Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-10-22
MINERS PtRIous LIFE.
Dangers, Privations and Pleasures O
Anthracite Workers.

Dangers, PrivatiOns and Pleasures OF
Anthracite Workers.
A Scranton correspondent Of the Phiia-
dolphia Times Wi es: The philosopher
who could see sermons i'll stones" would
find much to interest ard instruct him in
the everyday life of the miner, harsh and
unromantic as it may seem and wonder
fully and PAINFULLY realistic us it some
times is. TO those who know nothing
more OF mining than they gather flom the
glowing anthracite in the CRATE or the
black procession OF coal cars that thunder
along the track, the miners calling Goes
not seem 10 be one that requires high
or even more than commonplace order
of intelligence, but this is a mi, take. The
paris that environ the miner at his daily
tasks and that are sometimes so subtl. in
their nature us to require nothing less
than a scientific mind to combat hem sue
cessfully make it necessary and highly
important that, so far as the work OF
mining is concerned, only men o. skill, Of
clear heads and steady norl es and Il fair
Knowledge Of geology should be engaged
in it.
A distinction should he made between
the miner and the labOrcr. For convcn-
ience sake I'll ar1 c.ass d as miners but
ali are not 81 Oh in reality. The miner
cuts the coal through the dark chambers
of the subtellGncan city, and the luLorar
loads it on the cars that are drawn Y
mules TO the foot of the shaft or slope up
which they are hoisted. For the folmCr
task considerable skill and knowlcdle
of the requirements of the intricate work
If drilling and blasting down the black
Jewels from their fastness Of centuries is
required while muscle and endurance are
sufficient for the latter But while the
same skill is rot required on the part of
the laborcras the miner brings to his daily
task, the former risks tl4t same dangers,
and works more hours at most eSGcting
toll and for less ray than the latter
can never meet one of those grime-sta'ned
men pas sing along cur streets on his way
home from work with heavy footsteps and
faded spirits without feeling something
Of the thrill of happiness which l know
must greet him as he enters the little
home whore lie left anxiety 10 take his
place when he set out for his days toll
From the time the miner sets foot or
the carriage that whirls him down in s'the
hell of the deep-sunk mines" until he
emerges again from his work, the spectre
death is his constant companion, and his
friends above ground do not know what
moment they may hear the terrible news
of his being crushed by fall of roof OF
torn to fragments by one of those wild
explosions of tre-damp, whose destructive
powers 10 pen can adequately picture
There is poem i'll the life of minel
which awaits the touch of some inspired
writer who will give it adequate expires
sion.
Dotted along the hi'lsides and the val
| leys of the anthracite area Of Pennsylva
MIA are thousands of modest little homes
around whose porches the roses are bloom
ing and in whose adjacent gardens the
traces of industry and good taste are Wis
ible in these golden days. Some of these
| dwellings are only single story, but the
| majority of them ara two stories high
| They are cosey frame buildings, erected
for accommodation rather than comfort
yet combining both, and around the doors
of many of them and under the friendly
shade of the fruit trees that throw theil
cool shadows across tho walks are heard
the voices Of children, whose merry prattle
is fatalto anarchism and all other isms
that aim at the destruction of love and
home and hope and religion. AS n gen
eral thing the miners have large familit S,
and, while their tables no not boast many
of life's luxurlcs they manage 10 get a
moderate share of such substantial fare as
pork and cabbage, potatoes and beefsteak,
with All occasional pie. The majority of
them now find it difficult matter to feed
themselves and the + families. 1t requires
no small degree of tact, at the present
rate of earning, to pay the monthly store
bills, to say nothing of clothing and the
other necessaries OF lie And the output
of coal is large.