The mountain Democrat., 1863-04-25
The Pollsh Nrinsr,s Lie.

The Polish Miners Life.
was greatly impressed by the pro-
found silence of these vast caverns.
When we stood still, the utter absence of
sound was appalling. The falling of a
pin would have been relief Not even
the faintest vibration Of the air was per-
ceptible. No desert could be more ST.
lent-no solitude more awful. I s,lDOh
apart from the guides and lamp bearers
in Il separate vault, at a distance of few
hundred feet, in order that might fully
appreciate this profound inertion, and it
really seemed as if the world were no
more.
From some of these tunnels we emerg-
ed into open caverns. where few work
men were employed at their dreary la
borS. was surprised that there were
not more to be seen, but was informed
that they are scattered in small parties
through miles Of earth, so that the num-
Der is not apparent to the casual visitor.
AS We approached the places where they
were at work the dull clicking of the
picks and hammers produced singular
effect through the vast solitude as if
the gnomes, supposed to inhabit gloomy
pits, were busily engaged at their diabol
ical arts.
We came suddenly upon one group of
workmen under shelving ledge who
were occupied in detaching masses Of
crystaliZed salt from cleft in which they
worked. They were naked to the mid
die, having nothing on but coarse trow-
sers and boots, and wrought with their
crowbars and picks by the light OF few
grcace lamps held by grimy little boys
with shaggy hea aIs--menbers, no doubt,
Of the same subterranean family.
Some of the men were lying on their
backs punching away with tremendous
toll at the jagged masses Of salt over
head their heads, faces and bodies gilt
tering with the showers Of salt grit that
fell upon them while others stood up to
their arm.pIts in dark holes delving into
the lower crevlces. Seeing our lights,
they stopped to gaze at Us. Was it pos
sible that they were human beings, these
bearded shaggy, grimy looking monsters?
Surely, if so, they well represented the
Internal character of the place. Never
upon earth (the surface OF 1t, | mean, J
had seen such a monstrouS group {;
shocks Of hair all powdered with salt !;
glaring eycballS overhung by white lash,
es flashing in the tittul blaze of lamps ;
, brawny tolms glittering with crystal
powder, and marked by dark current, Of
! sweat! No wonder, | stared at them
with something akin to dlstrust. They
might be monsters in reality, and take a
sudden notion to hurl me into one Of their
internal pits by way of pa>tlne; in " hich
{ case the only consolation would be, that
where there was such an abundance of
salt there would be no difficulty in the
. preservation Of my remains
After all there was something sad in
the condition of these poor wreches-
shut out from the glorious light OF day,
inmured in deep dark pits hundreds Of
feet underground; slINIng a. II were for
life, in the bowels Of the Garth. Surely
the salt with winch other men flavor their
food is gathered with iulinite toll and min
gied with bitter sweat
Yet, strange aS it may seem, | was in
formed by the guide N.at these workmen
are SO accustomed to tins kind of life
that they prefer it to any other. BY the
rules of the directory they are divided
into gangs as on board ship. The
working gang is not permitted to remain
underground more than eight hours it
is then relieved. The current belief that
some of them live in the mines is not sus.
tanned by the facts. In former times it
is quite probable that such was the case
At present the administration of affairs is
more humane than il was at an early
period in the history Of the mines The
operatives are free to quit whenever they
please as in any private establishment.
l Plenty of others are always ready to take
J.. their places. The pay is good, averaging
from thirty kreutzcrs to Il tiorin a day.
| Whenever it Is practicable the work is
, done by the piece. Each man receives
, SO much for specified result. Good
, workmen can make two or three hundred
forms year. The sat is gotten out in
; various forms, according to the depth OF
, the stratum. When it is mixed with
an amalgum of hard earth it is cut into
cylindrical blocks and exported in that
form to Russia. The finer qualities are
, crushed and packed in barrels. for eXpor-
, tation to various parts Of Prussia and
, Austria.
| | 1lOW Hllc uO We ICIcCl upDlI lHc IIc'
, mendous aggregate Of toll by which the
, commonest article of human food is pro-
f cured! Thus, as we sit at our pleasant
n breakfast table-the sunshine shedding
. its cheerful glory through the curtains
y upon the social circle, the white cloth
, the clean knives, the. buttcred toast and
boiled eggs, so invitingly spread before
us-with what charming unconsciousness
Of labor we dip up a little salt and sprin
kle it upon our eggs and butter! to bC
sure there is no good reason why We
Z, should make ourselves miserable because
what we relish so highly cost labor; bu
would 1t not be instructive to dwell {
moment even upon pinch OF salt? No
!. to 60 into history of the silver mines
which have served to garnish our table
the iron mines, which have furnished u:
: with knives and forks; OF the coal mines
which afford us fuel with which to cool
our food-what a world of salt seas, anC
o brine springs, and crystal caverns-
I what an aggregate of human toll, CON
merce and enterprise that pinch of sail
r suggests! Yet so common is the use O
9 this mineral that, like the air we breathe
Z | we are sCdICtlN COiISSlVun VI itS CAtHtt'lCc
We next visited the stables in which
e the horses are kept for hauling the sal
on the subterranean railways. Many o
n the herses, it is said, never see daylight
= from the time they enter the mines. Ir
e the course OF few weeks they lose theil
a sight. A film gradually grows over th'
eyes-fron what cause coald tot asoeT
n tain. 1t may be the effects of the salt o.
# long continued darkness-though it doe
!. not apprar that the miners suffer anv in