Gower is boastful when he writes, “I know of no one living at this time who spent so much time in the active service of the union as myself for the period stated.” (1884-1921) FACT: From 1884 to 1886 the Gower family was in “the active service” of the Knights of Labor at Coalville and in Thurber from 1886 to 1889 when the Knights capitulated to R.D. Hunter. Gower does not elaborate on his specific role in the organization of the UMW. After the strike Gower became part of management as a company weigh master, pit boss and from 1910 to 1921 mine superintendent. Thus, Gower’s Thurber work experience was mostly in management, not union. Lawrence Santi was an executive board member of District UMW Union 21 for Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma and an official of UMW Local #2753. Santi said that when Gower accepted a management job he could not belong to the union but when Gower was fired as mine superintendent in 1921 he joined the union. Thus, Gower was never a UMW member when he was management and certainly not privy to the activities of the majority work force in Thurber, the Italian Local. Gower’s “active service” in Thurber’s UMW appears to be more of an observer and hence, a second-hand source.
Unlike Galik, Rolando, Wahard, Versracten and other multi-ethics, Gower was not a signer of the original union demands. Gower was not listed as a delegate to the management-labor meeting in 1903. Nor was Gower a union organizer during the 1903 strike. Lawrence Santi, a highly-respected and knowledgeable Union official, said Gower was "….a talker—a spellbinder, a windjammer or whatever. But we who knew him well, why, we didn't pay much attention to him".
Thus, the role of the foreign-born miners in Thurber's unionization has been downplayed, save for a few scant newspaper references. As late as 1940. Polish strike participants such as Daskevich, Dudko, Fron, Galik, Grabin and Sumeracki lived in nearby Mingus and Strawn. And Lawrence Santi (for the Italians) was available in Mingus until about 1978. But it was 1974 before Santi was queried on union activities. There was never an attempt to contact these men so that a fair and more balanced and complete picture could have been obtained of the different aspects of Thurber's unionization and mining activities. Gower's observations on some Thurber activities are valuable as the only written record but his omission of the foreign-born influence appears biased.
As Thurber grew after the strike, the ethnic groups naturally sought their own kind. Following the railroad west from downtown Thurber, the hill to the left of the tracks was "Polander Hill" and that portion of the hill to the right was "Italian Hill." This was not segregation by design but rather, by personal desire, for all nationalities could be found in different areas of the city, depending on availability of housing. Italian families took in boarders which helped increase grouping. Some polish families also took in boarders, but nowhere the extent of the Italians.
The Poles have always been very religious and Poland's survival has been attributed to religious miracles and manifestations such as the "Black Madonna", the Blessed Mother being Poland's patroness. With Eastern European miners, the Catholic Mass in Thurber was a necessity and from 1890 to 1892 Masses were held periodically in company buildings with Fathers Litwora from Bremond, Brickley from Abilene and Fabrio from Dallas. The Texas and Pacific Coal Co. built and owned all buildings in Thurber, including churches. A Catholic Church was completed in mid-1892. The Company wanted to name it St. Thuribus, probably because "Thuribus" sounded similar to "Thurber". But the priests and parishioners wanted St. Barbara and for a short time there were differing opinions. However. St Barbara became the accepted name, and appropriately so, for St Barbara is the patroness saint of miners.
The first recorded Baptism in St. Barbara's was Antonin Wierzowiecki on 22 January 1893. Father A. M. Dynia performed 39 baptisms between Sept 1894 and Feb 1895 and was probably the first assigned pastor, followed by Fathers Kwoka, Etschenberg and Dolje. In 1912 Father Niedziela became pastor in nearby Strawn's St. John's church and served this church for 30 years. For language reasons, Father Niedziela was often called upon by Thurber Poles for Baptisms, Confessions, marriages and funerals. Sister Mary Baron, from Rus-Pol and of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word, taught in Hunter's Academy, the Catholic School named after the President of T & P Coal Co. Sister Mary also taught night English classes for Polish adults and helped with translations and letter writing.
There was a Polish St. Joseph's Society for men, the Third Order of St. Francis and an Altar Society and choir for women. St. Joseph's Hall was adjacent to St. Barbara's and this Hall was where Poles held business meetings as well as celebrations and other social functions. The Italians had the "Bearcat", a dance pavilion, and the Mexicans had the Mexican Dance Pavilion, but the Poles' activities were more closely Church-related.
A Polish Roman Catholic Union of America was present in Thurber. It Aided Poles in citizenship and immigration, provided insurance and loaned money. To this day. a hundred years after Stanislaus Berezik signed up, descendants of Stanislaus are Still members of a branch of this company.
