The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-15
THE MINER.
@ = Written for the ADVOCATE.
The Miners Investment.

In nv last accompanied you through
severaI perils OF the mine safely 70 mark
vou for watch fancy deserve some 81 rdit
for the mercy extended; but mark YOU again,
can't always be so lenient, while treating
on the same OF on n collateral subject In
this paper, therefore, YOU will lind some
thing more grave and important.
70 begin, without further prelude, | shall
have yoa workiug at undermining. Tue
coal above you sounds "lke beil.' You
suspect no danger; your undermining be
comes more tree you are making GOOD
Roadway ia consequence but you are cut
ting into "back Slip" and ia your eager
Mess to push forward your work you forget
TO paw attention TO the mass OF coal you are
liberating. You expect II will give warn
ing by the peculiar cracking sounds gener-
ally emitted BY coal before il fails But
said YOU were cutting into shack slIT.
This liberaies the mass, when down il falls
90 suddenly that it is On you before you can
saw Jack Robinson, or have time to spring
back out Of its way Il brushes the lie out
Of you; goa have made your hnal investment.
Death, who has been standing by you ready
With his scythe for Ine space OF bali an
hour, gains a victim you lose your lie;
your wife is q widow your children ar or
phans Il it not profitable investment,
but Who can tell ? the ways OF Providence
are 50 wise and 80 much above our very
hmiteu COMPREHENSION. We Ihink it has
cost yc Griy we pity you, aud extend
mOdeEa,e share Of sympathy TO your bereav-
cd ones. We take you to a premature grave,
and stop the works 10 do so, at which your
employers grumble IN their hearts, for their
/ invC stment is necessarily idle day or two.
Perhaps, INV ever, you are better OF than We
are who remain behind.
In nv last ] showed your life to be 10 i'm
minent peril from the moment you enter the
dark mine until you arrived back 20 the
surface and sunlight. You are 30 beset
with lurking dangers that you cannot say
your life belongs % you The bony gentle
man mentioned above may have plan lAld
to dash you into bis kingdom without mo-
ment'r waning. bis grim monster IS so
full Of terrible eXpedients be apparently
loves 10 work 10 the dark be bankers after
poor miners when will the greedy giut be
satisfied
Your employers boast Of the capital they
invest they place this side by side with
your labor, which they admit is yottr IN
vestment, and for which you receive but the
market value Of II 10 IT'S unskilled state. Let
as see what more besides mere labor you do
invest cO0jointly With your employers cap
ital In the production OF c0aL
The market value Of your lsb0r may be
two, three, or -four dollars per DAY, much
depending individually on your physical
aud mental gigOr. We shall put labor 70
one eide and ask, what peeuni~ry value you
pat on leg or on an arm or an eve or on
: your liie's blood These are mere inslgni
I heant items yJu throw into the bargain |
suppose, for which YOU receive no thanks,
let me tell YOU.
When you make that fa,al investment,
and you are placed decently IN your grave,
we turn again % our daily routine Of labor;
things 20 % about as usual without you,
except 10 your own household we soon for
get you, and become absorbed IN our own
affairs We seldom question the subject OF
your fate. Could II lave been helped and
hOw Il does not concern many IF us ma ~;
As long az we are spared TO- GAY, We think
We shall De spared to-mOrrow, ana the day
after tomorrow We have such provoking
assurance.
Win the production N about each thirty
Thousand tons Uf COL il this region, hu-
man life il invested therefore, 70 every
sixty thousand dollars or thereabou.
brought into be re- i)n, human life IS sent
out, and 10 the unknown regions Of bliss or
Of woe.
1t will not be out 81 place here 70 ask you
il how many years can YOU produce thirty
thousand tons Of coal: In tie mammoth
rein under favorable circumstances FROM SIX
TO ten. Then II you escape the dangers Of
the mine for a longer period thln this, you
Hvr.,...tr ..rr H..
But you may live and work CITY wears as
miner, aud DIE 10 your bed from natural
causes, 10 spite Of the short average life OF
about eight years We find allotted TO you; but
again you may not live aud work .y mia
uge5, until you are carried home cold and
stiff on a stretcher. II you happen 20 live
beyond the average years, and keep your
eyes and ears open, ami your mouth shut; I
mean II your keep well posted IN the various
ways and means death uses for your destrue-
ton, you sand better chance Of dsdging
the monster; and v5u msy often snap your
fingers in the bony sockets Of bis eyes, after
be has made stroke a. you, which you
have cleyerly avoided. But The nLmerou,
e1pedients death uses 10 cn.rap you, shall
reserve for a future chapter, chapter Of
horrors fesl determined 60 indulge in II
LlC Ubuy EtukAHDAl lA1 NDA a 1hth EEdlf -
stop ny breath and pen at the same time
We viii trust il Providence for the issue
however.
II have digressed, beg my readers par
d0Bs | shall return to The subject of your
investments.
But hold Who IS that robust Young man,
Just leaving ny door, after asking relief /?
tie Is led by al interesting little girl, appa-
-,
door to door. lie was a miner who invested
bis eyesight 10 toe premature discharge of
blast lie will 20 u bis grave and never
more behold the light Of the sun, or o loved
and familiar face
Who again is that pale, in6rm invalid,
who needs the help Of a staff to assist him
along in his morning walk He is prema-
tursly old il Rsthmatieal, and nearly az
deaths door. Death need not stir abroad
In this instance: for here 10 a sure victim,
who will soon knock and ask for admittance
tie will not bask 10 the morning sunlight
much longer, poor follow lie is on the
verge Of the grave, whose sod will soon
grow green above him. How can We pity
him-in years 50 young in suffering so old
He is but bidding last sdieu to familiar
otiects. lie is going; slowly and sadly. lit
eyes wide open, lie is ready for the final
struggle. He invested bis health by inhal.
ing the viiia.ed air Of badly ventilated
coal mine Day after day be drew tne poi
son into bis iungs, which is causing him to
totter hcme TO hIs last rest. His case Is by
no means solitary in tact, | am speaking
Of Ills that are buE too general IN their ma
ture.
Again, there limps pact q permanent Grip
pie, whose injuries render him perfectly
helpless; YeS be has many years 10 live, and
life is almost burden % bim already; his
wounds are so paInfal. lie was unfortun-
ately crushed beneath the debris OF a eavtd-
in drift; b. will limp into his grave so@e
years hence.
Once more, look at the diskgured face Of
that other, the hneameDts " which are
drawn up crimped and contOrted: one eye