Although the Archie's youngest son Luke was 18, Mrs. Archie became pregnant shortly after Artway and Marie's son was born.  It was obvious that the household was becoming over-crowded.  Artway decided to sit down and have a heart to heart talk with his father-in-law.  "Papa, I heard that they are paying five dollars a day in the coal mines out from Birmingham and they need workers so bad they are sending trucks to Anniston and Talladega to pick up both white and colored."  Old man Fred Archie almost popped a vein in his neck.  "Boy!  You don't want to do that.  What them white folk will do is get you down there under the ground and not let you come up for days.  I hear tell it's just like being in a grave.  Man that's worst than slavery times.  Tell you what I'll do.  If you want some money, I'll let you hire yourself out a couple days a week and you can keep the money.  Don't go running off to them coal mines.  You'll probably never see your wife and baby again."  Artway thought to himself the only thing wrong with that is that times are so hard around here no one can afford to hire day laborers and if they could the pay was only 50 to 75 cents a day.  Seeing how vehement his father-in-law was he did not mention the matter to him again.  However, Artway made a decision that would have to wait until precisely the right time.

Several weeks later while the church was serving dinner on the grounds during Homecoming Sunday, Artway made his move.  He told the rest of the family that he would go home and feed the livestock and return later for the evening service.  Once the livestock was fed, he went into the house, got most of his clothes, tied them up in a shirt and hid them under some bushes out by the hog pen.  He rejoined the family and proceeded to enjoy the Homecoming festivities.  About 3 a.m. the next morning while the rest of the family was asleep, he climbed out of bed and pretended to go to the privy.  Once outside, he retrieved his clothes and headed off to catch the mining truck.

Aboard the truck and not sure where they were going, many thoughts began to race through his mind, including his father-in-law's previous warnings.  About midday they ended up in Saint Clair County in a small hamlet called Acmar.  By 3:30 that afternoon, he started to wonder if he had made a mistake.  In his haste to get away, he had not thought to bring food and was getting hungry.  He began to feel intimidated by the size and experience of the other job seekers around him.  They all seemed familiar with mining jargon and sounded as if they knew what to expect on the jobs that they were going to have.  As many other doubts began to creep into his mind, he closed his eyes and began to pray.

Once the application forms were passed out, he quickly noted a distinct advantage that he had.  This advantage would continue to serve him through out his career with the Alabama Fuel and Iron Company (AL F&I).  He could read and write.  Several miners began to sidle up to him sharing lunches, information and promises of good will.  He even made 45 cents filling out applications for other illiterate job seekers.  One white applicant gave him a quarter to complete his application because he didn't want the other white workers to know he could not read.  One of the Negro workers told Artway that he had a brother that took in boarders for two dollars and fifty cents a week.  He took him up on the offer since it included board, three meals, laundry, and use of a radio.  After a late night meal, he sat down and wrote his wife a letter.

More Good Fortune

Early the next morning, he and several other first time miners boarded the company bus to Number 8 to receive work assignments.  As the men stood around waiting in separate clusters, one white, one black, a white miner dressed in muckers approached the black group and shouted, "Hey you!  Come here!"  Not sure who he was addressing several blacks pointed to themselves as if to say "Me?"  "No, not you.  Pint there", replied the white miner.  Artway walked over not knowing what to expect.  The white miner slowly and deliberately rolled his chaw of tobacco to his other jaw and let go a long stream of tobacco juice, turned to Artway and said, "Boy how would you like to work for me?"  Even though he was not schooled in all of the miner's                                                 

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