The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-04-01
MISCELLANY.
Life at the Coal Mines.

From the Philadelphia Press.I
Few persons living in large cities, or in Sec
tions of country.remote from the coal mines
OF Pennsylvania, can form any idea of the
troubles, The care, anxiety, and many vexa-
tions endured by those engaged in the bust
ness of mining coal. 1t would be well indeed
II these were the only drawbacks. But dan
ger, and that of the most serious kind, is a
concomitant. In The recollection OF the wri-
ter, and coming under his own personal knowl-
edge, are several cases of murder aad cold
blooded assas sination committed at the mines
upon innocent victims. Each OF these inui
ders had been planned beforehand, ana tne
perpetrators had only waited for convenient
time to put their designs into execution.
A curious fact connected with tnis Is mat
there is rot a single instance on record in the
three great mining counties of Pennsylvania
viz: Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylki, where
one of these murderers has ever been brought
to Justice and suffered the penalty of the out
ragged law. Why they are suffered to 90 at
large, why they are never ferretsd out and
convicted, and why the people suffer this state
of things to exist without devising some rem
the least, very singular And that such state
Of standardization should exist in commune
" where judges, sherifs, and jails, and all the
machinery OF the law, are in full operation, Is
more singular still. But such is the case.
In the hope that the attention of our legis-
ialors and all interested may be drawn to this
subject, and that some means may be devised
to check this la wlessness in the anthracite
coal region, is the object OF writing this artl-
Gle. AS single fact is worth any amount OF
theorzing, will endeavor TO give the reader
q truthful account of life at the coal mines,
leaving him to draw his own differences.
In 1861 was the lessee of coal mine in
Pennsylvania Having had previously some
fifteen years experience in the coal regions,
and having had in that time intimate relations
and dealings with almost every nationality
Germans, Scotch, English, Irish, and even
few Swedes, l could not be considered as
green hand, or unfit to I'll the place did. /
certainly knew something of the business l
had undertaken. My colliery was the farthest
from the market of any in the region, conse-
quently 1t occupied an isolated position No
public road was near it, it was several miles
from town, and the American population
was sparse and scattered
When first took the mines found every
thing much disorganized. The former lessee
had failed through sheer incapacity, having
had no administrative ability whatever
Drunken engineers, worthless fremen, and
lazy fellows of every description seemed to
reign supreme. l had to make changes very
cautiously, but as l knew so much depended
upon having trusty, sober engineers, l first
discharged the old ones, and put two sturdy,
resolute Germans in their place. This step
offended the Irish miners, as they were very
jeaous Of the Germans. placed two Ameri-
cans in Offices of trust and responsibility
One, middle aged man, had charge of the
Office, books, and fire proof; the other, youn-
ger man, had charge of the store and mine
supplies. A stout, able bodied Pennsylvania
Dutchman had charge of the stables.
The important Office of mining boss was
filed by an Englishman, as fine a looking fel-
low as one could meet with in days march.
Alter events, however, proved him to be la
mentally deficient, both in physical and moral
courage, a thing quite rare in his country
men, as 1 have generally found them as cour-
ageOus as bulldogs, anu, truth to tell, about as
obstinate. How was 30 deceived in this
man l know not. Now, unless q mining boss
possess both physical and moral courage, and
that in a great degree, he can exercise but
little power aud influence over the men, for
they seem to define instinctively his weakness,
and govern themselves accor ,lngly. The out
side boss was brave, quiet EDgishman-no
giant,but firm and resolute "a man of few words.
The miners and laborers were FULLY seventy.
five per cent. I,ish, so you see Paddy was de.
cidedly in the majority.
tried to equalize the men by putting IN
more Germans and Welsh. But this by no
means pleased my Celtic friends, and two
weeks strike was the result, which, however,
ended by the new corners being allowed to
work. was obliged, however, to move very
cautiously, especially as many OF the men 1
had discharged lived IN my houses, and l
could not eject them at once without causing
riot. Why did you not pi.ch them out
says the reader. Softly, my friend, it is more
easily said than done. we have assisted at
such things in times past, aud can assure you
on our personal honor that it is not a very
pleasant job 20 undertake.
Visions OF an irate, red-headed virago,
armed with large red hot poker, with scald-
ing water as an accompaniment, huge, ruff
fianly fellow with a crow-bar, and another
with miners pickaxe, float through our
brain, and as such things are apt to leave a
striking impression, we ale decidedly OF the
opinion that the ejecting process is by no
means pleasant one.
Nevertheless, when it had to be done we
did 1t at all hazards, but we generally prefer
red to worry them out. In spite OF the seem.
ing peace, found out that a plot had been
Matched to drive off all the new men l had
employed. Whispers were heard that their
lives were not safe, and as a natural conse
quence many oil them took their tools out OF
the mines and left. The Germans, however,
stOlidly kept at work. Under these circum-
stances it really seemed as if it would be no
use in cont nding. l might as well give up
all control OF the mines, remain mere locker
on, a catspaw, to be used as a brutal, ire
sp0nsible set ofrlffians should think tit.
But this was part Of the programme felt
by no means inclined to carry out. 1t l was
to be beaten it should not be without gallant
fgh., to thelde~th If necessary. / already car
ried about me the marks inflicted by a gang of
ruffian miners years before, and this by no
means increased my charitable feelings to-
wards them. They then thought they had
given me my quietus, and owe no thanks to
them that l am alive this day. From the
bad feelings existing among the men l was
sure matters would eliminate before long,
but could not tell in what particular way.
Several times in three months the men had
turned out" and each time for some trifling
cause. Matters finally came to head on
Tuesday. l had lett the mines on Monday to
go to New York on business, everything ap.
parently going on well, men all at work, cars
loading and no indications of trouble. So nv
mind was at ease, or as much at ease as a coal
operators mind can be, living as he does near
a volcano ready to burst out at any time. On
Tuesday afternoon as l was sitting in the
reading-room of the M Hotel, waiter
brought me telegram. 1t was as follows:
"Men have struck; mines stopped: three
hundred men assembled and drove the mining
boss away he escaped through the woods.
The miners threaten to stop the pumps and
burn down the breaker"
Well, this was decidedly pleasant. No ap.
petite tor tea after that Here was a nice
state OF afars-a man a hundred and fifty
miles away from home, and all his property at
the mercy OF rufians. Perhaps the breaker
was already burning. Who could tell? They
were God thirsty aad savage enough to do
anything. 1t would not have been lucky lust
then for one of those crafty demagogues who
are preaching "basis" to the miners to have
been near me. rather think | should have
adopted Tom Browns plan, and punched his
head"
took the evening train for home. lived
several miles away from the mines, and upon
my arrival messenger came from the mines
and gave me full account of what had taken
place i'll my absence.
1t appeared that on Tuesday morning when
the steam whistle blew for the men to 90 to
work, none but few Germans made their ap-
pearance. The engineers and bosses were at
their posts as usual. Groups of men gathered
about the shanties and store discussing what
they called their grievances. One was, that
was wedding out the Irish and putting Ger
man In ftheir places. Another, that l had
threatened to discharge a man who was said
to &c 2 leader OF the gang. Still another was,
tnat the mining boss must so, or they would
stop the pumps.
About one o'clock numbers OF strange men
from other collieries began to assemble, and by
TWO about four hundred went TO the mining
boss house (wheIe he had gone, getting
fightened), and yelled out for him to leave or
they would burn the house down.
r,vytI ,vof 81, IL. II