On August 30 Ledvina, who gets around in a wheel chair as a result of a 1978 roof cave in, took up residence 600 feet underground in Mine 25, which is owned by the museum and is about four miles from Orient 2. His aim was to raise $2 million as the beginning of an effort to raise $18 million to build the memorial and support the museum. The planned memorial would honor the more than 200,000 miners who, according to Ledvina, have died on the job in mines in the United States.

Ledvina and museum employees attempted to enlist Ryan in their efforts. At first the governor's office indicated sympathy and support. Some of his aides met with Ledvina underground September 2. Based on a proposal to meet with the governor, the disabled miner suspended his stay in the mine on September 15.

At the meeting the next day, a museum press release stated, "For an hour and fifteen minutes the Governor and his advisors did nothing but launch baseless attacks on the Museum, the management and its operations." Ryan appointed a panel to further investigate the matter, however.

In a phone interview with the Militant, Ledvina said this panel concluded that "the facility was of no value to Illinois. They said it was unsafe, unsightly, and expensive."

A museum press release stated, "Not only did the Governor not support us, when nearly every political friend in Illinois including race tracks, ball parks and casinos receive multimillion dollar funding packages, but the Governor chose to harm us as well. The Governor broke the back of one of our most significant fund-raising campaigns."

The museum defenders refute all of the allegations made by Ryan's investigators. They note that the Museum has attracted 70,000 visitors from all 50 states and 44 foreign countries. In response to a slanderous report spread by the governor's press secretary that 10 people were recently trapped inside Mine 25, they pointed out that all 10 have denied the allegation and have made themselves available for interviews. Ledvina said that since the beginning of this year the museum has been faced with numerous investigations by state and federal agencies.

The final rejection of state support for the miners museum and memorial came the day before Ryan left for Cuba. When the Militant asked Ledvina about the governor's ostensibly humanitarian visit he responded, "I don't think Ryan has a humanitarian bone in his body."  
 
 
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