The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1883-05-31
COAL MINERS.
How They Provide for the widows ana
Orphans.-MarryIngO Out OF Generosity.

w llhtSDdTIt, I d., odyS. -ACSluClie' tAA
the collieries of the middle district OF
the anthracite coal fields, of which this
city is the center, made last year nearly
one hundred widows and over five
hundred orphans. But notwithstand-
ing the frequency Of fatal accidents
and the absence of any organized chsri-
ty, the larders of the widowed families
are never empty, none 60 naked, the
household fires are not extinguished
and the little home is never stripped
by a landlords warrant. Kind hands
see that food is provided each day, and
the men returning from their work in
the mines do not forget to carry to the
widows home lump of anthracite for
the next days use. Communism in
peculiar sense prevails among the coal
miners of Pennsylvania. The lucky
divide with the unlucky as readily and
as cheerfully as if they belonged too
family. However much all may
quarrel on abstract questions of poll
tics or religion, all discussions are
dropped at the appeal of charity.
While, as has been said, no organ
lied relief societies exist among the
colliers, there is general system in
vogue which does its work well and
promptly. Every printing office in
this region is visited weekly by persons
wanting rattle tickets. These tickets
cost one dollar a hundred, and are
headed "Raffle for cooking stove" or
clock, bureau, quilt, table, or some
other article of domestic use. 1t is an
nounced that the rattle is for the bene-
fit of widow or injured miner, and
on the might after pay day" The
price of the ticket is generally fifty
cents. The rattle is In charge Of a
committee whose names appear on the
ticket. Take the case Of a woman,
for instance, lately made a widow.
She has been left penniless, as miners
widows usually are. Everybody un-
derstands this, and the hundred tickets
are promptly disposed Of among the
miners, who pay for them on pay day.
On that night the widow gets $50 cash.
The night of the rattle comes, and, pos
sibly, one-ffth of the ticket holders
assemble. A fiddler, a keg of beer,
and little "hard shtuff'' form the ele,
ments of the entertainment. The
young lads join in a dance with the
lasses, the old men sup and smoke
their pipes, and the old women recount
the virtues of the deceased miner.
About midnight the rattle begins.
The names of the ticket purchasers
are put into a hat and well shaken.
Whoever secures the prize at once
turns it over to- the beneficiary. The
company breaks up happy over the
good time they have had, and the kind
deed they have done. That $50 goes a
Floo7rrg lo7rgway way IN keeping the shadows ffeFa fe
the little house. 1t will sometimes
pay whole years rent, and it only re-
auires one or two more raff1es to keep
the victor's poor larder stocked, for it
must be understood that potatoes, cab
bages, and meal, form the staple arti-
cles of diet in these humble homes.
A year is long time for comely
and thrifty woman to remain a widow
at the mines, no matter how many
children she may have. Jim is killed
to-day, and possibly before the summer
ends, Jack, who was Jim's best friend,
insists upon marrying Jim's widow
Jim's babies become his. And if you
go below the surface you will find the
foundation of Jacks action to be pure
charity. 1t is matter of record that
when the terrible Avondale disaster
occurred so many widows and helpless
ones were left that the matter of caring
for the former speedily was discussed.
1t was quickly settled by propositions
of marriage, and within a very short
time after the calamity the household
of every victim was protected. This
same spirit exists in every mining
community to-day, and is a shield
against much distress.
Efforts have been made from time to
time to induce the miners to abandon
a custom that prevails among them.
Whenever a man is killed in a mine
while at work, every man in the col
liery where the accident occurs stops
work. Frequently 1900 employees turn
out and remain out for two days.
There appears to bea deep superstition
that prompts that peculiar exhibition
of respect for the dead.
Longevity of Wild Animals.