New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-16


AN INSIDE v1Ew-PAYING YOUR FoOTIsG-LIFE
UNDER GROUND-sTRIKEs AND WAGES
LARGE FORTuNKs-CORNwALL IRON NOUN
TAINS
MAUCH CHUNK, Penn, Sept. l5.-ln riding up
the Iehigh Valley, tall, dngy strnngeookins buildings
may be noticed much unlike Chicago grain vator
Those are the coal breakers" where tho mineral Ia
crushed and through screens to separate the
various sizes Large piles Of coadust and slate show
how much Is thrown aside useless Near them 10 tho
entrance 10 the mine Let us descend Lamp In hand,
We stand on tho front OF the and begin 70
leave tho glimmerng daylight behind We stop by the
engine placed in a cut out OF the coal and amid
the sitting heat examine two large pipes through which
the water pumped up At the bottom OF the descent
ia group OF miners. Last Saturday evening they
aiblack except the whites OF their eyes; Mon
day the black only covers their faces In spots One
than acoosts us with, "Say, Mister, do you
know the rulesD Of tho minesf You ca MT go
through here unless you pay your footing"
We handed the thirsty cyclop tre and passed along
the gangwsy with the water soaking our best boots and
dripping upon cy-bought hats Soon we came to a
group OF men working in Darkness made still moro
gloomy by their pickering lamps, and befouod with dirt
and exposed to dangers. The mules employed
I'm the Dit stabbed underground and never taken up
cent when some accident happens the mine stops work
ing Bnt cherries the condition OF the MINERS
they ask pity Only pay the combination prices,
will seek other faV0rs Ihey prefer ihDof
tho mines to any other kind OF work The hours OF labor
are not long. usually eight day, and sometimes only
six The miners exempt from great extremes Of
temperature, and their pay Is liberal though by no
means as extravsgant a. some suppose
Last year the production OF coal eIceedad the demand
by 900 OF tuns and IL selling At loss Owing
TO tho advice OF the newspapers too the people ceased
buyipe The mineowner could not store his product.
since he has no facilities for storage, and tho coal
| costs rs cents . tun every time II Is handled.
Nor could the coal be forced on the market AT q
lower price. Just then, however, occurred the
| miners strike; work ceased for SIX weeks soo,Oo
tuns OF coal were taken out OF the market speeu'
ators took OF this turn OF affairs ana ran up
the price ut the sales OF Scranton coal per nn
This monthly sale Of $1,000 tuns fixes the rate Tor the
whole 900 tuns Produced Inc public FEARING that
the supply was short bought their Winters stock eagerly
at the rates The same thing was repeated on
large scale this year. The WorkngmeDs Benevolent
Organisation, 10000 strong thoroughly conpacted,
Snder the direction OF leaders bold and shrewd stopped
work whom coal fell too low that their wages might not
be reduced. The miners who like other men prefer
dleness 10 work. at tho price, expected that the
e lost on strike would be compensated by an Increased
rate OF wages IL planned 10 last three weeks but
was prolonged by refusal Of OF tho companies
10 gccede 10 terms and has proved prontaDe 70 no
body except the speoulators ,, - -,
n or Is day. the average Is from $40 to $40 month
mechanic The men who shovel the coal into the cara
and attend to It's passing through the "breahers &c
are termed Ldborers and are paid VII week Tor outside
work and tl2 In the mines When coal advances above
a. fun they receive One-ffth OF the Increase.
OF course some large fortunes are made. The most
prom nent example that of-the Hon. Asa Packer Of
Mauch Chunk His property "a estimated at from ntte0n
twenty millions Of dollars la i@s no touhaeu ana GU