davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03
WHAT THE MINERS ARE PAID.
A Yearly Average of One Dollar and Twelve
Cents Per Day.

A Yearly Average of One Dollar and Twelve
Cents Per Day.
Having waded back through the slush
and reascended to the top OF the shaft,
one is in position to note the methods in
use for determining the earnings of the
miners below. The car which the work
ers in the horseback" were filling pre-
sently comes up the shaft, is rolled
off the cage, and dumped into
the slide which carries the coal to the
flat. Midway down this slide is a trap so
arranged that no coal larger than seven or
eight inches can get through. The coal
which goes under this continuance then
passes over a CRATE, the bars of which are
acknowledged, the upper and lower
crosses being three inches apart, and the
middle crosses one and q quarter inches
apart. Thus not only does all coal under
an inch and quarter in size drop through
the crate, but pieces three inches and even
larger are so caught between the bars that
the seven and eight inch hunks crush
them through the inch and quarter
opening. This diamond-shape crate is a
comparatively recent invention. The old
style was made OF square bars, and
could not, obviously, screen the coal
so nicely 10 the operators taste.
In this connection the purpose of the
trap is seen, for ii the large pieces
were allowed to go down with the smaller,
the CRATES work, could not be nearly so
effective. Much of the little coal would be
carried over the crate by the big pieces
After all the small coal has gone down the
slide the weighmaster lifts the trap for the
escape of the large coal.
The flat which is placed below the CRATE
gets just about one-quarter of the coal
ordinarily. Notice a train OF coal cars
pulling out from any OF the mines in the
evening and you viii see fiat of small
coal for every three or four flats of large
coal. The operator, OF course, sells the
former as well as the latter. But for all
the coal that pours through the CRATE into
the operators flat-and it is the hardest
of all coal to mine - the miner gets
nothing
The weighing, Of course, is done after
the coal is separated. Here the operator
has a chance TO bleed the miner-and he
has so effectively availed himself OF it, that
the examination OF scales is made one OF
the inspectors duties. He is only re-
quired, however TO visit each mine twice
year for this purpose, 80 that any inaccur-
acy-and all of them favor the operator
though corrected at the time Of the in
spector's visit, is readily restored after his
departure. Miners, according TO the law,
can, TO be sure, send for the inspector
IL they suspect the scales are
wrong. But most OF them have
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03
THE OPERATORS.
A Picture I'm Which Very Different Colors
dust be Used.

A Picture I'm Which Very Different Colors
dust be Used.
Two companies, the Jackson and the
Brazil, or syndicate" may be said to
control the coal business of Clay county.
As they do the others must do. Smaller
concerns are the Gartsherrie coal and
mining company, the Coal Bluff coal and
mining company, the Nickle Plate com
pany, Zeller & Sigler coal and mining
company, Watson q Little, Wilaren, Todd
& Co. and the Crawford coal company.
All these organizations are associated IN
pool which regulates the prices OF coal.
An interesting illustration OF the way all
things are worked together for the
operator is TO be seen in the management
OF the syndicate" The fountain head
is in Chicago. Mr. H. H. Porter of that
city is president of the G. & /. coal COM
pany railroad, and OF the c. 4 f. ]. rail-
road, and is the largest stakeholder in
the Brazil block coal company or "svndi-
cate" Mr. Lawrence OF Chicago is presi-
dent OF the coal company and OF the First
national bank of Brazil. Nicepresident
Zimmerman of the Brazil bank is
treasurer of the Indiana mercantile COM
pany-the syndicate's ''pluck-me"
orqanization-and OF the coal company.
Cashier Andrews Of the Brazil bank is the
pool commissioner. Thus capitalist, trans
porter, operator and merchandiser are as
sociated in one huge combine, which
soueezes the miner at one end and the
consumer at the other. How ehectually
the miner is squeezed has already been
seen. An investigation OF the profits OF
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03
He Started a "Pluck Me-"

