Omaha daily bee., 1885-10-21
GERMINAL,
Or the Story of a Great Miners Strike
si,MMARY OF pREcrn1Nn cuArrFr
BY EMILE zoLA.

Translated from ge French
SUMMARY or PRECEDING CHAPTERS,
Anton Iantier, n mechanic, unable TO ind
employment at his trade in Paris, drifts into
tie interior of France and brings up ut the
NlOntSon coal mining region, in early spring.
Being without money hG readily accepts work
In the Nulture niue aud soon becomes an
expert workman. The low wagcs OF the min
crS, a constant struggle against hunger, ahd
the miserable condition Of old and young, ex-
cites in him a lively interest and nc begins
the study of methods tending 10 alleviate
their condition. Gradually no imparts his
ideas 10 others and readily secures the sup
port and cooperation of the poor, struggling
workmen, A saving fund is started 10 which
each miner contributed. the money thus OBJ
tanned TO be used to support the men in case
of trouble with the coal companies. BY the
LIST Of November the fund amounted 30 n on
siderable sum, and the miners, ,Gmboldcncd
10y this fact, determined to resist a new
method of payment introduced by q lnajOrity
of the companies, Which was TO gu INTO eli
feet on the hrst of December. The pian of
the companies was to divide the ten centimes
paid for each car of coal, one-half to 40
toward paying fer proppihg In the driftsof
the mines, The workmen, to fortity their
position in ease of revolt, worked nftecn days
unde the new system of payment and found
that II was an indirect hut effective method of
reducing their wages. To strike was the only
HlltTndllNP. mtptlIlHS were hg'U anu n UtlG-
CATION appointed tO wait upon the managing
director OF the mines and lay before hint the
demands of the mcn-tbe abolition OF the new
system of payment and an increase of ilve
Confines per car. Anton's ability and saga
city made him Mt once the leader In the strike.
The interview of the miners with the mana
ger was without result, and The men, with
very little hope of ultimate success, settled
down to Il long aud bitter struggle-the strug-
gle of poverty against unlimited wealth.
CHAPTER XIV.
At Jcan.Bart, Catherine for an hour
had been pushing her car; and she was
so covered with Precipitation that she
stopped for Il moment to wipe her face.
From the end Of the drift, where he
was ut work with some other comrades,
Chcval was astonishcd that he no longer
heard the sound of the wheels, The
lamps were burning badly, the coal dust
prevented him rom seeing.
Whats this?" cried he. Whom she
answered him that she was surely going
to melt, and thrt her heart was feeling
queer; he. arsw we ed. her in anger:
Fool, do rs I'VE do, take'of your shirt"
They were, two thousand feet at the
north, in the first road of the vein DcSi-
rec, which was two-thirds of u mile from
the siIaft-rpom, When they spoke of
that part Of the mine the miners of the
country palcd and lowered their voices
as though they were speaking of hell;
and they contented themselves more
oIuJu WIN shnnN''iS ~ ,ic'i "G'''S, iuI
WishlhS 10 usk OF tnaI h0t regloh. AS
llc SailSrics wen. toWaru Ihe horth Cney
~plonc"! l"t'troIr IVY polotI".Iu
IIt1 'iG LlUerI 10 hIc! Wh!ch cpaCGu Ihc
rockS aooNc. me uriitS IN whltl thcy
pcrature of forty degrees. They found
themselves in u horrible underground
piaoe' III c'c naius, W 'lu iianLeS whicn
SnTne and which emittaS sminhurr md
nbnnr;nabIo vnnnrs 'N
go, 70
Mihsicu WIN ncr Snl1Grlnss rom tne
heh,' great iear .ilen hGr, IN Cile SIX
uaSs Shc HoIkeu tnere, sue constantly
vi 'n9 stories when hau oecn
o:iu heI III GIlIulioou Oh th1se pQSs anu
girls ia olaen times VINO had 9ecn so
OF conrle she wns FOO Old now tn h"Iinve
such nnnsnnse. but She conId NOT heIn
thinkinm what she would 40 If she war;
to see n red.bot girl come ont of tbc
wall and the lido, mSndn hnr nnrsn;rn still
more
"Heovens, vou,ro maxine vourseIf
comfort. bic said tbnt woman. = slirht
widow of thirty Years when She saw
(, therinp in tho ro33d
After two trims Cntbarine oooin ba.
conie suffocatcd Hnnniiv tbe road was
LARGE and c~ommodinrs hat vein De.
Stree, being one OF the thickest in the
mine. The bed was seventy metres
thick and the mon could work standing.
But they would have preferred to work
with their necks twisted and to have Il
little fresh air.
Are you asleep down there, screamed
Chaval, when he no longer heard Gait
arinc moving. go on; no, fill your cart
and roll"
She was Mt the bottom Of fine shaft
leaninr on bcr shovel. and almost "wnr'
come sho locked nt him with an in,bnciio
yithout obeving She saw bnIiv in
the Gickerin% RAYS of the Inmps Rnt
thev could ace her for the nickg coospd
and tbrv ionGhad ot her for +, kin~ or
.cr hlo,so
"Tnke cnre you'll catch cold "
- IL
1hChcrlle aS"lH ocRan LIlinS ner car,
bu9heu ~ on, ne Inhu was 700
III iIT nGr 70 ION nGrsrii a%a.hSV the
slueS. tler pure rev were twisted pc
tween lhe rams sechlhS u support; WINE