The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-01-08

closed up, by fragments Of coal, wedg ID with
the splinters against the wall side, and the
topmost prop that remains uninjured, and
they threaten to start off down the manway
the instant they are meddled with. This Is
what miners term blocked manway. 1t is
not so much the apparent danger that causes
our hero to swear, as the necessity Of having
to repair the injury done to the manway,
before he can start to work to his pecuniary
advantage. The prospect of this labor in
vain unsettles his temper. He examines
the loose Goals that shuts him out from
bis work takes pick, then clinging closely
to the top Of the prop that is most convenient,
touches some particular piece Of coal, which
loosens the mass. This starts down the
manway with roar and passes close under
our hero, who is clinging stretched out be-
tween the tops of two props, into which
posture he has sprung after having touched
the piece Of coal with bis pick, and " started
the manway." The pick has been driven
from his hand, and it lies down below on the
platform near the gangway, among the coal
with its handle broken. One Of the pieces
Of coal played a trick while passing our
hero it had a sharp protruding angle ;
this struck bis pants behind, at q point below
the waist and above the thighs. The pants
were torn, and slit cut rather too deeply
into the peculiar part they covered. At
this piece Of bad fortune our hero drew on
bis vocabulary for words and expressions we
shall not use here they would appear too
shocking and profane in the eyes Of some
people. Such spurs as this, miners often
get and the remedy that is too often applied
without the injury is severe and the IN
dividual extremely forbearing-is an explO-
sion Of terms strong and expressive; so our
hero is not solitary example. After the
coal had ceased to rumble down the manway,
and our hero to swear, everything was quiet,
and he began to think of venturing into a
more easy posture than that Of clinging into
the angle formed at the top Of the manway
but be found himself in the dark his lamp
had been extinguished, by the wind raised
by the rush Of coal. He stood down on the
steps, and fumbled in his pants pocket fol
a lucifer match He found none. His only
plan to regain light was to descend to the
gangway, graphing his way down the steer
dark passage, which be did slowly and
cautiously enough, swearing in the meantime
to his hearts content. His wound behind
was smarting and bleeding this circum
stance did not cool his temper. In due
season be arrived safely in the gangway
where be obtained a light. He then dis
covered his pick handle broken. tie tool
advantage of this circumstance to rehears'
the articles Of his belief He climbed
again to the face of the breast, taking plank
ing and props to repair the injured manway
When arrived up with these, in a stream o
perspiration, he found what is considered b.
miners, his breast quite safe, so he begaI
the work of repairing in earnest. But thing
were not to progress straightforwardly ate
the manway was repaired for on markin,
off drill hole, piece of coal fell on tn
back Of bis hand, and OILY stopped when i
met with the bone. This bled profusely
and to staunch the wound be used as line
ment, some Of the cotton lamp wick he wa
fortunately provided with. He began t
think seriously of hls bad luck, and CAV
up swearing. He got afraid. Here W
fined him after performing two hours labo
which did not earn him a penny-wit
the two cuts we have specified, and broker
pick handle. As yet he was twenty-five
: cents-the cost of the handle-in debt. III
got the hole drilled, his hand paining bin
almost to distraction. His misfortunes ab
sorbed more of bis attention, than the wOrl
be was performing, and the hole was no
in proper position to do the execution
ought to do After the hole was fred, b
found out this mistake, as the tampin
placed in the hole to confine the charge {
, powder, was blown out like cork, out OF
bottle of pop. At this, our hero sat dow
on the loose Goals in the breast, and it b
? came question, whether he should or shout
not renew the swearing. He thought I
crying; but this would have done no gooC
E He stormed the place with oaths such q
! miners only understand thus, showing tn;
his temper was not improving. He dete
mined to try another charge of powder
| but the result was as before; wasted pow
der, and wasted labor Another hole wa
to be drilled or it was evident that nothin
would be done. He snatched the drill an
with his might pinched in a new hole, TO
getting his wounds in his excitement Th
blood from his wounded hand ran down th
drill, and made it slippery. When he cam
to charge the hole with powder, be foun
he had not been sufficiently careful in drill
ing, to keep the hole circular in form S
the effect Of this was, to burst the cartridg
while he endeavored to thrust it into th
hole. The loose powder then scattered il
self on the coal | must mention here ths
part Of the mined coal is left in breast, i
order to give footing to the miner, to Ell
/ able him to keep up to the breasts fac
while at bis work. Among this lose Goa
> it was that the charge of powder scattere
: itself II. II. w.
E ASHLAND, Penns, lvsnia, Novemer, 1859.