Editing Jerome, Pennsylvania (section)

===Hillman Coal's viewpoint===
For its part, Hillman Coal and Coke believed it provided a willful benevolence within Jerome and [[Boswell, Pennsylvania|Boswell]], its two coal towns in Somerset County,<ref>For an excellent overview of [[Welfare capitalism|corporate paternalism]] in western Pennsylvania [[company town]]s, see Metheny, Karen Bescherer. 2007. ''From the Miner's Doublehouse: Archeology and Landscape in a Pennsylvania Coal Company Town.'' Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, pp.37-40.</ref> although miners under Hillman tutelage disagreed, as the strike would show.  To be sure, Hillman ran these towns with an iron fist; simply entering Jerome by car required inspection by a gauntlet of armed private police, for instance.  But Hillman also built Boswell with a number of extra amenities, such as a high school, central business district, and brick construction for its patch housing. And in Jerome, the Company built a community center including a YMCA, pool hall, bowling alley, butchery, greengrocer, theater, and post office, in addition to the Hillman Supply Company store.  In October 1921 Hillman established the First National Bank of Jerome<ref>Hillman Coal and Coke Company 1921. ''Annual Report to Its Stockholders'' p.4</ref> for its workers.  It allowed for the construction of a streetcar line from Johnstown in 1921 (as noted above), which made travel easier and more frequent than could be provided by the railroad.  Hillman even engaged in a significant capital re-investment at Jerome, rebuilding a brick new community center after the initial structure was destroyed in a spectacular, wind-driven fire on April 2, 1922.<ref>”Jerome Is Swept by $100,000 Fire: Blaze Destroys Y.M.C.A., Hillman Company Store and Residence.”  ''Johnstown Tribune.'' April 3, 1922, p. 18.</ref>

However, demand for coal nationwide dropped precipitously and continually for several years after World War I.  In response, Hillman closed its mines at Ella and Patterson, Allegheny County, and at Naomi, Fayette County,<ref name="Hillman_3">Hillman Coal and Coke Company 1921. ''Annual Report to Its Stockholders'' p. 3.</ref> but maintained production at Boswell and Jerome.  By mid-1921, the Company told its shareholders in its annual report, “…the demand [for coal] became so small and the competition from non-union fields so severe that it was evident that the non-union mines of your Company could not continue to operate unless wages were readjusted.  As a result of this condition, wages were reduced…at your Jerome Mines on July 16, 1921.”<ref name="Hillman_3"/> Hillman continued that the reduction allowed the Jerome mine to operate “on a competitive basis” and “with regularity,” with the result being that “earnings of the men at your non-union mines for the year 1921 are far in excess of those received by men at union mines….”, who, Hillman implied, suffered frequent short-term furloughs as the result of slack demand.<ref name="Hillman_3"/> Hillman told its shareholders that, prior to the pay cut, “men working by day were being paid $7.50 for eight hours work, and men working by the ton were able to earn $10.00 to $14.00 per day.”<ref name="Hillman_3"/> (Note that these wages reported by Hillman to its stockholders were flatly contradicted by other reportage, for instance, Blankenhorn maintained that union gross wages in 1922 more typically ranged from $14.60 to $17.50 per ''week'', and after deductions for goods purchased through company stores, a typical miner's weekly net take-home pay often was less than $1.00.<ref>Blankenhorn 1924, p. 116</ref>)  On all its coal operations, including Jerome and Boswell, Hillman Coal and Coke reported an operating profit of approximately $925,000, on revenues of $8.225 million in 1919,<ref>Hillman Coal and Coke Company 1919, ''Annual Report to Its Stockholders.'' p. 8</ref> and an operating profit of approximately $336,000, on revenues of $4.475 million in 1921.<ref>Hillman Coal and Coke Company 1921. ''Annual Report to Its Stockholders.'' p. 7.</ref>

But Jerome was seething. Hillman Coal & Coke cut miners' wages a second time during the deflation of 1921 and working conditions remained hard and strict, to miners' perception.<ref>Blankenhorn 1924, p. 50</ref> Additionally, mine owners had recently ceased payment and expected miners to do for no pay "dead work", which was the removal of non-bituminous soils, slate, and rubbish from the mines.<ref>"Worse Than Slaves Says Berwind Mine Committee's Report." ''The New York Times.'' January 2, 1923.</ref> Gregory and local miners held several secret pre-strike rallies at the "Sokolniapolskawjerom", the Jerome Polish Falcons Hall,<ref>Blankenhorn, p. 89</ref> although one wonders how secret they were, given over 600 men attended one meeting. Sensing trouble, Hillman suddenly increased its armed guard patrolling the town at the end of March 1922.<ref>Blankenhorn, 1924, p. 60.</ref> Hillman police also were stopping all autos before entering Jerome.<ref>Blankenhorn, 1924, p. 17.</ref> Scattered walkouts began at smaller non-union mines—in St. Michael, Cambria County, a partial strike began on April 1 and gained momentum through April 5, and at Mine 36, near Windber, Somerset County, a walk-out on April 6.<ref>Blackenhorn, 1924, pp. 18-20; Beik, p. 510.</ref>