Harmony, the train was stopped and a crowd of white miners ordered them
not to come any nearer Brazil. Then the trouble began. Our men did not
know of the labor trouble, as they were not told of that part. Here they
were fifteen hundred miles from home, no money. It was terrible. Many
walked back to Virginia. Some went on foot to Illinois. Mr. Masten took
some of them South of Brazil about three miles, where he had a number of
company houses, and they tried to work in his mine there. But many were
shot at from the bushes and killed. Guards were placed about the mine by
the owner, but still there was trouble all the time. The men did not
make what Mr. Masten told them they could make, yet they had to stay for
they had no place to go. After about six months, my husband who had been
working in that mine, fell into the shaft and was injured. He was unable
to work for over a year. I came with my two children to take care of
him. We had only a little furniture, slept in what was called box beds.
I walked to Brazil each morning and worked at whatever I could get to
do. Often did three washings a day and then walked home each evening, a
distance of two miles, and got a dollar a day.

"Many of the white folks I worked for were well to do and often I would
ask the Mistress for small amounts of food which they would throw out if
left over from a meal. They did not know what a hard time we were
having, but they told me to take home any of such food that I cared to.
I was sure glad to get it, for it helped to feed our family. Often the
white folks would give me other articles which I appreciated. I managed
in this way to get the children enough to eat and later when my husband
was able to work, we got along very well, and were thankful. After the
strike was settled, things were better. My husband was not afraid to go
out after dark. But the coal operators did not treat the colored folks
very good. We had to trade at the Company store and often pay a big
price for it. But I worked hard and am still alive today, while all the