the minor companies do not run "pluck
mes" Their men, however, and those OF
the other companies, who by some means
escape the burden, do not, by the estimates
OF dozen or more witnesses, exceed %
per cent. of all the county's miners. I'll
we were only rid of the stores We might
get along comfortably enough" is the
burden OF the Clay county miners COM
plants.
The artists sketch of a sample miners
"block" leaves nothing to be said on that
subject, except that it is sample. The
rent for the houses shown is 50 per month
for each family in the lower block and
$3.50 in the higher. Thus, the former ac-
commodating three families nets the COM
pany SO, and the latter for two families
like amount
The Jackson blocks are somewhat bet
ter in outward appearance, but are equally
wretched on theinside. Theyrent for $3.50
per month. The abuses in house-renting
are not so much complained OF because
not so widespread as the ''pluck-me"
abuse. Not more than q third OF the
miners OF the county are housed in oper-
ators' blocks.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

last two years under an agreement be-
tween the operators on the one hand and
the federation of miners and mine laborers
and the miners assembly of the X. of L.
on the other. The rate in 1871 was 81 per
ton, and $l.20 for three months in 1872.
A reduction to 81 in the latter year re-
suited in a strike, during which negroes
were brought from Virginia to take the
strikers places. The miners lost a law
suit in this connection, and ever since
negroes have worked in and about the
mines. Wages went down in 1873 to
% cents per ton and remained at about
these figures until 1880 when they went
up to 81. 4 reduction to 75
cents in 1888 caused an unsuccessful strike
by which the miners lost S9S,640. The
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

any person, co-partnership, corporation
or association, or any member, agent or
employee thereof who shall publish, issue
or circulate any check, card or other paper,
which is not commercial paper to
any employee shall be guilty of a mis-
demeanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall be fined iii any sum not more than
$1,000" twas further enacted that every
corporation, etc, engaged in this state in
mining coal shall pay each en-
ploye if demanded, at least once
every two weeks, the amount due such
employee for labor, and such payment shall
be in lawful money of the United States,
and any contract to the contrary shall be
void"
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

he not only sharpens tools, but
shoes the mules and does other similar
work for the operator. Nor does this ex-
the miners tools. lie hires that done in
dependently.
The miner is sure, too, that he will pay
a good round price for any coal he may
need to heat the windy shanty. rented
him by the operator Last winter he paid
on an average S2.25 per ton for his fuel.
The company need not take coal from
their flats to supply this demand, but can
use that which falls off the fiat while load
ing. The artist has shown the piles of
this coal which accumulate on either side
of the cars. The miner, of course, asks no
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

concluded that a job with cheat
ing scales is better than no job at all.
Several of the miners were OF the opinion
that, if some penalty were provided for
gross inaccuracies in weighing, the pres
ent law would be more effective
Altogether, between the scales and the
CRATE, the miner never can know Just how
much he is working for the operator and
how much for himself. He is sure, how
ever, that from whatever amount is cred
tied to him, ! } cents or cents per ton
will be deducted, ostensibly to hire a
blacksmith to sharpen his tools. If all the
money so withheld went to the tool
sbarpener he would often make as high as
SO per day. His wages in reality are
$3.50 per day. And for this amount
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

rate remained at IS cents until
the first annual agreement was made for
the year 1886 between the operators and
the miners organizations. Under this
agreement the rates were 80 cents for
summer and 90 cents for winter The
next year an advance OF > cents was
gained which has been maintained Tor
1883.
Mr.. Carroll d. Wright, in his first annu-
al report as commissioner of labor, gives
the average wages OF Clay county miners
as g As per day. This, however, is based
on rate OF so cents per ton, whereas
the average now is 30 cents per ton or
Sl.6O per day Mr. Wright also gives 220
days as the working time for 1885. This,
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03
NOTICE OF SALE OF STATE LANDS
STATE OF INDIANA,


