Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-21
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Daily - EAGLE
CHARITY AT THE HINES.
GENERALLY IT TAKES THE FORM OF
THE BENEFIT RATTLE.

The SofteninG Influences of Humanity.
Scene AZ a iailc-The Money Obtained.
Strange Custom Explained An
Honorable Sentiment.
"Whilc all organized efforts for purposes Of
charity among coal miners have failed, at
least il the LackawaHna REGION" said IN
officer Of one Of the big coal companies Of the
district, there are curious customs prevail
ing among those who earn their living in and
about the mines through which tho burdens
of those Of their number who are destitute
are greatly Gghtencd Among these is tho
popular benefit rattle These rafies occur SO
frequently that the printing of the tickets
used for them is en- item of no little import
ance TO the local printing Offices. In some
offices the form OF the ticket is kept stand
inc in type. These raflcs arc usually got up
for tho benefit of some miner who has been
injured or is ILL., or for that Of some poor
woman and her children who have beer left
without support by the husband and father
falling victim TO Some mine disaster.
Widows and orphans-and both are daily
mado in the mining regions-are never per
nittetl to suffer from hunger or cold so long
as there is work for the miners to do, no mat
ter how small the pittanoe may be that they
are able to earn. No dead miners family is
ever turned out OF house and home for arrears
OF rent, for the Old comrades Of the one who
has fallen victim to tic dangers that sur
round and threaten them every hour OF tho
day never forget when the rent day comes
round, and il the widow hes not the money to
pay It is quickly forthcoming. Coal IS cheap
ii the mining districts, but it costs something,
ncverth less, 50 the men from among whom
death or illness may have removed Il fellow
workman remember that fuel is among tho
necessities Of his family, and each miner tai;s2
q lump from the mine when 10 quits work
and dro-s il as the needy ones door Differ
cnces in rcl;gion, politics, or Of racc-and The
prcjulicc5 born Of these arc deep and bitter
among mincr8-arc forgotten under the
broad and softening influences Of humanity
when the necessities OF a fellow miner appeal
TO there big-hearted toilcrs.
At THE BENEFIT RATTLE.
THO benefit raiIlo in a coal mining district
is not only q charitable affair, but an occa-
sion OF social entertainment. In nine-tenths
OF the r2Gies the prize is a cook stove, although
n goose, a few heads OF cabbage, q goat, or a
pig serves admirably as the nucleus and ex-
cuso for the occasion. There is an air OF sub
stantial responsibility pertaining 70 a cook
stove, however, that makes it 4 favorite &c
lection as the prize at tho benefit rattle It
seems to be q rule Of the rattle that no less
than 100 tickets shall be sold, whether tho
prize is n goose or q stove, and the price of
each ticket is half n dollar. The committee
having charge of the affair go to work with
n viii TO sell the tickets, and they are bought
with the greatest good Will by the miners so
lictcd to purchase, The rattle is held at soEno
convenient place in the mining village. Each
purchaser Of a ticket is expected TO be present,
but such is never the case Enough of them,
with their wives and sweetheartS, assemble on
the appointed evening TO mako the occasion
a social success. 4 lcG OF beer and perhaps
n bottle or two OF something stronger, 4
fiddler, piper or accordion player are ncces-
sary adjunctS OF the benefit rattle, and they
are never absent.
The chairman Of the committee has a list
Of the ticket holders, with their numbers
One hundred slips of paper are placed in q
hat Nincty-nine Of these are blank and one
has the name OF the prize written on it. A
blindfoldcd or blind pcrson-and rs the latter
is 10 rarity in mining villages it is often
sightI 81 person-draws the slips from the hat
IS each Rane IS called from tho list by the
committeeman. When the slip containing
whose name Was then called is declared the
winner of the prize The drawing is attended
with no little excitement, the company crowd
ing around the hat and awaiting each with
drawal OF q slip with brcathloSS expectancy.
When the lucky number is drawn great
shout goes up from the party, and the winner
is warmly congratulated by his companions.
When quiet is restored the winner presents
the Trize to the person who is the beneficiary
Of the rattle, and that person is at liberty 10
do rs he or She pleaseS with it. The money
obtained 10y the sale Of the ticl,ets-nover less
than SOS then given 10 the beneficiary. In
majority OK cases the article ratified for is
the property Of the beneficiary, with which
the charitable fiction is maintained that the
prize is to 30 to the one who wins It
A STRANGE CUSTOM EXPLAINED.
TO the public outside of the mining towns
one of the customs among the people whose
living depends on the mines has always, and
naturally, seemed not only strange, but I'M
accountable and has time and again resulted
in the chilling of outside sympathy for suffer
ing mining families. This feeling first be-
came notable and was most cluphatically
manifested after the frghtful catastrophe at
the ANondale mine, near Pittston, il 1863
That calamity awakened q sympathy that, it
might be- said. was national for the hundred
and more of widows. Wi h numerous children
who were LEFT destitute through the disaster
The intensity OF their grief, many touching
incidents Of which were made familiar the
country over by the newspapers, aroused n
feeling Of pity ana determination to give
it substantial demonstration that have had
Few parallels in this country. The grief Of
these widows seemed 81 hopeless rs to be be
yond the aSSuaging touch of time; and SO
when, few weeks after the disaster and
while its horrors were still fresh in the public
mind, the news began 10 be printed that the
Avondaie widows were one after another,
findin. new husbands for themselves and
stepfathers for their children, so recently be-
reaved, Il reyul5On Of feeling throughout the
country was the result. and many schemes
which were on foot having in view the relief
of the widows and fatherleSS OF AvOndale,
were abruptly dropped.
at was not known then. and probably is
not now a, | 10 not remember that any oX-
plauatio, was ever made OF 1t, that their ap-
narentlv quick fo"G.tfulncSS OF the dead on
Tho mart OF the Avo2dale widows waS hut the
Observance OF Il peculiar custom Of miners,
which makes it sacred rule Tor unmarried
miners or mine laborerS who have no other
couiucal intentions TO offer 70 take The place
Of n dead companion IS the nlainSt2y or his
widow and children by marrying her. II her
necessities are pressing, the matter Of delay
is not taken into account as influencing the
final result This was the case at AVonda4e,
and the fear of misery and want was re-
moved from many q farlily by the widows