign birth in the Middle West at the present time who were 16 years of age or over at the time of coming to the United States, the following table shows the general industrial condition abroad of the comparatively small number in the households studied:

TABLE 324.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born males who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]