Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-10-25
A MILE UNDER GROUND.

CULTIES OF MINING AN INSIDE VIEW
OF THE COALBURG AND BLACKsBURG
MINEs-A STEEP carbohydrates OF
THE MIN EfsS-A SUBTEKKANl-ANL LAKE
"A "Gk i.ASltk''-A TWELVE-YEAR-uLD
MINER,
&C., &C., NC.
Correspondent &c of the stanton VINDICAToKo
BLAC]lsBUkG. W. VA. Oct. IL.
Never again will complain Of Lhe price
Of coal, it is Oh sap at fifty cents bushel
said your ieportrr as he emerged from
two hours explor ltion into tue bowels OF
the mountain at CoalDurg and scooteo
down the LOO loot incline to catcl. the
E .stern bound TIA Il. BY the invitation
Of the courteous junior of the well known
firm Of Robinson u Co., large coal opera
tors at Coalburg, had stopped OF that
afternoon to take look at the mines and
miners of tle kanawha. The village Oh
COalburg is Il INNING town on the Kama
Wha river about, ~ miles above CharlestOG
and consists OF 100 houses which have been
built by the company foe the miners and
their families, though nineteen were car
ried away by tie September flood. After
an hour for rest and refreshment at the
hospita ole residence of the proprietor, we
stood at the foot of the incline waiting for
car to take US tip to the mouth of the
mine winch was 100 feet above US in the
side of the mountain Presently the cars
creep out of the black hole above US and
held by a wire rolye rush down the noun
tain towards US at what to the uninitlated
seems fearful rate of speed-and while
preparing fol our ascent the gentleman
tells of two loauUd cars that broke loose
some time since. tore down the steep iron
tack and reaching the platform where we
stood, high allow, the railroad and river.
made flying ap of 800 feet and more
through the AIR. clear over house, railroad,
turnpike. trains Of cars and the tree tops
and plunged out OF sight in the blue river.
With pleasant reflections on this acrobatic
puffed out Of
THE HOLE UP THE MOUNTAIN,
our rope ighered aud away We flew up
the mountain, holding with nervous grasp
to the front OF the Car to prevent ourselves
from falling headiong back wards. AS we
20 up, a loaded train shoots by on the de-
scent and almost as s0on as it takes to tell
it we arc standing among the smutty mi
ners and dirty little mules in the opening
Of the mine.
Wo not int q m am U 1.ar 0IO1f fn
turn for a load. the grim. driver sticks his
little oil lamp ON the front of his cap.
jumps on the forward part of his car and
with one hand Oh the mules rump, at q
brisk trot he dives with us into the celA-
ter of the coal seam III I'd into darkness
that seems all the darker for the faint
glimmer of the little laml, ON his head.
AS some OF your readers, probably know
as little about coal, where it grows. rs l
did day or two ago. I will say TO the
enlightenment of such that it is fou nd in
seams or layers extending horizontally
almost every where through the mouI ltains
of this region. 1t the mountain l was ex-
ploring could have had its top for little
more than half way down cut throu gh and
lifted off, there would have been xposed,
at the base of the cone, black smooth
surface of slate, under which il a five foot
thickness of splendid splint coal, through
which we were burrowing, the opening
being just S feet high-the thick less of the
back
MILE INTO THE MOUNTAIN.
There are switches and branch roe .ds Vt
various points along the route. leading off
in every direction to the different work
ings, and some IS or 100 miners. and 81
mules, were that day working this seam.
busy disemboweling the grand old noun
tain.
After riding as far as our mule could go,
we got out and walked-alYay; STOPPING
under our low ceiling of shining slate
several hundred yards further. visiting
several rooms where the miners were at
work. We always found their alone when
at work, each in chamber or pillar Il.
himself, STOPPING or kneeling or sitting
down, picking away into the black wall
that surrounds him. there he works from
morning until night all alone, except when
the wheeler comes up to get his coal. And
never from the early hour that he enters
his living tomb until night releases him
from his labor and his voluntary prison
does the poor fellow get an opportunity to
stand erect or straitcn his Eody, except
along in the black coal dust at his feet.
These miners are
THE BLACKLIST OF MEN,
except their red eyes and lips, there is no
relief from the sooty hue, even the minstrel
troup is outdone for there is no white col.
lar or shirt front to relieve the dead black
ness of the man and his, surroundings and
away down there among, them. a mile from
the light of day you almost feel, as if you
had reached Hades and were among the
very imps of darkness.
But these ''imps'' are jolly fellows and
you find your compassion melting away
when you see how lightly they talk of fall
ing walls, fire damps and explosions aud
find that they prefer this work to any 9TH
u. AAou pay ID lIou IWo anu ouo-SeVenUn
to two and three-fOurth cents per bushel,
according to the hardness of the coal. A
good hand can average from 80 to $3.50
per day. He finds" himself in rations
and oil and tools, the rations being heavy
item as he eats early and often. Being
constantly in a cramped position he can
not ''eat and be filed" but has to STOP
short Of the 'filling," and every hour or
two returns to his tin bucket OF cold VIC
tuals and his bottles of cold tea. and by
night has disposed of more provender than
the average man.
After two hours and two miles under
ground, having interviewed miners, wheel
ers and drivers, we turned our faces out