West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1877-09-15
Condition of the Miners In the Penn.
sylvahia Coal Regions.
lScrentcn Letter to New York Herald.

/ lScranton Letter tc New York Hcrald.l
The destitution of the most of these
miners is appalling. and 10 walk into
their little cottages and hhts ahd Nitncss
the sights there To be seen is fearful.
Whole familf0J would have nothing to
eat; but sfoT the charitable and their
relief store lust started, many would
die, Of starvation. Il might bc supposed.
aud reasonably 50. that the quaricr ot
a loaf provided for them bS the eoul-
panics, if they would work would bc
better than no bread, and | so suggested.
! Oho " the men immediately replied,
and | give his words, iicarly verbatim
If the work that we are called upon
tn do was anything but what il is we
would accept the little offered to us aS
better than nothing and continue our
lahOrs. But remember that We are
called upon To do dangerous work, aud
mono OF of iis know when we go down IA
shaft whether we shall ever come biit bf
IT alive again or not. Many and many "a
man is brought up dead, killed by "a
dropping rock or suilocatcd by the gas.
To keep II man cool and careful in such
work he should have nj least full
stomach, but when n little mush Is all
he can get for his breakfast and few
sir, man loses his head, and either be-
comes careless ahd is killed, or cannot
resist the gas and is sufoEated, or SO
inhalcs 1T that il tells upon his weak
system, and he is good for nothing for
many week afterward. cannot keep
a family and feed myself upon five dol
lars week. No man can. And when
| am down in that mine and these
thoughts come into my head tell you n
man gets wild, and he would prefer to
live above on the earth and starvc to
running the dangers of that mine
Thank God, when we are above ground
there IL uo roof to fall in and crush us !;
no foul gas to suilocatc us or render lis
useless for work no danger of tapping
vein of water and being drowned rs
we crouch in our chamberl We would
have left work in March, but the cold
weather was yet with us, and provisions
were high. To-day We can get potatoes
from the farmers and live on them till
some aid reaches us"
But what is the object of the strike,
and what is your idea of what you should
receiver" | asked.
owe sent committee before the
company" was the reply, and all we
asked was an advance of twenty-five per
cent. on our present wages. We asked
not for full time, and are willing to take
our chances alike with the other men in
getting work but sc did ask that we
should get some sort of decent remu-
ncration for the dangerous work we are
called upUh 90 do"
! have given above, without cmbcllish
ments, the statements of the men.
found them quiet, orderly and cvi
They deprecated any violence, were
strongly opposed To marching or gather
ings, and denounced the action of the
roughs from the outlying districts who
fought with the vigilants in the streets
of Scranton. The miners of Hyde Park
are the best in the country. Many Of
them have little homes Of their own,
built upon the lands of the company !;
but such are to-day as hard up IA any of
the others, for they cannot sell their
properties, or even raise moneS on them
during these times.