Sunday April 19, 1914 – Ludlow Tent Colony, Colorado – Greek Easter, a Day of Celebration
Baseball Game at Ludlow Tent Colony
Sunday was a gala day in the Ludlow Tent Colony for the Greek Easter was celebrated, and the Greeks had declared that they would outdo the Catholics in their celebration of this Holy Day. The colony is made up of residents from many different nationalities, and, on this Holy Day, they came decked out in their various national costumes bringing the colony to life in a riot of color. Snow still covered the prairie here and there, but the sun was shining its warmth upon the strikers and their families on this glorious Easter Day.
Louie Tikas, leader of the colony, was resplendent in his traditional Cretan vraka. He walked through the colony greeting every one with a kiss and the joyful cry of “Christ Is Risen.” Louie’s bright smile was welcomed at every tent, well respected for his calm manner and steadfast courage.
Music filled the air and the children played around the tents. Later on, after church services, there was a feast in the main tent. A lamb had been put on the fire, and there were barrels of beer for the adults.
After the feast the colonist played a game of baseball in the ball park built next to the tents. American style gym bloomers had been provided as an Easter present for the women, and one of the games was played, men against the women, with the women wearing their new bloomers for the first time.
More on the Greek Easter at the Ludlow Tent Colony -Mary Thomas describes that last joyful day:
We all looked neat and clean in our fixed-over clothes. The children had sung beautifully at the services, seeming to sense the significance of this holy day. The lovely services had touched me deeply. It was my first Easter away from my religious Welsh home where Easter meant so much, with the family singing hymns together. Suddenly I became homesick and despondent. Cedi [Costa] and Margo [Gorci] noticed my gloomy mood as we walked toward our tent homes.
“What’s wrong, Maria?” asked Margo.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” I answered. “I suppose because it’s Easter which was such a big day in my Welsh home. I’m just homesick, that’s all. I’ll get over it.”
“Aren’t we all,” said Cedi. “I would give anything to be in my own religious home in Italia, today.” Margo nodded in agreement, and we three shed a few tears….
We each went toward our own tents to change our clothes. I broke into song, singing a Welsh hymn. Margo and Cedi stopped to listen.
“What is that you are singing, Maria?”
I explained it was my mother’s favorite hymn, “Aberystwith.” Margo and Cedi were spellbound by it, and singing it helped soothe some of my feeling of loneliness for my homeland this Easter morning.
Later talking with Charlie Costa and Tony Gorci, husbands of Cedi and Margo, the subject of the strike troubles came up and Cedi became upset:
“Please, please,” said Cedi, “let’s forget for today all about the strike, the guards, Rockefeller and the union. Today let’s celebrate our Lord’s arising.”
“That’s right, Mama,” said Charley as he put his arm around his pretty wife whom he adored, and kissed her affectionately on the cheek. “Today we have fun.”
Baseball Game at the Ludlow Tent Colony –in the afternoon they all went over to the ballpark to enjoy the baseball game:
Suddenly everything came to a blood-curdling halt. The mine guards, dressed in cavalry uniforms, rode onto the field, deliberately going through the crowds of men gathered for the upcoming events. Back and forth they rode, shouting vile remarks. The men dared not to answer back for fear some of the women and children might be hurt. But this didn’t stop the women from yelling at them, telling them what they were, and in no uncertain terms.
Louie Tikas tried to calm things down, but wasn’t very successful. The guards sneered back. “Go ahead and have your fun today. Tomorrow we’ll have ours.” With this menacing statement they spurred their horses again through the groups of men on the field, and rode off.
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