Newbern progress., 1863-02-04

marked baarlx currents Of sweat
No wonder stared at them Will
something akin to distrrst. They
might be monsters in reality, and take
/ a sudden notion to hurl me into one
of their internal pits by way of pas
time IN which case the only consola
i ton would be, that where there was
such an abundance of salt, there would
be no difficulty about the preservation
lof my remains. & 49, S.
After all, there was something sac
in the condition of these poor wretches
shut out from the glorious light d
day, irnmured in dark, deep pits, hun.
dreds of feet under ground; roofing
as it were, for life, IN, the bowels of the
earth. Surely, the salt with which
other men flavor their food is gathered
with infinite toll, and mingled with
bitter sweat sas s's He.iI So
Yes, strange as it may seem, I was
informed byth guide that these work-
men are SO accustomed to this kind OF
life that they prefer it to any other.
BY the rules of the directory, they are
divided into gangs as on board q ship.
The working gang is not permitted to
remain under ground more than eIght
hours it is then relieved. The cur
rent belief that some of them live in
the mines is not sustained by the facts.
In former times it is quite probable
such was the case. At present the
administration Of affairs is more htll7
man than it was at an early period IN
the history of the mines. The opera
tives are free to quit whenever they
please, as in any private establishment.
Plenty Of Others are always ready to
take their place. The pay is goo1
averaging from thirty kreutzers 70 a
form day Wherever it is practi--.
cable, the work is done by the piece.
Each man receives SO much for a sPe7
CITED result. Good Workmen can
make two or three hundred Aorins a
year. The salt is gotten out in various.
forms, according to the depth of the
stratum. Where it. is mixed with an.
amaigam of hard earth, it is cut into
cylindrical blocks, and exported iEs
that form to Russia. The finer quail
ties are crushed and packed il barrels
for expectation to yarious parts of
Prussia and Austria. s. s. s.ad
How little do we reflect upon the
tremendous aggregate of toll by which
the commonest article of food is pro;
cured Thus. as we sit at our pleasant
breakfast table the sunshine shedding
its cheerful glory through the curtains
upon the social circle, the white cloth,
the clean knives. the buttered toast and
beiled eggs, SO invitingly spread before
us-with that charming unconscious
ness of labor we dip up a little salt, and
sprinkle it upon our eggs and butter !l
how merriIy we chat over the topics of |
,he timesEi TO be sure, there is no
good reason why we should make our
selves miserable, because what we rel |
sh SO highly cost labor; but would it
not be instructive to dwell moment,
sven upon pinch Of salt Not to go
nto history of the silver mines which /
nave served to garnish our table the
ron mines, which have furnished us
knives and forks or the coal mines,
Xhlch Xhl ford us fuel with which toscook /
Jul food-what world of salt seas and I
brine springs. and crystal caverns what
IN aggregate of human toll, commerce. |
md enterprise that pinch ofrsalt sug-t
rests Yet so common is the use oft
his mineral that. like the air we breathe,
We are scarcely conscious of its exist
snce. s S. IS IS ~ ~ s.
We next visited the stables in which /
he horses are kept for hauling the salt
IN the subterranean railways. Many
if these horses, it is said, never see
laylight from the time they enter the
mines. Insthe course of few weeks
hey lose their sight. A film gradually I
rows over the eyes from what cause
could not ascertain. It may be the
fleets of the salt or long continued
Iarkness-though it does not appear
hat the miners suffer any Inconvenience
. this respect. remember reading of
ONE fish without any eyes at all, found i
q the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
'ossibly having but little use for sight, i
ne horses of Wieliczka go blind from
natural disposition to accommodate
themselves to circumstances. Hdr-
'ey's Magazine. ssa aila s. Il