The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-04-25
IN THE COAL-PIT CABIN.

4
abe set. They hardly seem 10 know fear
but still, the darkness in which they iabo,
ANA the many dangers surrounding them /
TIER cfVrrnons abode appear 10 i'm perceptibl
ah"ct their general character. Though, frer
better application OF mechanical power and
more scientific reguia ton OF the currents of al
IN our i1rger coal mines, accden IS have becom
less numerous, they WILL from the nature O
the work, always be rather frequent and tn
collier, on descending the shaft TO his dali
task. if reflective, must be keenly alive 10 i'm
pending danger. In walking through the Goa
district about the time the men leave OF
work, il is amusing TO watch the diferen
bands of men emerging from the pits mon n
having been quickly wound I'D by tn
powerful machinery from the region
of darkness into the welcome light O
Gay. Many of them are as wild and frolic
some as pack of boys let ont from school
and as soon they can free themselves from
th"chains, IN which they have been hangi n,
like Il large bunch of smutty grapes-tb
Youngsters in the middle for greater safety
they ran capernC and shouting from the ba n X
making the most of their liberty, and dis nell
ing, by their boisteroEs mirth any false no
tons OF pity we may have been entertaining
for their hard lot. In winter certainly, dur
ing their working days, they never see III.
gun, for those OF them who labor the whole o
the dav, commence before il is light and d.
not leave off until il is dark, being under
ground nearly from A. M. TO 6P M TIL,
Monday owing the reckoning Saturday i.
mostly n play-day with these men and i
wages are good not unfrequently the Tues
dav also, though on these occasions they will
frequently assemble at the pit at the Gu toma
ry time, aud then, from some trivial excuse
easily found by men unwilling to work-or a
the direct iustirttion of one of the youugpsr
hands, they will return home again. Ii takes
bat little, on ordinary occasions, to ma Ike f;
whole pits company "play " Should the en-.
gineman he but a few minutes behind time in
The morning and cause Il slight DELAY wher
they are ready 10 go down the shaft, they will
often refuse to work and should any unfOra.
saen occurrence prevent the whole DAVIS work
being done. they can seldom or never be per
suadPd 10 begin later in the day, and do three.
quarters or half II days work instead.
Though individually the Golfers do not
care much for "A few wounds and bruises prid
ing themselves upon their hardy endurance OF
suffering, yet, il one of their company is
slightly hurt in any way, so as to be com pei led
10 leave his post, they will in general all de-
sist from working, regardless of the consa-
quences. We cannot give them, as a class.
great credit for being provident but there are
many exceptions, and in visiting their homes,
we find that where there il shelf tor a few
books, a little store is also laid by in the pro
Verdi Il stockin foot or in the savings bank
against 1.-THE riiny day" At present literary
socie ties and mechanics ms titutes ave signal
~ failed III reaching the bulk of these men
though free lectures, in popu lous places and
other means OF social entertainments aI,Dear
to he attended with good effects
For religious instr uction, q great portion of
them are indebted to the WESLEYAN connec tion
and-is coming nearer It'll do wn to their le.
veto the Primitive Methodsts, or Rant
ers, a. they are vulgarly called. In the pray
or meetings of these dissenters there is a de-
gree oi energy and enthusiasm exhibited which
lii mos eases accords better with the Golfers
tast thtn the more formal church service -
Another iaducrmfnt is, that MANY of their
own number take the lead at these religious
meetings, and with exemplary zeal and strik-
Ing enthusiasm, strive, as far as their ability
lh..VT ~ n 10 ,srt,1
tianity. There are many who will listen 10
the exhortarion of ''butty collier" whom
nothing would persuade TO attend the minis
tration OF "A duly ordained clergyman.
