The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-05
A Hard Place for Bows,
Life in the Pennsylvania Coal B,..t.,


1t is almost impossible for anv ~.
who has not been an eyewitness IL tLo
operations of the mines to concoi-.. Tue
what tender years the child in tho aI
thracite region is put to work. or 0 u
know, unless he has actually IN 70
younger days been placed in tho ms ms
condition as the thousands of bore,;le
the mining districts. to what pernic;ol IN
influences they are subjected. and ,yhas
evil consequences ensue. Tbouo.b :.
may appear incredible, it is neverthl "
less a fact that children of all aces Wv
years upward find work in the co g'i'
breakers, and toll in dirt in An atm I'M
phere thick with carbon dust from d.
till dark of every day in the week Snn
days excepted. These little fellows e.rr
from 80 to 40 cents per day; their Ialal
consists in picking the slate, rock. etc nm.
of the coal previously crushed TO smqG
pieces in a breaker and screened tbronoG
huge revolving screens that separi1o
the various sizes of coal. From Til. M
cupation, as they advance in years. tbar
are promoted to mule-driving, and IL
terward, when they arrive at mans o.
tate, to labOring and mining, which !.
the highest pinnacle that can be reached
by the toiler, whose only compapions
through life are men made rough lilo
himself by their rough SURROUNDINGS
and whose only education is that which
he CLEANS from the noisome breaker and
gloomy mine. Here is a WRONG crv
ing for redress. Here is an evil fbst
cannot be remedied too soon, and bero
is chance for some Garrison to point
no hot
humanity, and for some Lincoln ia
strike from off their limbs those chain,
of servitude, and make them free.
Out of this community in the northern
portion of Luzerne county. which mum.
bers about $4,000 people, upward Of
5000 boys, whose ages vary from TO
Is years, are engaged about the mines
Having gone to work before they should
have been sent to school in most in.
stances, they grow up in utter ignorance.
as it is well known that when they ad.
vance in years, and their labor CORES.
pondingly increases in value, they Get
but little chance to become educated
Thus, in this enlightened age. when the
tendency of humanity is upward and
onward, and the benefits of education
penetrating everywhere are extended to
all, society is hampered and the pro.
gressive wheels of civilization are cIogged
by culpable ignorance. The citizen is
rendered incapable of intelligently dis
charging his duty as a citizen. and the
fact that there is continuous supply of
material for the demagogue to prey up,
on, is a constant menace to our free ID.
stitutions. have alluded to the perm.
cious Influences to which these little
boys are subjected. There are no schools
in the world where more evil is learned.
or more innocence destroyed than in
the coal breakers. 1t is absolutely
shocking to watch the vile practices in.
dulged in by those children, hear the
frightful oaths to which they give ex.
preston, and note their total disregard
for religion or morality! Hardened by
exposure to terrible influences, it is hard.
ly to be wondered at that the demon Of
Molly Maguireism and systematized,
cold-blooded murder reared its mon.
strous head from out the sinks that sur
round the mines, and maintained its
reign of terror for years.-PittSton letter
to Philadelphia Press.