Rocky Mountain News, 31 May 1918

Special to the News

Trinidad, Colo., May 30. --John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who has been inspecting the southern Colorado coal fields, stood with head uncovered in a crowd of 3,000 Greek, Polish and Slavic miners in Ludlow this afternoon as a large silken American flag was drawn across the face of the huge granite shaft erected by the miners of the country to the memory of those persons who lost their lives in the labor troubles of four years ago. Accompanying Mr. Rockefeller at the unveiling were Mrs. Rockefeller and Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie King, who are in the party which is making the inspection trip.

Memorial Is Shown.

Although Mr. Rockefeller was not scheduled to attend the unveiling, he obtained a private motor car and in company with the other members of his party drove to Ludlow to be present at the event. Unheralded and unannounced, Mr. Rockefeller arrived at the ceremonies and sent his card by a messenger to the presiding officer. Aside from this he took no part in the exercises and there were but few persons in the large crowd who even knew of his presence until after his departure.

As the silken flag was loosened and fell to the base of the monument, the string having been released by Mrs. Mary Petrucci, mother of three children who lost their lives during the labor troubles, there were many in the crowd who for the first time looked upon the memorial, which had been purchased by means of popular subscription on the part of miners throughout the country.

Review History of Trouble.

The shaft, a large marble structure, stands on the ground where the greatest number of fatalities during the trouble occurred. It is in the heart of the once famous Ludlow tent colony, where the bodies of eleven children and two women were found after the destruction of the camp by fire April 20, 1914. It stands twenty feet high and immediately in front of the large shaft itself are the life-sized figures of a miner, a woman and a child.

The monument is the product of one of the best-known sculptors in the country and was purchased at a cost of approximately $12,000. This sum was raised by subscriptions ranging in size from 5 cents to $1. The national officers before the unveiling reviewed the history of the labor troubles at Ludlow and congratulated the people on having erected such a fitting memorial to the dead. They told them that the sacrifice had not been in vain and held up before the crowd the ideals and purposes for which the United Mine Workers stood. They struck a note of patriotism in stating they were behind President Wilson in winning the war.

The national officers present all made memorial addresses, and there were also speeches in Italian, Greek, and the Slavonic languages by local officers. The Rockefeller party, after attending the unveiling, left Trinidad for Rouse, where they will inspect the Colorado Fuel & Iron company's properties in Huerfano county. They are due in Pueblo at noon Saturday. They probably will spend three days in Pueblo, leaving for Denver about Wednesday. Because of a previous engagement, Mr. Rockefeller could not talk at patriotic ceremonies at Trinidad tonight.

LUDLOW

The Monument Is Dedicated