In travelling about the neigh orhood of the
pits, frequently have opportunities of talk
ing 10 the coli RS about their work, or other
topics, and have found occasionally, under a
swarthy cloak OF flannel and dirt, a degree of
i'.'rt'f1Pnce that much surprised me- On a
cold or rainy day, / have sometimes en- tered one
t,y. the pits sure of finding smell
ter and good fire. fyou have never been
III one OF these places, you may enter with me
this evening, and see and hear what is going
on. c1pacions fire place, on which bar
rowfu! or TWO of coal would be lost, occupies
Hearty the whole OF one side. There is no neat
cas- t-irou CRATE, but some long bars, or old pit
rails are stretched acIos wide cavity i'll
the wall, forming an ample receptacle for the
lire Rods of iron, or sometimes strong rope
lines, are stretched across the cabin in front of
the fire place, Ter the men to dry their wet
in places troubled with water. Various in
terSticrs are seen rouLd the upholstered walls
ISitoy iur putting dinner basins and cans in,
or tor sioWiI < away other odds and ends and
IN OF the corners fur thest from the fire
rude cupboard Is generally found, where DOW
der, safety lamps, tuse and cartridge bags for
bias ting rocks, candies and other stores can
be put under lock and key Round the walls
are liked some short butts of trees. across
which are placed rough slabs for the men TO
sill upon, by whom Il large bottle of ale is Of
ten discussed, when for some extra work they
have mad what they call a ''fetching'' from
the nearest public house. Without running
IL to any excess, there is q sort of un trammel-
led enjoyment about these free and easy sit
tings Ia the cabin that many of the pitmen
have a strong relish for. The "fetching'' does
MOI always CONSIST only of beer solids, such
as bread ana cheese, and ham are often added:
and many royal BANG uet has passed off with
Il ss trliing n ymelt than is realized by
these jolly colllels around their huge fire, at
ter soihe heavy task Is done.
Sitting thus, some of them with eyes half
clo sed, drawing 1T Il short black pipe they
II count 10 each other scenes OF danger they
have passed through. difficulties they have
el couhieftd, extraordinary seams OF coal they
have helped 10 get, and other wonderful eX-
ltriehees. The first that speaks tonight is
an old man, upwards OF sixty, Short ana stiff,
OF The lrue collier build. His legs are bowed
Il iIttie, but firm under him yet; and you can
see that the bridge OF his Roman nose has
across it, showing where a lump of coal or
other black substance has fallen upon it
You Viii frequently see GOLFERS with many of
these blue seams upon their face, ana other
uncovered parts OF their body, for wherever
{ oai GUS deep Into the flesh II brands IA man
for ever.
at was better than forty years ago." he be-
gan, lin 'Bony's' time, when l was a lad
drawing dams, and dong work such as YOU
youngsters Know hoihing about now IA DAYS
4 - Ia adj haa b... \
al The wheat was 50 bad that the bread
made OF II would hardly hold together 1t was
SO wet ana SOFT; and my old woman often
ecoottd The middle OF the loaf out with a
si"of and putt in cans TOR the children TO
ID trsaele. like pudding, have seen
81 tempered chaps throw "a lump OF their
1850 2ainst the wall, where would STICK
lkr mortar. fotttoes went up 10 q great
price, ami were hardly ever seen in our MI.
ami osbn there has been "a scrambiing fiyhi ~
get "a tas'e, II the young men saw n tsw ~
some ho' Us dinner basin. Well there ws. q
sot "a as aiising head through some
faulty ground, with a bad roof and I wa
drawing out in dams what little coal thew mo,
with while pushing through. l had To 90 ahout
iofty YARDS through the uneven wav
tb.y Were making, back into another road,
where second lad met me with an emptv
dan basket to go back with. at middle day.
this lad brought our dinners, aud took them
TO tue ED OF the head, bat we had barely SAT
Gown to eat them, when we heard q loud
TubDiiDg Botse near AT hand Now We are
IN Tor IT, said one OF the men; the head we
nave been driving has fallen ia, and we are
shut up
'.Cfs~ing wariiy along. they found II even
- he had said; fof about half the length of
the way, The roof had fallen in. eomDietelv
blocking mp the passage. The hardest collier |
o"k'si piit, which, with the dirt, remem- |
.T, gave sone OF them a strange, leaCen look. |
. though thry were numbed with cold and |
lie ainBfr now. 20 II was carefully Iaid hy.
u, 10 ole 81 them said, we shall wanf Il
~ enough ~ spd BY The uasn did nos
IAnd much INNS in nssisss grief; bat patsins