Baptisms, First Communions, Marriages and religious holidays were occasions for Polish celebrations ("get-togethers") and dancing. With Baptisms, the Godparents and their families and sometimes the priest had dinner and drinks at the home of the parents. First Communion was an important event for the Poles. There was always a formal individual picture; the boys in Knickerbockers with a Communion Candle, the girls in white dress and veil. The pictures were often sent to relatives in Poland and other cities in the US. Polish marriages were exuberantly acknowledged by breaking plates with silver dollars for a dance with the bride. And all-night shivarees of newlyweds were customary. Wedding celebrations sometimes lasted more than just one day.
Piano lessons seemed de rigueur for most Polish girls and a piano in the home was an envied possession. Violin, accordion and mandolin skills were passed on from father to son. Some Polish families had several musicians and formed a ready band. Polkas alternated with waltzes. "Over The Waves" was a nostalgic waltz. "Golden Slippers" was a lively, favorite polka."Beautiful Ohio" was a waltz picked up by some Polish Miners when they temporarily worked in northern coal mines during the strike of 1903. "Under the Double Eagle" was an American march fitted with a polka beat. "Red Wing" was a song about an Indian Maiden who grieved for her beloved warrior. "Just Because" was a favorite polka later featured by Lawrence Welk and Frankie Yankovich.
There was one religious Feast Day celebration in 1912 which ended with a murder victim after a gang fight among six young Polish miners. This was an absolutely astounding event for the normally peaceful Polish people. Outside newspaper reports showed an underlying general public disdain for foreign-born. There was very little prejudice in Thurber, per se, for when you did the same kind of work, lived in identical houses, shopped in the same stores, drank in the same place and worshipped in the same Church there were few distinctions to be used for snobbishness. But the Stephenville Empire Newspaper used this occasion to make fun of the four Poles he took into custody on Monday, 27 May 1912 saying "It was immaterial as no one getting the paper would know them anyhow." And in the next issue on June 7, 1912, it was facetiously stated, "No wonder Sheriff Deaton could not remember the names of the four Polanders he jailed Monday of last week….The Thurber Journal's account supplies the missing information….Those jailed here is Walter Cukierski, John Zeilinski, Frank Wisnoski and Tom Mulkowski.
May 26 1912 was "Green Sunday" (Zielone Swiatki), one of the "Old Country" customs still observed by Thurber's Poles. In America this is called Pentecost Sunday, when the Holy Ghost descended upon Earth. On this Sunday, Polish home are decorated with greenery. The day begins with Mass and there is an infusion of peace and joy for being under the protection of the Holy Ghost. But this day did not end peacefully; for there was a gang fight near Sabota's house #540 on Polander Hill. There were 15 witnesses under a bright moon and electric lights.
Four fight participants were roommates and sided with each other in this fatal fight: Frank Wisnoski, Tom Mulkowski, Walter Cukierski and John Zeilinski. John Czerwinski was the murder victim. The sixth person in the fight was Joe Sikoski, an alleged bully. Wisnoski and Cukierski each owned bicycles and someone had cut the bicycle tires. This act, exacerbated by emotions from too much celebration and drink, ignited a drunken brawl which was really two separate fights. Mulkowski, Cukierski and Zeilinski fought with the deceased John Czerwinski, while Frank Wisnoski tangled with Joe Sikoski. Testimony showed Zeilinski started the fight, hitting and kicking Czerwinski and "keeping it up until it was pronounced by the crowd that Czerwinski was dead. The fight between Wisnoski and Sikoski involved Wisnoski holding Sikoski at bay with a knife. Because of his small stature (5' 4"), a knife was probably the only way Wisnoski could defend himself. Sikoski had previously assaulted Frank's brother and Sikoski was seen near the bicycles earlier. Wisnoski backed away from this fight, and went to the other fight when the victim had fallen to the ground. Wisnoski, knife still in hand, turned the body over and because the body had a stab wound, the defendant Zeilinski (who was fighting with the deceased) testified Wisnoski used his knife on the victim—testimony not corroborated but contradicted by all witness! It was as if the State, in zealously seeking a conviction to teach the foreigners a lesson, ignored the law, and knowing that the defense counsel was weak, used very questionable tactics. As a result, Frank Wisnoski was sentenced to life and Walter Cukierski was convicted of manslaughter. Many witness knew Wisnoski was not the murderer and were very upset with the court proceedings. For five years there were petitions "by a large number of citizens of Erath County" Finally, the Texas Board of Pardons released Frank Wisnoski from prison on 6 July 1917.
