 In New York City, the program sparked sympathetic press coverage, generally effective public affairs, the intervention by the Mayor of New York on the miners' side, direct public appeals in the subways, and even the support of mine owners, such as John D. Rockefeller, Jr., whose family owned strike-bound Somerset County coal mines in Gray, Jenners, Acosta, Ralphton and Randolph.Gregory and other miners later traveled to Washington to meet with President Warren G. Harding.On April 14, Jerome miners dressed for work and gathered at the shaft head, but refused to enter the mine.