Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-08-10
Coal Miners Of Pennsylvania.

TUESDAY. AUGUST 10. 1886.
Coal Miners Of Pennsylvania.
Henry George, in his article or
"Labor In Pennsylvania" In the Angus,
number Of 1.-THE North American Re
view" draws . doleful picture of the
coal miners of that State. There are
he says, 100000 persons engaged In
mining In Pennsylvania. two.thirds o.
whom are employed in the anthracite
mines IN the eastern part of the State
and the remainder In the bituminoui
mines In the western part. In the re-
port OF 1884 Of the Pennsylvapia Bureau
OF Industrial Statistics the "highesl
average wages" of miners on contract
In the anthracite districts 10 given at
$40 per day, and for miners on wages
81 per day, while in the bituminous re-
gion the highest average wages are
given at % per day. In addition to
these are outside and inside laborers,
whose highest average wages are given
I'm the anthracite districts at $l.7s
and 81. 40, and In the bituminOus dis
tricts at SI.75 and SLIGO, besides drivers
and runners. slate pickers, blacksmiths,
carpenters, engineers; and In the coke
districts, oven chargers and drawers.
This, OF course, Is the rosease hue oil
labor, and the conclusion would be i'm
mediately reached that these were liv-
ing wages.
But the great drawback or rather
dark lining Of this picture is lost time.
In 1884 this, exclusive OF Sundays and
holidays, amounted to an average Of
1913 days In the anthracite and ITO DAYS
In the bituminous GOAL fields, and 10
1865 to Ill days in the anthracite and
liz in the bituminous This will nc
doubt surprise many people, az this lost
time cuts the wages Of the anthracite
miners on contract down from SIG 90 O
week to 1884 miners on wages from
Sl2 down to ~; laborers inside from
$40 60 to SC IA; lsborers outside from
$40 TO 81 81; boys from So 90 to s. OF
drivers and runners from IS So to S.. SO
firemen from So as to S. 73; engineer.
from $11 % TO s.. "a; black smiths from
I'll 40 to 81 10; and slate picker bow
from So to 81 70. In the bituminou,
regions proportionate reduction mus
be made for lost time.
Ia the forthcoming report for 1885, Il
Is estimated that the average In wages
including boys and all In any way con.
nected with coal mining in the anthra
cite regions, will be S. g. per week. AND
In the bttuminous regions at 1921 Del
week. The miners themselves put thei,
average wages at from $35 to $40 pc,
month.
On the highest estimate of wages thu,
caa be made the PennsylvaDia coAl
miners lot Is hard one. He works
under ground, his only light being the
rays OF the lamp he carries in his hat,
He often works In places where be
cannot stand uprigh. his clothes are
always wet from the drippings from the
rocks he is exposed to sudden dan gers
OF falling rocks and fire damp explo-
sions. Out OF his scanty wages he m ust
pay Tor sharpening his tools and for the
OIL and cotton he burns in his lamp.
But In addition to what has been re.
lated, comes still darker side OF a
miutl'J life. The employees are lod ged
lu dreary, monotonous rows OF com.
pany houses, divided by thin parti.
lions into tenements Of from two to four
SINAI. rooms. These houses are of wood.
Quilt ia cheap and f1imsy manner.
usually unfinished Inside and unpaint.
Cd ootside-not even whitewashed
The rent OF these tenements range from
81 % TO 50 per month, the average being
about -, and this is always deducted
from the scansy wages earned. This
latter is now Illegal In Pennsylvania,
the law requiring the payment of wages
once q month in cash or cash
ORDER but this, Like other legal provi.
sions for the benefit of the tenant. is
evaded by VIVA. the miners term sscut-
throat leases, which every tenant of
com pany house is req nired to sign. By
this cut-throat lease, in which the vie
Is required to join, the tenant gives au-
tnority for the stoppage Of rent ont OF
MS wages, valves the benefit Of the ex-
smption laws and gives legal authority
Ter his eviction at any time upon five
days notice.
Another dark feature OF this dark
picture is the company stores where the
p or men are plncked OF what little
wag 81 they do make. These places are
rightly named pluck. me- stores,
whe'e prices are from 10 to 100 Der
cent higher than al ether stores.
Apologies are made for this terribly
deb ,sing system Of vassalage by refer.
ring to the character Of the men who
make up the mining population. We
are told that many Of them are Poles
and Hungarisns OF the lowest classes.
without education or character, and
thai they have no am oition above liy-
ing in the lowest hovel; that they are
lawless and have no regard whatever
for the common restraints OF lay and
society. Admitting these to be true
we wonld ask why are they here :?
There are enough American citizsns to
do this work. The coal com panies
themselves have impor ted these iguo-
rant, lawless beings and are responsible
for the present situation. The condi-
tion OF the coal miners of Pennsylvania
lie stain and blur upon civiliz alton.
REFoRMER CLEVELAND, since Con.
gress has adjourned, has unstrung his
guiliotine, and Republican heads are
rolling from the block at o lively rate.
Am onPst the ammo; n fmAnt I'm he has IN n q