Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-09-26
FROM HoD TO MINE.

to other streams of coal slipping
and sliding down the iron shot
sh O OTIS. Again and it passed
through the sifters, till at last only
q black brook of dust flow out up
on the ground, where it is picked
I'D and carted away. The break
er Is crowded with men and boys.
They sit on benches above DRIFT
streams of coal, and with patient
eyes and grimy fingers dick out
every scrap of slate that passes uh-
der them. In the stove and nut
coal small boys, mere 10 and IL
years old Youngsters, sit in dusty
rows and thrust their pitiful little
paws into the sliding mass in pur-
suit of the slate and stones. be-
hind the rows Of little fellows that
bridge the dusty brook stands the
task-master with his brutal stick
to keep them in order and up to
their work. We stand in the dust
laden air, and watch the black lit
tie fellows with feelings OF pity
and indignation. Has this great
corporation no more wit than to
employ brutal overseer with q
lash to urge these children up to
their work We do not reckon
on its soul. We do not imagine
it has any worth mentioning.
Has it not even sense enough to
pay these children by the amount
of slate they gather Half the
wages of their overlooker would
make splendid prize to keep the
boys up to the work. AS it is, the
business is disgrace and a shame.
What kind of citizens does Penn
sylvania think these breaker boys
will make ? Better burn slate in
h slf the stoves in the country than
drive school children to such work
with such a task master. Penn
sylvania wit is slow if it can not
invent a way of cleaning the slate
except by the hands of infants un-
der a whip.
Poor little dirty faces +! they are
at least fat and healthy, but that
is all. The eyes are dull and tim
i'd, as if the world was sorry,
place for small boys. They lean
over their choking brook, and
dive into it with sort of blind
protest, as if for them the world
was all upside down, and quite
out of joint. Poor little fellows
New England housekeepers, in
their quiet homes, complain If a
single slate refuses to burn in their
range, and their children are un
happy if mother asks them just to
bring up one hod from.the cellar.
Goals mean comfort and luxury to
h e m, and they have never a
thought of the little breakerboys
who toll in the choking dust and
deafening uproar that their Goals
may be clean.
Everywhere we pass streams of
coal flowing down from the sitting
machines, and at each stream sit
men and boys gathering the slate
as the coal drifts past. 1t is re-
lief to come out, at last, into the
sunshine at the bottom of the
breaker. The vast building with
its putting streams, clouds of dust
and horrid din, stands grim and
black among the mountains of it,
own refuse. Cars drawn by dom
keys are busy hauling away the
slate and rubbish, and dragging
away the countless tons of coal
dust. What will eventuallybecome
of the coal dust is the problem. 1t
is good coal but too finely powder
ed to burn in our present stoves
and fire boxes. Hundreds of mill
lions of tons are lying in this val
ley, and not a ton is ever used ex-
cept to fill swamp or to bnild
viaduct. Somebody must solve
the coal dust question. Sixty per
cent. of the output of the mines
is total loss. Small wonder that
good Goals cost what they do. The
Inventive genius of the country is
now concentrated on this coal dust
question, and the day of cheap coal
may yet come.
Concerning this business of
breaking, sorting and cleaning
coal, we may notice that the use
of water to wash the coal is being
introduced wherever the coal come
from a wet mine. BY this pro-
cess the dust is washed away, and
the breaker is free from dust, and
is much more comfortable. The
pickers can see the slate quicker,
and have less trouble in gathering
it. Where the coal comes out of
the mine dry, washing is not used
We cannot see why not. If it gives
a better and cleaner article and
adds to the comfort oftheir en-
ployes, it should be used freely.
Certainly the purchaser will notice
the difference, and will buy coal
of such GOLFERS as use water in
their breakers.