Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-04-14
COAL MINERS.
How They Provide for the widows and
Orphans.-MarryingO Out of Generosity.

How They Provide for the widows and
Orphans.-MarryingO Out of Generosity.
A correspondent writing from
Wilkesbarre, Pa, says: Accidents in
the eollieries 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 chari-
ty, the larders of the widowed families
are never empty, none go naked, the
household fires are not extinguished
and the little home is never stripped
by 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 a
peculiar sense prevails among the coal
miners of Pennsylvania. The lucky
divide with the unlucky as readily and
as cheerfully as if they belonged to one
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 a general system in
vogue which does its work well and
promptly. Every printing office in
this region is visited weekly by persons
wanting rafle tickets. These tickets
cost one dollar a hundred, and are
headed "Rallle 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 a widow or injured miner, and
on the "night after pay day." The
price of the ticket is generally fifty
cents. The rattle is in charge of q
committee whose names appear on the
ticket. Take the case of woman,
for instance, lately made a widow.
Size has been left penniless, as miners
widows usually are. Everybody I'M
derstands this. and the hundred tickets
are promptly disposed Of among the
miners, who pay for them on pay day
On that night the wido gets $50 cash
The night Of the rattle comes, and, pos
sibly, one-ifth Of the ticket holders
assemble. A fiddler, a keg Of beer
and little "hard shtuff'' form the ele
ments of the entertainment. Th
young lads join in dance with tn
Iasses, the old men sup and smok'
their pipes, and the old women recoun
the virtues of the deceased miner
About midnight the rattle begins
The names of the ticket purchaser
are put into hat and well shaken
Whoever secures the prize at once
turns it over to the beneficiary. Th'
company breaks up happy over th'
good time they have had, and the kint
deed they have done. That $50 goes
long way in keeping the shadows from
the little house. 1t will sometime
pay whole years rent, and it only re
quires one or two more raffles to kee
the victor's poor larder stocked, for
must be understood that potatoes, cal
bages, and meal, form the staple art
3 cles of diet in these humble homes.
A year is long time for comel
and thrifty woman to remain a widoN
at the mines, no matter how man
children she may have. Jim is kille
to-day, and possibly before the summe
ends, Jack, who was Jim's best frien(
insists upon marrying Jim's widow
Jimfs babies become his. And if yo
90 below the surface you will find tn
foundation of Jacks action to be pun
charity. 1t is a matter of record thu
when the terrible Avondale disastt
occurred so many widows and helples
ones were left that the matter of carin
for the former speedily was discusse,
1t was quickly settled by proposition
of marriage, and within very shol
time after the calamity the househol
of every victim was protected. Th
, same spirit exists in every minin
, community to-day, and is shiel
against much distress.
Efforts have been made from time
time to induce the miners to abandc
a custom that prevails among ther
Whenever man is killed in a mil
while at work, every man in the &C
;. liery where the accident occurs sto]
work. Frequently 1900 employees tul
- out and remain out for two day
9 There appears to be a deep superstitiC
that prompts that peculiar exhibitit
!, of respect for the dead.