The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-08-07

emerging from the mine the sunlight Ior
a few moments was oppressive 10 our
ewes. One curious feature on entering
mine is readily noticed. For while
after YOU get into elmer darkness" it is
impossible 10 see anything; bat the
sight gradually restores, till YOU can
with small light see very distinctly for
several rods around.
This company employs nearly two
hundred hands, including miners, team
sters, leaders, weighers, overseers, dc.
From this a fair inference may be drawn
as to the number Of workmen employed
by the six mining companies Of this
place, all of whom are operating exlen-
sively.
We were also conducted through the
mines Of the Shawnee Valley Company,
by the gentlemanly overseer, Nr. ThoS.
Philips. The vein of coal in this bank
IS only six or seven feet in depth, and
we found the ragged ceiling taking fire.
quent exceptions to our new plug hat.
About the same general description as
given above, will apply to this and all
the other banks: 50 that the examination
Of one bank will give one 4 fair under
standing of coal mining.
There are three distinct coal veins
through this entire coal field, the middle
vein Of six to seven feet lying about 20
feet below the top vein, and the third
vein, of about the same thickness, is 80
to 40 feet below the middle: so that it
will be seen that the country is under
laid with from twenty to twenty-five feet
of solid coal. For the present, the up
per vein is the only one being mined,
being high above the level Of the vallies
and ravines. and aff"rding the best Of
drainage.
The railroad cars; - they are filed at
the different mines, are run down on the
main track, till twenty-five of these are
formed into line Then large camel
back locomotive is hitched to them and
the coal is started north 10 find mark
ct. It is nothing unusual, when the coal
trade is brisk, to see dozen or more
trains start NJ nor.h in dav.
The country in this section, 50 far as
agricultural pursuits are concerned, is
absolutely worthless The hills have
been worn out with excessive farming,
and the soil, if they ever had any, is ex
haustsd. But few Of the original land
owners reside there at present, and the
country, outside of the villages, has a
deserted appearance. The numerous coal
/ companies and private spectators have
| purchased the coal lands for many miles
around at large figures, and thus "the
I imprisoned among the hills were set
/ free, and hundreds of them have been
/ glad to locate at other points where they
can have the privilege of better society
and better homes. The hills look fear
/ fully large to one who has become hab-
1 ituated to looking over the level plains
/ of the north west. Indeed they may we'll
be denomina.ed the ''childern Of the Al
leghanies" without doing the latter in
! Justice. The drouth in this region has
! been unusually severe, and the hills, eX-
/ cept the bare article Of black berries, are
as bald us the beaten highway. For a
distance Of seven or eight miles we did
not see enough wheat to bread a man
! through the winter, nor ts much oats as
hungry horse Wonid eat at a meal, and
the corn crop is an utter failure. y few
/ fields were sown and planted, but between
/ the poverty OF the soil and drought the
crops are not worth the gathering. The
merchants of Shawnee receive very little
country trade. Every article of food con-
sumed is brought by rail from the more
| favored regions of the northern part of
| the country. Yet the business Of Shaw
nee is brisk. There is little or no ''trust-
/ ing" which is the bane to any kind of
| business, as we'll as the source of embar-
! rassment to business men. The main
| income of the merchants and tradesman
IS derived from the miners, who know
no other commodity than cash.
/ Poor ~ these hills are. they are the
native place for the black berry, which
is alb ut the only country production of
fered in the market. The berries were
offering at five cents per quart. This re-
gion in early day abounded in fine pop
lar timber, but the poverty Of the land
| holders compelled them to cut it off, saw
it up and ship it to market, in order to
obtain pecuniary relief which the great
veins Of wealth underneath the surface
was then unable to give.
In the afternoon we hired convey
ance and went cover the hills" two miles
to New Ssraitsville. This point is the
| terminus of the railroad branch running
into the coal regions from Logan. This
is place of about $500 inhabitants and
is only four years old. From some cause
the miners were all idle. There is not
good state Of feeling between the opera
tors and miners. The latter have been
for a year orsmore on kind of running
'strike," and the operators became weary
with depending upon their vacilating
way of doing business. They therefore
lcCSHtiy SdtneISU up Two OF lHIOS nun
dred colored men and set them to work
in the mines, and who we learned were
giving good satisfaction. This has given
ofense to the Irish miners, who natural
ly have but little love for the "domned
nager."-Many of the old laborers are
consequently out of employment and in
straItened circumstances. They are ready
to be desperate at any moment, and just
what the sequel of the smothered volcano
of passion will be, no one can foret4ll =
From the beginning, the miners at this
point, as at Nelsonville, have been more
or less captious. Like all members of
"trade combinations" they have been too
intent to make the law to govern both
themselves and their employers. These
miners, for good behavior, stand in Gu
riou5 contrast with the miners at Shaw
nee, who we believe have never, as yet
entered into the spirit of the mob. The