Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-12-15
ALONG THE KANAWaA.
Condition OF the Mines and the Prospects
for Work.
SpfridI Corn Tord,

Special Correspondence
CHARLESTON, December II. - There is
more JOY among the working people Of the
Kanawha Valley to-day, than there has
been for many months. Indeed, the good
feeling shows itself among sll classes Of
men; for here, as well as in your own
busting city business is at a stand-stiu
when the toilers are idle
Since last July. when the low water period
set in, nearly 1--WE thousand miners in the
Valley, the greater part of them between
this city and Csperton, in the New river
country, have had nothing to do. Up to
that time they had been steadily employed,
which accounts for the fact that there was
not an empty forge or bin above the city.
1t was then that the people throughout the
entire Valley began to feel the grip OF hard
times fastening on them. There was no
class OF men, however, to which this fact
speedily became more painfully apparent
than the army OF miners.
Ii is not an easy matter for those who
live AZ distances remote from great mining
dislricts-sections in which this one branch
OF business oyershadows all others-to sp-
preeiste the circumstances BY which the
underground toilers are surrounded when
they are informed that work is at an end
and months Of hardship are likely to ensue
before it can be resumed. The. situation
would be very different, indeed, If these men
had but themselves TO care for, or II there
we're other industries to which they could
sell their labor even at q very meagre con-
solicitation. But such is not the case here,
and q suspension of mining operations fore
shadows dark days, not only for the men
themselves, but for hundreds of helpless
women and children.
Z Since the beginning OF the low water sea-
son but little work has been done in any part
of the valley. One or two mines which have
contracts tor supplying railroad orders, have
been kept moderately busy but the men en-
ploycd in them are but a eorporars guard
as compared with the great mass Of workers
without the means Of providing their daily
bread. Aside from these the only mine
which has been kept constantly running is
the Robinson" at Cedar Grove, Fayette
county. This company, / am informed,
ships an immense quantity of coal by the
way Of Newport News to several large coal
ing stations In the island Of Cuba, thus CIV
ing employment to perhaps ten hundred
men, while q few coke ovens engage the la
Dor Of about half as many more. l do not
think run any risk Of eXaggersTing the
number OF idle miners in the kanswhs re-
gion BY saying that, all told, not more than
i've hundred Of the Eve thousand have had
employment during the past four months.
of course these idle men who, for the
most part, have families to take care Of,
had to live, and the question naturally
arises. how did they do it2 II you are to
20 with me on 8 journey up the valley, or
rather, If you had gone with me week ago
you would soon End ready answer to
the question. AS is the rule in all miuing
districts, any company, whether great or
small, has its own store. These establish
ments, at least in the kansWha Valley,
carry full line of such goods Us are needed
by their employees. They are purchased at
wholesale rates and disposed OF at current
retail prices, this Obyiating the necessity Of
paying out large sums Of money during the
busy season, and at the same time enabling
the operators TO carry on a system Of harm
less, but profitable speculation. Now, think
it is q weIl-established fact that miners are
as honest and trustworthyas any other class
Of men, and hence 1t is not surprising that
at the very beginning Of the hard times
here, the operators provided hundreds Of
the employees with printed checks with their
face value in goods at the eompsnys stoees
Each man, BY this arrangement. is charged
with the amoOt dealt out aud is expected to
pay for the goods obtained in work When
the time for resumption comes. In the
same way, If he lives in house owned By
the company that employs him, he pays his
rent Now, this is very kind on the part
Of the operators, but in the long run the IN
fortunate miner finds out that he only es-
capped one trouble to be plunged into an
other; for by the time he is ready to begia
work again be discovers that, under the
most favorable circumstances. he can hard
" expec. to get out Of debt before the an.
no1neement Of a new suspension Is made.
IhiS then, IS the way in which