| Show all od coal aimer talks men who tho earth all week 1 I remember when n coal miner wa nn aristocrat among workingmen working min the speaker was an old gray bearded man one of a group discussing labor matl cri everybody ho continued lias read or beard thai the men who mine the coal for which we pay so lucli out lacre nrc miserably paid and it is a fact yet there was a lime when coal diggers as they arc called down in pennsylvania were well paid I 1 was a miner down there myself laicu about twenty years ago when I 1 hear this talk about the tar and the protection of american industries and you dont hear anything else in presidential years down in lio old keystone slate 1 a born it makes mv think of those limes seffi abc titta 90 a goinn wa a poor months work with me in a western pennsylvania mine and I 1 hive often drawn in n month it is what a change has taken place in that great branch of industry coal miner now who can make 1 25 a day is doing well and that is above the average wages if lie could make that the year round he would lie doica well as things arc now but strikes and lockouts lock outs and alic shutting down of alic mines to regulate alic output and keep up lie selling price cut into liis small yearly income fearfully in the hash times just the the coal digger when he was above ground and biad washed alic black from his face held up liis head now he is looked upon as a self by bis 20 years ago most of the miners were but thai is not alic caso now they were intelligent and in le ami thai cannot be said of ibe coal diggers of alic present day clial has brought about alic transition or more prop cily speaking the 1 shall not attempt to explain down hi alic coke regions the best bituminous coal in alic world is mined the miners livo in i hamlets and villages near abe pits as llie yare alio aru e opening of the mines these villages belong to the companies alic mines alicy aro composed of i rows of generally bouc room down sinks and one above willi a biolo out through to pei alic pus age of a picc ahey arc considered acislo cralia if there is any lalli or plastering in at nil the occupants any rent to their ciu ploy cis anam case of u strike avic hons follow as a pt roura niti tn a miners cabin generally consists of a stove a table and a few chairs carpet is a luxury to which few of aspire 1 can hundreds of alic houses in which there was no light at night alic year round except that furnished by ho miners lamp used bv the father during alic day at iiii work alic in boac instances attend the public schools but as soon as they arc able to they go into the mines to help their father sup lic among tycin abc many good people but as a rule alic standard of morality is not hiigli ami after pay days nrc hilarious dances and bioc downs in the cabins which often end in terrible af frays broin time immemorial the lias been compell cil to ilu all jiin trading at ciuck owned by his employers in llna coil they are pluck me stores benr after avar alic legislature of litia truck bills as the arc cill cu 0 o these abores ami u cf eliat kiihl ii in oper ilion now alic truck storo is u where 1 alie is tu buy that lie i clothing and everything olase A few ago even miner w is conr belled to spend a certain proportion 0 liis wages at his employers the prices charged were always from au to 20 cent lii glicr iliin at bolher stores biml on ai tides 50 per cent there aciz always two sets 0 bricea one for alie mine operative and employed and hie other for the neighboring failers and the gc goneril public II 11 n sign hung in ihu store announcing eliat butter or eggs were cheaper or thai hour be bought there at allu lowest market price it biad no to the lie knew lie would have to pay a premium to bv laicu out of his wages or quit alin miner s difo came in nud stood benido the difo of a farmer or buying calico and paid 20 per cent anoro than they and never 1 was in n store where was n group of youn fellows and one of them looking up at di iacoi A on the wall read X 0 mo liscs a gallon it meant that nio cassed was selling lit W cents but lie lead it no molasses for us at 90 cents a allou ilia joke cot leini lii i joti the next ilay mcw people know blat liborious wok coal 1 to say ol 01 alie rd to winch alie inizer is all the from foul air biml alic canvin in of the of martli eliat is i s al aboul libin un locust posts tho work iu iain and n aniu with u large family lakes two or three of liia little boys to work with liun in lieu of 1 mate alio will share his earnings they start in the main passageway passage way or one of its branches afeld work into the coal viiu aud us they advance daiy diy by day ahe hollow which they cut out varying iu width from fifteen to thirty feet is called u room in time becomes a long gallery with a ceiling of alato and n smooth floor of the same material the first thing they jo h to make a bearing in this is done by digging into the coal with picks and making n big hollow aliu whole width of aliu room if it is a narrow one and halt tho width i it is a twenty or thirty foot room the hollow anus picked out begins at the floor aad extends upward only eighteen inches and feet deep to do this requires several hours and iho are compelled to lio on their sides or back and dying their picks when the bearing in is complete alie miner sees a lauge block of coil suspended froia the room and a blast of ponder causes it to drop alio mass giving way downward in tho of lue hollow winch lie has cut out comes allo work of getting hie coal out it is loaded into a wagon on four flanged alie ai made to fit hie tracey in the gaiu piAs way und one of the miners straps a big leathern belt around iiii waist hooks it to lie wagon and goes out pulling liis companion following pushing at the rear end when alie trad in alie passage ii lei clied it is joined to a train of similar wagons and hauled lo 10 the mouth of the mine to make a bearing in shoot it and haul out the coal is a days work each miner furnishes his own tools picks drills and shovels and much of his tune is consumed in sharpening alie picks manat the minari go to work be foro daylight after dark and neier sec the ann except on sundays on which adny fortunately they are not required to burk mail |