OFFICE OF TIE AUDIT R OF STATE.
Notice il hereby given that in pursuance 10 the
provisions OF an act OF the General Assembly Of the
State OF Indiana, entitled can act authorizing the
sale and conveyance OF certain lands belonging TO tho
State Of Indiana, aud disposing OF the proceeds
thereof and providing fer the recovery Of the pos
session OF any lands of the state unlawiuly Occu-
pied and for tho OF any lands OF the state until
sold. approved March 4 1888 VIII oer Tor sale 70
the highest bidder at the courthouse door, in the
city OF Richmond, a irom 2 a. M to p m; on tri-
day October &c. 1sSs the following described real
estate situated in Cambridge City, Wayne county,
Indiana, belonging % the state OF Indiana and
authorized TO be sold by said act:
Lot in block ~, west OF river and south OF Ma
tional road, appraiscment So lot 10, in block %.
west Of river and south of National road, appraise-
ment $40; lot = in block 20 west OF river and south
OF National road, appraisement 90 lot 9, IN block
praisement S0 lot % in block II, west Of river and
south of National road, apprasement SO lots l, z,
y, Ii, a. - TO- L. IS 49, 90 u 2! % "a % 20 ~
National road, appraisement $3.50 each lots 3, J. 5.
67S9, 10, II, in block 10, west OF river and north
of National road appraisement s. each; lots l. 2 3,
81 % g. "a ., % 81 p, % 30 81 81 in block IS,
west of river and north OF National road, appraise
ment IS each; lots % and H. in block ., west OF
river and south of National road, appraisement $50
each; lot ! in block % east OF river and north Of
National road, appfasement 81 lot ~ an BLOCK IS
west of river and south Of National road, apprase-
SO; lot 5 in block 2i west % river and south
of National road apPraiseInent SO; lot p in block
west OF river and south 0 Aal0nli road appraise-
ment s35 lot 81 in block H. vest ofriver and north
OF National road appraisemcnt 500 lots and 10, in
blocE ~ west of river and north of National road
Advertisement 81 EACH lot I, in block %, vest OF
river and south Of National road, appraisement 81
lot 2 in block g. west Of river and south OF National
road appraisement SO; lots and B. in block IL,
west Of river and north Of National road appraise-
ment 81 each lot 2, in block Is, east OF river and
south of National road, apprisement So; lot 3 in
block Is east Of river ana south OF
National road: appraisements So lot q in
block H. ives. OF river and north OF National road,
appraisement SO: lot ~ in block rs east of river
and north Of National road, apprasement IS. All
OF said lots and blocks being in Cambridge City,
Wayne county, Indiana.
These lots Of land were forfeited 10 the State u
Indiana by reason of the uon-paymcnt OF taxes duo
thereon provided by Section OF the act approved
March 6, 1888
Said lots viii be sold 70 the highest bidder Tor
cash No bid for a sale less than the appraised value
thereof will be received.
BRUCE CARR. Auditor Of State.
Indianapolis, Ind, Oct. ?, ISIS.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

the combine will show how eflectually the
squeezing is consummated at the CONSUME
er's end.
The aggregate mining capital invested
in Clay county, according to state Statis-
tician Peelle's last report, is $50, 765. Last
year very nearly if not quite 100000 tons
of coal were shipped. Commissioner Of
Labor Wright, in calculating the cost OF
producing a ton Of Clay county coal, esti-
mates the labor at S7.5 per cent and the
other expenses at l2.5 per cent The labor,
as has been seen, now averages 80 cents.
The total cost, therefore, would be Sl.03
per ton. The average selling price last
year at Brazil may be fairly put at SLIGO,
one lot selling as low as SLIP and others
as high rs =. Fifty cents per ton, then,
is a reasonable estimate of the Clay county
operators profit per ton of coal mined. or
100000 for the 100000 tons mined last
year on the permanent investment OF
S339,7G5.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03


