The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-08-23
srARvArroN I'm THE MINES.

STARVATION In THE MINES.
What the Men on Strike have
been Earning and Living On.
SCRANTON. Pa, August 13.-It is af-
frmed here, upon excellent authority,
that . certain very prominent capitsl-
list, the representative of leading
company of coal producers in this
county, said at q capitalist meeting not
long since: "My policy in managing
laboring men is to keep them SO poor
that they cannot strike" From the
present condition Of the lsboring pop
ulation of Luzerne county, it would
seem that this policy has been thor
oughly tested, but it does not appear
10 have resulted as its originator ex-
expected it to. The men in sheer des-
peration have struck. They say: If
we must starve, we will at least do SO
above ground and in idleness."
Stories have been widely circulated
by mine owners and their agents, of
the improvidence and rapacity oftheir
emplyes. Since the present strike be-
gan Q Sun reporter has visited a great
number Of the men who have quit
work-engineers, miners and labOrcrs
has entered their squalid homes, ILL
.spected their monthly statements OF
accounts with their employers, and
learned by personal contact the actual
misery of their existence. They were
found fearful of the publication of
their names. They say that ever Ono
of them known to have given such in
formation will be marked man, to
be kept out of work by employers,
and, If possible, starved to death. In
the representative classes following,
the reporter has carefully verified each
by personal Investigation, and vouch-
es for the absolute truth of all the
averments made.
No. is q "half-place man" in the
employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Company. [Customarily
q miner and laborer work together,
the former taking two-thirds of their
joint earnings, and out of his share
paying for powder, oil, cotton, soap
and paper, mining necessaries. Some
times, however, two miners work to-
gether, sharing expenses and receipts
equally. Those who work in this way
are known as "half-place men."] In
the month preceding the strike he
earned S19-which he deemed fair
average after paying $3.50 for three
kegs Of blasting powder, S1,60 for
two gallons of oil, 20 cents for paper
and 10 cents for soxp. (The soap and
paper are used in making cartridges
for blasting.) Out of his S19 he had to
pay s., 30 for rent and 81 for coal, and
on fhe remaining $3.50 he had to
maintain for . month himself, wife,
three children, and his father, who is
"a years old. Their food was simply
corn meal mush, with few potatoes
since the new crop began to come in.
Some months he has, on payday, in
dulged In the riotous extravaganza of
buying two pounds of fat pork, but
beef he has not tasted for half year.
Occaaionally kind neiGhbor would
give them little milk, and an extra
good month might tempt the family
to indulge in some wheat flour and a
pint of molasses. There are, he saws,
eighty families on Continental Hill,
the heads of which are like himself,
employees in the Continental shaft,
none Of whom is any better of than
he, and some of whom are in even
greater distress.
No. 2 is q laborer in the Hampton
mine-One of those operated by the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Company. Last month there was an
extra week of work in this mine, and
his bill reached the unusual magni-
tude of $22,25. During the twelve
months, however, his earning have not
averaged over $14 per month. There
is still due him pay for SO cars of coal,
which he is not now allowed to re-
ceive, and, as all credit is refused since
the strike began, and he had been able
to save nothing, he and his family of
five are on the verge of starvation.
No. 8 is q miner in the Pine shaft,
worked by the Delaware, Lackawan-
na and Western Company, and has to
support wife, six children, and an
aged mother on earnings averaging
from SIT to SIS per month. His rent
is Sc per month. His eldest child.is
q girl, eight years of age. They have
had to live almost entirely upon mush.
His MONDAY meal in the mine has
habitually been q slice of bread, or
much oftener some cold mush. Such
tea as can be bought from 20 to % cts.
per pound, he has occasionally bought
a quarter of on pay days, when he felt
flush enough to indulge in such lux
ury for his family. He "only knows
there is meat in the land from hearing
folks speak of it."
No. 4 is an engineer in mine, con-
sequently he holds an enviable posi-
ton. During two years he has been
in enforced idleness-at one time 30
days, at another 60 days, at third 80
days. When allowed to work he was
only permitted to make one-half, or
at best, three.quarters time, conse-
quently his earnings haye averaged
when at work, only S24 to $26 per
month. On this he is supposed to
keep himself, wife and seven children,