The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-09-01

capitalist, the representative OF leading
company of coal producers in this county,
said, at a capitalists meeting not long
since; My policy in managing laboring
men is to keep them so poor that they
cannot strike. That's the way to pre-
vent strikes" From the present condi-
ton of the laboring population of Lu-
zerne County it would seem that this
policy has been very thoroughly tested,
but it does not appear to have resulted
as its originator expected it to- The men
in sheer desperation 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 i'm
providence and rapacity of their en-
plOyes. Since the present strike began,
a reporter has visited a great number of
the men who have quit engineers,
miners and laborers; has entered their
squalid homes, inspected their monthly
statements of accounts with their employ
ers, and learned by personal contact the
actual misery of their existence. In the
representative cases following the re-
porter has carefully verified each by per
sonal investigation, and vouches for the
absolute truth of all the averments made
No. is half place man" in the en-
ploy of the Delaware, LaCkawanna e
Western Company. CustOmarilya 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. Sometimes, however, two
miners work together, 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-w which he deemed
a fair average-after paying $3.50 for
three kegs of powder, 81 60 for two gal
Ions of oil, twenty cents for paper and
ten cents for soap. The soap and paper
are used in making cartridges for blast
ing Out of his $40 he had to pay $3.50
for rent and 81 for coal, and on the re-
naming S13.70 had to maintain for u
month himself, wife and three children,
and his father, who is seveuty-four years
/ old. Their food was simply COrn-meal
mush, with few potatoes since the new
crop began to come in. Some months he
had, on pay day, INDUCED in the Iiotous
| extravaganza of buying two pounds Of
fat pork, but beef he had not tasted for
half year.
! No. 2 is Il laborer in the Hampton
mine. Last month there was an extra
week of work in this mine, and his bill
reached the unusual magnitude of $26 %.
/ During the twelve months, however, his
earnings have not averaged over $14 per
month. There is still due him pay for
I tifty-nine cars of coal, which he is not
now allowed to receive, 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. 3 is a miner in the Pine shaft,
worked by the Delaware, Lackawanna Il
/ Western Company, and has to support Il
wife, six children and an aged mother on
/ earnings averaging Sl7 to SIS per month,
His rent is Sc per month. His eldest
child is a girl, eight years of age. They
/ have had to live almost entirely upon
mush. His MONDAY meal in the mine
has habitually been slice of bread, or
much oftener some cold mush. Such
tea as can be bought for from twenty to
twenty-four cents per pound he has oC-
caslOnally bought quarter of on pay
days, when he felt flush enough to in
dulge in such a luxury for his family
He "only knows there is meat in the
land from hearing folks speak of it."
, No. is an engineer in mine, COnse
| quently holds an enviable position
/ During two years he has been in en-
forced idleness-at one time 30 days, at
another 50 days, at a third 80 DAYS
| When allowed to work, he was only per-
mitted to make half or at best three
| quarters time, consequently his earnings
have averaged when at work only S24 to
| $26 per month. On this he is supposed
| to keep himself, wife and seven children,
none of whom are old enough to be of
any help to him. Fortunately he had
saved up little money in good times.
He has had to eXpend 5000 of his saw
ings, in addition to all his earnings, in
! the past two years. But his family live
well, by comparison with others about
/ them. They have six or seven pounds of
bacon every month, two gallons of mo-
lasses, and sometimes tea or coffee.
No. is another mine engineer in the
employ Of the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western Company; has earned an aver,
age of $25 per month, but has less
trouble than most others in getting along,
as his family consists Of but wife and
child. "Id have three more children if
they hadn't died" said he. You may
thank God, remarked another standing
by, that they are gone, instead of liv-
ing to suffer in these hard times"
"Tbat's So" answered the man, with Il
sigh; eve have TO feel when one of our
little ones is taken from US that it's a
blessing-God forgive us'
No. 6 is Il g first class company hand, !"
who sees to repairs in the mine, fixes the
ventilating apparatus, etc, consequently
has more days work in Il month than
most of the miners, and makes better
pay. His wages ran: January, $27 80;
February, $23 ~; March, $27 80; april,
$24 So; May, $32.15 June, $33 1G. In
all last year he earned $500. His in
come is now looked upon by his neigh
bors as princely, and he can keep his
wife and four children in comparative
comfort.
No 7 is a lahorer in a Delaware,
Lackawanna q Western breaker, and
opts eleven cents nor hour for his work