Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-08-23

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which | had passed in the countr
this last winter had been exception
ally severe.
/, Mark Bradburn, had, at tn,
age of five and twenty, been reck
oned fortunate in being promoted
to be acting manager of the Blacl
Star Iron Mine, close to q towl
called Ithaca, on the Pennsylvani;
shore of the Delaware. But thei
l had for two years had an oppor
tunity, as clerk of the works, O
proving to the satisfaction of my
principals that l was capable o
experimenting the business eflic.
emily enough. A StafTordshire lad
l had from childhood been familiar
with iron ores and their treatment
while, having early in life beer
placed under the tuition of a min.
ing engineer, had brought out
with me to America that technical
knowledge that so greatly tends to
smooth the path of an emigrant.
1t was for tho sake of my widow
cd mother in England-who loved
me very dearly, and who, / knew,
never failed night and morning to
put up prayer for the safety and
wcll-being of her boy beyond the
seas-that | was so eager to earn
the means of establishing a home
which | could ask her TO share.
With this end in view during the
first years of my residence in the
United States / had practiced self
denial, as well as industry had
roughed it contentodly, and had
spent my leisure hours in perfect
ing myself in the theoretical lore
of my profession, and in cultivating
my acquaintance with the German
language, in which | now con-
verse fuently-a useful accom-
plishment in a district where so
many of our workers were fair
haired new comers who knew no
tongue but that of their native
Saxony or Pomerania.
My post, rs acting manager of a
Pennsylvania mine, was one which
sntailed some privations, much vig-
lance, and a good deal of patient
oil. The Black Star was but
of modern extent-not
me Of those mammoth mines that ,
'ield their thousands of tons in the ,
output-but the iron was
# excellent quality 4; fine red hem
tite, that almost cqualcd tho best
swedish in lustrc and purity and Q
othing but the cost of coal and of !
,bor prevented us from carrying '
n much larger trade than we
ctually did. Our worlxmen were i
motley crew of varied nation a
lty, for tho best of the native pit 3
len had been alurcd away by the :
old and silver of the Far West, v
lille tho sturdy Irish immigrant n
referred the. open air labor to v
,rning a livelihood below the "
round. So high were the wages 6
G were forced to give, that Cor o
ish miners and colliers from Scot d
nd often found it worth their o
hile to cross and re-cross the At c,
ntic, spending their own slack sea-
IN profitably among our shafts Ii
I'd galleries. VI
Salaries in the United States are a
'rhaps notquite on aproportionate pr
vel with weekly wages, but then d,
o opportunities of rising in bl
o world are probably much
ore frequent than at home; and OF
lid not complain, anticipating SO
Q time when, as permanent man in
ar, should be in receipt of a sa
tier income and, prospcctively, Gu
some share in the profits of the Of
IN. For the time being l had lily
ard and lodging at the rate of ID
so a day, in an upland farm to
use, and ran no risk of damage, wi
her in person or property, by co
, inundation that menaced the th
cllings of those who lived closer I'M
tho river. l was q mere spccta- ha
!, though ever ready and willing SIX
a pinch to be useful to those so'
% were less fortunate. wi
There's woman on Ship Island, th'
re. wayinr something aud call he