Tag: money

Skeets Miller and the Louisville Courier-Journal

~ Hannah Keating ~ Leave a comment

William Burke “Skeets” Miller was born on April 14, 1904 in Louisville, Kentucky – the nickname coming from his diminutive size, comparing him to a ‘mosquito.’ Though Miller had dreams of becoming a professional singer, he began working for the Louisville Courier-Journal (one of the four competing newspapers in the city at the time). 

The Courier-Journal had run a short story on the Floyd Collins incident, assuming it was another cave wars hoax but needing a piece during a slow news cycle. The Herald-Post paper on Sunday, February 1st ran the headline “Kentuckian Rescued from Cave”; the exaggerated story claimed that Jewell Ester (misspelling Estes’ name) had rescued Collins. The current Courier correspondent confirmed that Collins had indeed not been rescued, so Miller was sent to cover the story. 

Reaching the trapped man affected Miller emotionally – he was said to be crying when he emerged. In addition, being able to get to Floyd Collins, assist in his rescue, and provide accurate updates first-hand gave Miller the ability to write incredibly in-depth and extremely personal coverage of the story. 

On May 4, 1926, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Floyd Collins story. He was one of the youngest journalists ever to win, and accepted a $1000 dollar prize (around $15,000 dollars in today’s terms). He was offered $50,000 (around $730,000) to join a lecture circuit, but he refused the money and fame and opted to remain at the Courier-Journal.

Newspaper headline of Miller’s Pulitzer win

Miller never looked to continue profiting off of the fame he received from the Collins story.  He left journalism to work for an ice-cream manufacturer for a brief stint before returning to media as a broadcaster. He worked for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) for many years, garnering the title of “the bravest man in radio” for his daring coverage, like the first live transmission from a parachute jump. He died in 1984 at the age of 79. 

Rural Life and Sources of Income

~ Hannah Keating ~ Leave a comment

After WWI, the United States became a major exporter to devastated European countries. Despite experiencing an economic recession, the average income for Americans rose. This statistic didn’t represent all American households, however. The uptick was in part upper-class manufacturers and developers profiting off of European demand. The rich were getting richer.

A rural family farm

For farmers in rural communities, average income fell by 21% by 1924. This number continued to fall through 1925. Taxes rose as the rate of foreclosures started to increase.

This demand for another source of income contributed to the desire to attract tourists with money start and the subsequent Cave Wars in Kentucky.

Tourists outside the entrance of Crystal Cave

The media circus surrounding the Floyd Collins incident allowed nearby farmers, like Bee Doyle, to profit off of the sheer number of people arriving who needed food, lodging, and warmth. The carnival nature of it all was less about rescuing this man and more about being there when it all went down.

The insular community of the Kentucky natives contributed to the “us v. them” complex when “outlanders” arrived to assist in the rescue. Money, contribution, and power were all incredibly important.