The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-21
TOREBODlNG AT THE MINES.
THE IABORERS' INTERPRETATION OF
THE cor CONBINI TION
w.o, In the Homes or the Miners-A ner Two
usrd Year. Looking Forward 60 n Win
der OF Idleness and Perhaps OF Actual star
.auon-The CaVIng in OF ~ Scranton Mine.

xatIon-The CnVing In OF ~ Scrnnton Mine.
scrANroN. Pa, Dec. 2O.-Tmo was when
no miner and mine laborer wore practically
Sictators in the anthracite coal regions. They
Rad trades union with an active membership
Nat least 81 O0O. II could command half mil
lion dollars for any emergency. Politically II
xasa power. There were also numerous local
miners benevolent societies. with wellnlled
treosuries TO draw from in times OF need. An
sllct from council OF the Miners Union was
sufncicnt to revolutionizc the policy OF tho
coal operators throughout tho entire region.
The an-important subject Of discussion with
The miner in those days was wages or work
there was plenty. and there was no more inde-
pendent class Of laborers in this country than
the coal miners.
But tho miner no longer dictates. He is ut
ierly humbled and broken. His great cham
plon and protector. tho Miners Union. is vir-
tually thing Of the past. Hard times have
exhausted the individual bank balances. The
benevolent societies have ceased TO extend aid
for their Golfers are empty. The miner meekly
importuues now for tho privilege OF earning
food for his family. II is work he wants to-day
In tho Lackawanna Valley. from Carbondale
10 Piitst1u. II 600 persons are dependent upon
mine labor for support. The great majority ot
these depend on tho Delaware and Hudson
Canal Company. the Delaware. Lackawanna
md Western Railroad Company. and the Penn
syyania Coal Company for employment To
this army Of laborers tho winter has opened
with gloomy outlook Want stares them in
the face. Their only hope ls that tho coal com
bination will end with the year. And the in
habitants Of the Lackawanna region generally
share this hope with the miners. The miner
says that combination after Jan. means idle
mines for the winter. Idle mines means starya-
ton FOR him.
"A year without combination may place the
Delaware and Hudson or tho Delaware and
Lackawauna in the hands Of receiver. but
three months Of combination will starve us all
todca,h In this valley. We choose to have the
former happen" SO said an influential busi-
ness man ot Scranton yesterday.
Ono ~ the largest colicries In the Lacka-
wanna Valley is ON the outskirts Of this city
bleak hill. relieved By neither tree
nor shrub. rises rather abruptly back
from the Lnckawanna Tho rver-once a
lmpll stream Of pure spring water. but now
thick and filthy with the poisonous drainage
o. a hundred mines and the washings from
niue refuse with not n living thing inhabiting
H. watcrs-here cuts In twain the great vein Of
anthracite In which tho miners are toiling two
hundred feet below. The breaker rises black
and grim above the river. When l visited the
pla,a yesterday. the rain was beating back the
clouds of coal dust that rose from the whirlng.
sharp-teethed machinery within the many
towers and angles and roofs Of the breaker
were beds Of black. oozy mud. and the caves
drpped with It's inky drainage. On up tho
hillside above the brsaker are grouped the
miners dwellings. hundred OF them.
perhaps. in every stage Of dilapidation. from
a l,IF
chimney and "A few window panes missing TO
the seventy mine hut whose roOi Is seeking
cl ser intimacy " tn the iloor. Nearly all these
hHb.thttons have a few shoyrlfuls Of land fenced
in arounu them. and in summer time the ten
AM raises potNtn~s and cabbage. Attached tO
a cow. "A goat or flock OF geese. The miner
pays an average oi SO n month 10 the company
a. rent FOR one ot these houses Narrow pas
sage WAYS. hy courtesy called streets. and peo-
pied hv goats and geese. run IN devious courses
through the village. Every rain sends scores oi
Tiyulets rushing down the hill which cut gu
lies in the streets and sometimes carry miner 5
garden over against his neighbor's pigpen.
Who owns these houses - asked OF boy
with uinehed features and garments marvel
Comply" he rcpled.
"Mhnt company
"Del'wr and L0ckywanny"
The boy said he was twelve years old. and
slate picker in the breaker
/ KIN earn thiriy-iive cents a day when we
'ay wurrik stlidy" he said. Their ain't no
wurrik for me to-day. Ny father usety be a
miner but he ketched the roomytiz a wurrikin'
two ycrrs in slope WEIR the water was up 10
Is knees, an now % be's only doln' Of com
mon labor In the mines. + be's wurrkn' over
IN the slope cross the river. cause this mine
eayed IN, tother day. an tie rufe bent 'zac'y
Tho earth was cracked and followed in places
oil about us. Two or three miners shanties
wire sunken hall way 70 their windows. A
wide deep seam extended up to the summit Of
l. rut'led the church no therr. sir" the slate
PICK, r continued. lie guided me 10 tho church
N WI h the Minors worship. There tho eifcet
O. hr itl in The mine was plain; The Little
chlr h had settled alarmlngly, Many of the
tl-- e-l iyrly numerous graves in the church
yalI lad ccnstl 10 lie mounds. and were pits.
j took every drop O water out o every well
y o." place. SIR. Tn bottoms dropped out o.
tam. an tue water poured into tho mine"
taip n.l. They was wal Kin t'ords the shaft t
Wiel outo the mine. was ia ih' break r.
LuI ud7i tNlnE ! knowed, sir, LOT o tools
cam }ln, up the SHAFT. wi big, pieces o coal
tn r 'k, an great gust o. wind. sir. Ev'ry-
l0iy horred The mine be's fell !, An IN
A. 30 ~ bad twas. 'spoctfn' t lind til miners
nlii, d. But IN p, miners was good
!.ay. irrm the iall. They was nearly {. th
tAa'i Incy wns knocked down by tn wind
hul hurtrd some by the hyin' coal an stone.
IAe.r o.s was hlowed clear up the shaft AMI
Mnl,l al n ioot o n sh9lt WI IS too.s
gor work since. though. The miners lof! a
eal % u4.s behind IN fall, One man 'ad q
kent dr as cost i'm thrty-lye dollars an
ga' Ga' l', - 100. 'E'll ave { wurrik a many q
"a. % men d n al wurrik stiidy in tn mine
ragl9i while. lts bad luck there be's in tn
II.A.7 lAg,e times. sir No an mo faith made
gSS ~ month we've 'ad IN long time, They
iyr % us Z keep. aside, me father an
n..H'r nm | bc.s the Oldest o IN young uns.
s.', SD owns our onse, though an don't pay no
a.. stood on me summit Of tho hin, by the
nle OF t!o t0it, ring church and the sunkcn
kih yard. with the rain falling in torrents in