The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-10
LIFE AT THE COAL MINES.



the Rock and Diamond veins. which makes for
him ti32 10 sj.Oi per diem. or. n he has steady
work t11232to Si3l.Oi per month";" That is
the way the mine owners want the case stated
to tho public. for they urc. with good rcason
ashamed of the facts. Let us see how near that
statement comes to the truth. In the first place.
one-thrd Of the gross amount earned must be-
paid TO the lahorcr. for every miner must have
ahelpcr to load coal and do other work. out
OF the remaining two-thrds the miner must
supply all the tools and materials he employs
for the mine owner furnishes nothing but cars
the mules that draw them and the tracks they
run on. A set Of miners tools costs about $40
They wear out fast. shovel. costing 81. will
last but two or three months A miners pick.
costing 81. so may. with careful usage. last ten
months or even a year. and n bottom pick-a
much heavier tool that costs s2.5O-s consid-
ored good for about the same time Drills have
to be replaced with frequency and sharpencd
constantly. Sharpening tools costs on an aver
age 10 cents per month. The Lackawanna
Iron and Coal Company used to charge the men
fixed price of 30 cents per month for sharpen
ing. whether they had it done or not. Then for
constant and heavy expenses the minor has to
bear. must be counted powder Mt $3.50 per kcg.
oil ut 80 cents per gallon. blasting tubes al 80
cents each cartridge paper. soap for making
cartridges. cotton. g.. g.. The expensive
tubes, which arc constantly required for blast
their first use. Or cours'. whcrN a company
store is kept IN como iion with the mine, t,i"sc
tools and materials must an ne purchased there
and the employers make a pretty profit on
them. So after All the deductions are made. The
to si.9GDthat is without any allowance ior
wear and tear 81 tools-and the laburer gets
from sl.ii to l.GO. Poor enough pay 1t ia for
such hard and d1n-c ruus toll as his, hut not 50
bad IA many rcrciy'. 80 far as 81 GOES
The greatlreubl.. however. is Tint he cannot
MINI of The Delaware" IlcNawauna and West
ern RAILROAD Company. the men nave only boon
month. In The Brll-yu' MINI. of the sniue
company, tho average has hr0 % about ton shifts
company. MIN To- cl"yrn Suits per month. In
the Cornell MIN" ot the same company. s"ven
or eight suits pmr month during mo psi ,Wn
yohrs. In tho Bris' H'lai. belonging % the
Inknwanna Icon snd Cos. '3mpniy. i'r eye
trnoriinary nNrrAs, Of sixteen shais i"r
month has been rca he'd 10y fnson oI the l.t
that IN" product Of THIS winr ras been one
ployeu ,o run the Iron and stool works. lnllfn.
he min r. have l.cn an.c To- ,afn nonmaiiI
about $40 per month. ilt ats they have tu truda
their carniugs ont IL the company store. tlty
can hardly he sand to o'rNr u1rc than ABOUT
$50. Those In ihe .ther mines ti.itDn"l and
the country. have boon Gaming only from sl5 90
$50 per month II snoul be- und, 'rsto9t in THIS
connection that although 9uiit is deemed u
days work. a day : work 10y uo means ,i.u H. =
that the miner has t',n ah.r 90 got out tlr NUM-
Der Of ears OF coal necessary To- constitute, a
sun !" HN"f' 'h 10 wv ~ ~. '.i7 ~ ,.i
nipu'n NJ h"f l'N' 10 =" .,"il ~. ~. IT, ,
hnu i"ppuIr l"ii ult, on NM ,H SI !" n' Nv
mnys II - a. l'li''Vt" WIN wv '',i
L En-, w,Hm ,ui WIZ" ~" .', . M ,...
"" l,"s 'iii ~ IT, ~ ~, u. q, o., '.i ~
n n, NM li.h ,N w NM,. u,'' a ~, D." ~ luz
IL n ~. - ii,, ",' wi ~, a ~,
noi ~" ~ N"- '', . , - 'i', ~
81 roir ai''' ~ -, HMM. ,.',,, -. y - nv, ,.
A., H. IL 49, -, i,,.,, ,hi, -. 49, t,,,'
fnuni I, mr. n,,li -. ne, @ IN. i, sf, N
mi rn,.,i,ia, u., ,,,,a,i' ~ H. 'r n9.,ins. H.,
sou ~ f,,, ~, ~ i' W, H. ",
f",,i,,i, ,,t., io,,.,.. '''' va Wv
Frr"n, ~ 'n,,r,',,.i i,,' A., -, ..nt,l IT., T'trp
Sun. SHOW .ns H., manner In WHICH In minors
~ nll =, H., .,,il r.,.h tn,, r.l,i.,d it'st ~,
cheni.I ,,t ''',.,,s ~ ~, .i,.h nm mn, H., 80
,y,ys ~ ~. Xxx, ~, +, ,,ns, sno, in ar,.
im1y,rt ~ al nlr II" sn,iy ,om,,,nr HAL H. =
ahimfi g. h, M r,, 20 ,,,,i, - ~, ,.,
md snr sn ~, ,f ,,r, ~ ,,,, .n
Tint thrv nav d,n, ~ Lus Ip,n IN a,,..,i~.f
nart an. T., tin y, .,.r,,l r".tr,triu,, 1nI .l e..
xntin'y rfn.',,.. ~ " .art,,in s.'r"t trrir III At
aourishns anon, tlon, ov.r any snbnr,ii'
nnin ioicrs or ,,s-o .,ations of thnt order hnvo
been formed in tlis MISUNDERSTANDING H.,
cnunti.s-sin., \,xn,ni,,r last nnI If e,rr,ys
AMI snrcnds ,,nstntfi, vim ihn roni,iltv ~.
n nrniric tlr, II il nr,.Sn inentiv snarnt
It's members and their meet n,s the nuili'. IL