The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-03-17
prNNsYLvAN1A COAL MINERS.
now THEY PROVIDE poG rHE WIDOWS AND
MARRYING our oY GENEROSITY.

|
WILKEsBARRE, March lO.-Accidents IN
the cnlleries Of the middle district Of the
anthracite coal fields, Of which this city is
the centre, made last year nearlv one huL-
dred widows aud over i've hundred orph-
ans. Reports Of the first two months Of 1883
show an equal average If fatalities. But
notwithstanding the frequency Of fatal nc.
cidents and tho absence Of any organized
charity, the larder Of the widow families
are never empty, none go naked, and the
household fires are not extinguished,n ,nnd the
little home is never stripped by landlords
warrant. Kind hands see that food is pro-
vided each day, aud the men returning
from their work in the mines do not forget
to carry tu the widows home a lump Of an
thracite for the next days use. Communism
in peculiar sense prevails amnng the
coal miners Of Pennsylvania. The lucky
divide with the unlucky as readily and MS
cheerfnlly as If they belonged to one family.
However murh all may quarrel ON abstract
questions OF politics or religion, all the
discussions are dropped at the appeal Of
charity.
While, as has been sail, no organized
relief societies exist among the collers,
there is Il general system in vogue which
does its work wei AMI promptly. Every
printing office in this region is visited week
/ iv 40 orsa,,s ,,t;,,,, -, /,
tickets cost one dollar hundred, and are
headed, "Rulflc for Cooking Stoyc," ur
clock, bureau, Quilt, table, or some otter
article Of domestic use. 1t is announced
that the rflla is for the benefit of II widow
or an injured miner, and willbe held OF the
place designated, on the "night after pay
day" Tue price of the tickets is generally
fifty CENTS. The rattle is in charge VI II M
mittee whose name appear on the ticket.
Take the case of u wninun, tor instance, ,lnte.
ly made widuw. She has been lett upui
less, as miners widows usually are. Every
bndy understands this, and the hundred
tickets are promutly dlsposed OF a'nung the
miners, who pay for them on pay day. On
that day the widow gets $50 cssh. The
W
fifth Of the ticket holders assemble A
fiddler, keg of beer, and a little "hard
shtuti"' form the elements ui the entertain
ment. The young lads join in dance
with the lnsses. the old men sup and smoke
their pipes. aud the old women recount the
virtues of the dect ased miner. About mid
night the rattle begins. The names of the
ticket purchasers are put in hat and well
shaken. Whoever secures the prize at once
turns it over to the beneficiary. The COM
pauy breaks up happy over the good time
they have had. aud the kind deed they have
done. That $40 goes long way in keep
ing the shadows from the little house. II
will sometimes pay n whole years rent,and
il only requires one or twn more rHff1es to
keep the widows poor larier stocked, for It
must be understood that potatoes, cabbages
and meal form the ple articles Of diet in
these humble homes.
A year is long time for a comely and
thrifty woman to remain widow ut the
MINES, no matter how many children she
may have. jim is killed to day, and pos
sibly before the summer ends. Jack, who
was Jim's best friend insists upon marry
ing Jim's widow. Jim's babies become his
And il 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 occur.
red so many widows aud helpless ones were
left that the matter of caring for the former
speedily. was discussed. 1t was quickly
settled by propositions of marriage, and IN
a very short lime after the calamity the
household of every victim was protected.
This same spirit exists in every mining
community to-day, and is shield against
much distress. Attempts have been made
from time to time To organize mutual beDe-
tit associations among the miners, but in
variably the schemes haze come to grief,
usually through the cupidity of the mana
gers.
The miners unions that havebeen formed
to relieye distressed miners, and the widows
and orphans of miners, have all been
wrecked in the shoals Of politics. An ssso.
citation ot the kind was orga n zed by Charles
Parrish, at the time President OF the Lehigh
and Wilkesbarre Coal Company and a large
owner of the c0lirries. 1t was in the flush
times of several years ago. His system in
volved the payment of fifty cents a month
by each employee into general fund
Every miner injured in his work drew out
stated sum for his support during his ILL
ness. Every widow got fixed sum, as did
every orphan up to certain age. Thous'
ands OF miners were enrolled in this or
ganzation. Not only were the men taxed :,
but the company itself contributed some
thing. For long time things went Oh
swimmingly. The fund increased great
deal more rapidly than demands were madt
upon it, until the sum of 500, 900 was in the
treasury. This accumulation worried the
men, who imagined that something would
happen to the money. Agitation farned
the fears of the doubling into a blaze Of
suspicion, until finally, against the earnest
petitions Of Mr.. Parrish, and hosts of well
informed miners, the demand for dis
tIibution Of the fund among the contributors
became so obstinate that the trustees turned
the money over 10 the climants. Since
then no other effective system has been
adopted.
| Efforts have been made from time to time
10 induce the miners tn abandon a custom
that prevails among them. When ever q
man is killed in a mine while at work
every man in the colliery where the acci
dent occurs stops work. Frequently .5OO
employees turn out and remain out for tw"
days. There appears To be a dep super
stilion that prompts this peculiar exhibition
of respect for the dead.