The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-01-20

Inspector Roy's Annual Report.


hardships. Most people, unaccustomed to
It's scenes from boyhood, experience some
degree Ut horror at the thought Of beng
ourled. even for a few hours, in the bowels
OF the earth. Among the ancients. so
great was the horror Of mining. that all
underground work was assigned to slaves
and convicts. In Egypt, and other an
cient Kingdoms, the mines vert the proper
ty Of the kings and the miners were con
vlcts, prisoners Of war, and purchased
slaves. Both sexes, aud children of all
ages, were compelled to labor in the mines.
and they lived there day and night The
I0iners, divided into different gangs. were
placed under overseers Of ditferentn alton
alltles, and were chained to prevent them
from mutiny ard escape. Their labors
we're terribly exhausting. At thirty years
Of age the strongest men we're worn down,
from the effects of mephitic gases, cruel
treatment, and hard work, and many Of
them were forced to labor until they fell
dead.
As late as the year 1910 the coal miners
Of Scotland were bound for life to work in
the mines, and were transferable with the
mine property. In 1905 one Of the acts Of
the Scottish Parliament, passed that year,
declared that all Golfers who should leave
their masters, without their consent, were
t. be esteemed and held an thieves, and
tull permission was given in the same act
to all masters and owners Of coal mines to
lay hold Of all vagabonds and sturdy beg
gArs and compel them to work in the mines,
TO which occupation they we're ever after
ward bound
In these modern days of civilization and
enlightened education, however, the oc-
cupatIon of a miner is regarded with honor;
all known and approved safeguards are
thrown round him, which the arts aud
sciences eau command, to make his occu-
patton safe and salubrious; and the adyen-
turous men who, amidst subterranean
darkness, noxlous vapors, and the crush
my Of falling strata, venture into the cav
ems of the earth to wrest its mineral
treasures from their native beds for the
use and comfort Of their fellow men, are
proud of their occupation.
Miners, from whatever nationality they
may have originally come, or whether ma
trves for generations, have many ideas in
common. Working by the piece, or ton,
each is, in a sense, HIS own boss. When
work is plenty and cars are abundant, they
work with uncommon energy, one man
often doing in eight or nine hours what
would be a fair days work for two men.
No man will admit that another can put
more coal than he, and the younger and
more robust will seldom acknowledge that
they are ever tired During the slack or
dull seasons Of the year they have a great
deal Of leisure time waiting on cars in the
NINE, and they pass most Of this spare
time IN groups, The main topic of discus
SION at these social gatherings being 1he
relation Of labor and capital. Any man
Who takes a contract for work at less than
the usual price Is regarded as having dis
graoed himself. During strike it is held
To be an Infamous act to work (5lacklge),
and men regard it as a high honor to be
able to say that neither thems selves or any
% their relations ever did so.
There are many grades of intelligence
among these underground CoaI workers,
but, taking the whole body together, they
may be divided into two distinct classes
the temperate and Industrious and the IN
temperate and thrlttless. There are about
as many Of the one class as the other The
larger number Of the temperate and in
dustriuus are protesting Christians, mem
beers "a the church, are readers Of books
and newspapers, and will take rank as
among the most Intelligent Of the work
Ingmen OF the State The church mem
beers are generally Baptists, Methodists,
and Presbyterians
They are keen dlsputsnts Of those church
doctrines which have div ided Protestants
for two hundred years, and often. in the
murky chamb ers Of the coal mine, during
the leisure hours Of a working day, scenes
of real life may be witnessed, such as Mil
ton, in Paradise Lost, has portrayed as
occurring in the realms Of Heaven before
man was formed Of the dust of the earth
''Others apart sat on a hill refined
A. Thoughts more elevate, and reasoned high
OF Providence fore kHOWle ledge, will and fate.
Fixed fate. free will. fure-knoWletige absolute"
Many Of this class Of men own the houses
and lots in which they live, and have
money out at interest Some Of them.
Who have large families Of children, have
little ahead, but they pay their way as
they 20, and owe no man a cent
The Incorporate and thriftless class pass
most Of their spare time in the saloons Of
the mining villages. These places are the
curse Of the coal mines, and they are as
numerous as they are demoralizing. They
are frequently kept by miners who have
been vIctlnized for having been conspicu-
Gus ~ some former strike, and who profess
TO be heroes and martyrs to the cause of
labor. Sometimes a miner who has been
crippled by a fall Of rock or coal, or whose
lungs have been wasted by working amidst
the foul and nOxiOus gases Of badly ven
rIae. 4 al 4
only means Of making living.
Men who pass their working time in a
coal mine and their idle time in a saloon
can not have broad and liberal views of the
true relations Of labor and capital. The
only way TOO many of such men think Of
redressIng any grievance, real or imaginary,
Is by force. When mining district is
confronted with a proposition coming from
the operators, to reduce the rate of wages.
or when tho miners themselves deem an
advance due. this class Of men are always
ready to strike, yet majority Of them are
probably not In a condition to stand out
on their own resources for twenty four
hours
Some Of the noblest deeds ever perform
ed by man-deeds which, had they occur
red On the battle field, would have been
rewarded with high public honors and
emoluments-have been performed by
miners on the occasion Of mining catas-
trophies. On the occurrence Of every &C.
cldent, however dangerous, there are
dozen or one hundred men ready to plunge
into danger, or death itself, in the hope of
rescuIng fellow workman. This race Of
men are also as remarkable for their gen
erosity as for their spirit u daring When
sny one Of their number gets hurt in the
pursuit Of his calling. his associates are a.
ways ready to assist his family until their
fellow craftsman wounds are healed, and
he is again Mt for work
The character which have drawn IL
miners seldom finds its way into the pub
lie press, and what the public usually know