The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1886-07-29
set out for his dayJL

until bo emorcI again from bis
work, the spectileath is his con-
slant compan' and his friends
IN above groun,7o not know "na'
" moment The Jay hear the terrible
IT. news of hi, siug crushed by a fall
of rot or ,rn 10 fragments by one
'g of uose sild explosions OF fire.
imp, nose destructive powers no
: jen ca adequately picture. There
fs a pAm in the life Of miner
which awaits the touch of some in
spirodjwritor who will give it ado>
quato expression.
Dotted along tho hillside and
tho valleys Of the anthracite area OF
Pennsylvania are thousands of mod
est little homes, around whose
porches the roses are blooming and
in whose adjacent gardens the traces
Of industry and good taste are vis-
ibls iu these golden days. Some OF
these dwellings, are only n single
story, but the majority of them are
two stories high They are cosy
frame buildings, erected for accom-
modation rather than comfort, yet
combining both, and around tho
doors Of many Of them and under
the friendly shade of the fruit trees
that throw their cool shadows across
tho walks are heard the voices OF
children, whose merry prattle is
fatal to anarchism and oil othsr isms
that aim at the destruction Of love
and homo aud hope aud religion
As q general thing, the miners have
large families, aud, while their ia
bles do not boast many OF llfe's lux
uries, they manage to get IN oder
alto share OF such substantial faro ns
pork and cabbage, POTATOES aud
beefsteuk, with an occasional pie
The majority Of them now find II n
difficult matter to. feed themselves
and their families. 1t requires no
swall degree Of tact, at the present
rate OF earning, to pay the monthly
Lou --.", a.o''l'' ""v,'''
ing and tho other necessarios of life
And yet the output Of coal is large.
People naturally ask why it if
that wnge-earuing should be at such
low ebb in the coal fields when
the aggregate shipments Of anthra-
} cite ARE 80 much greater than they
were a few years ago, at a time when
miners and laborers earned higher
wages aud lived much better than
: they do at present. The miners
> average about fifteen working days
o month at the present time, and
four hours day. When business
, is brisk seven or eight hours con-.
stitute n miners working days
while the laborels work ten hours OF
} IN ore per day. On full time a miner
! earns from 81 so to 81 rs day
e and he is fortunate just now if his
I earnings average 81 % to $3.50. I'm.
der favorable circumstances, and
0 with plenty of work, laborer earns
Q 81 rs day generally, but he does
D not earn much more than rs cents {
4 day at present. The men employed
on what is called "the day shift
t generally go to work at seven o'c!ocl
: in the morning, and those employed
o in the mines at night, or on th
Q might Shift" begin thoir tasks a
five o'clock in tho afternoon. Th'
= food of the miner aud his family
u generally consists of plain. substan
i tial fare. meat of some kind beint
y used invariably once a day, Muct
}. of this meat is bacon or shoulder,
which is bought because it is cheap
= or than butchers meat. This is the
staple article of diet and it ia sup
a plemented by bread, potatoes, cab
n bage, when in season, aud goot
d deal Of salt fish and cheese. Thes
10 constitute the main articles OF foo
Or on miners table, but when worl
IN is steadier and pay better, the Low
Or of luxury extends to an occasionu
d. cake or pie. Sohe Of the miners
lo although they ars\ the exceptions t
o. the general rule, ats SO fortunatel
OF situated as to be able to raise the
OK own pork, and at their tables mes
r. is not as scarce as is with those wh
d depend for the necessities aud CON
IT. forts OF life on their Sander carr
Nv ings.
'er In these dull times, ''yaen there
'A' little to earn and mauy.o keep,
No. 20 the miners and laborer cn barrel
be support themselves by praeicing IL
most rigid economy. Mattrs hav