Dor performed, or to be performed, by me
binding and continue during the term of
my employment by said company.
Witness my hand and seal this - day
OF --, 1SS-"
One Monday morning this agreement
was handed the men for signatures. NJ
merous protests were made, but significant
inSlnuations about designations brought
ali but fifteen.of the company's employees
to time. OF these unrulv men. twelve
soon afterward signed the document. Two
left work rather than sign, and one re-
manned. This lone one was a valuable
workman, and was retained-not long,
however, for it was soon made so uncOm-
Portable for him that he was glad to Quit
The Brazil block coal company adopted
another method of evading the law, or
rather of violating it, for is not "any con-
tract to the contrary void" Their men
sign document, not at the office, but at
the store, the effect of which is that the
miner purchasing merchandise consents
to the deduction of the price thereof from
his fortnightly account with the mining
company. When he goes for his money
he signs a receipt for all his wages. An
envelope is then handed him, containing
his wages minus his Indebtedness TO the
store.
But, it may be suggested, is not the
purpose ofthe law virtually accomplished?
These contracts only specify that in the
event the miner deals at the company
store the amount of his purchases shall be
deducted from his wages. The miner is
not compelled, as he was by the card sys-
tenn, to buy his merchandise from the
company. To be sure he is not COM
Dallpd in tho soma NOV huf ha 10 p0rn-
PEELED in another equally effective way. 1t
is buy at the store or quit. There are
several methods of enforcing
these alternatives. The obstinate miner
who insists on buying where he can
buy cheapest is continually given work in
"horse-backs," or in other disadvantage
GUS situations where he is soon starved
out. The man, on the contrary,
who buys most of the company, is given
the best work. The more the miner earns,
they argue, the more he will have TO
spend at the company store. And the
man who gets in debt at the "pluck-me"
is given the best job of all.
Does the the miner who is single and
boards escape this ''pluck-me" tyranny
Oh, no! He has three alternatives-per-
suade his landlady to deal with the COM
pany, or, if unsuccessful, change his board
ing place, or quit work.
One must not think that the miner who
has proved annoyingly Independent about
dealing in the store at one mine will have
no difficulty in getting work at another.
The county is not so big but that the
bosses are pretty well acquainted with all
the troublesome men and communication
is so kept up that the spotted" man is
not likely to fare well. The bosses of all
the syndicate" mines, for instance, meet
Saturday night for this purpose of mutual
protection.
1t goes without saying that prices in the
company stores are higher, much higher,
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

as it is called, the miners are paid nothing,
the wages remaining the same as for four
and one-halt feet, viz: S1.70 per yard.
Here and there a large wooden door is
noticed. These are at the entrances to the
lateral galleries, and are for the purpose
of preventing the air, which is famed
through one shaft into the mines, from
rushing through the main entry and so
out through the other shaft. The venti-
lation has been quite satisfactory since the
passage of law on the subject and the
provision for mine inspector to look after
this and other matters. Over the other
matters, as will be seen later, he has not
nearly as complete control.
Turning off through one of these doors,
the miners are found at work. Some are
digging singly, others in pairs. The two
whom the artist has sketched are work. ng
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03
HOW HE SPENDS HIS EARNINGS.

The 'PIuck Mes and the Tenement
''Blocks" Leave Nothing for Old Age.
The evils OF the company store system
have been so repeatedly exposed that
proof of their existence is all that is
necessary to enable the reader to adequately
appreciate the condition of the Clay county
miners. 1t will be remembered that the
agitation against them resulted in the en-
actment of a law by the last legislature
which was expected to kill the system.
The custom has been to compel the miners
to trade in these stores by issuing them in
payment for labor certificates which would
be redeemed in merchandise by the store
keeper. To stop this it was enacted "that
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

muddied the miner or visitor before sec
ond step into the main entry has been
taken Before taking this second step it is
necessary 10 sit down on projecting rock
and wait until the bit OF lamp affords the
eve some light; for at first il only makes
the darkness darker. Meantime a mule
comes galloping down the entry hauling a
car Of coal for delivery from the miner be-
low to the operators agent above. The
mule looks sorlorn enough. at is pretty
hard 10 train them for the work. says the
guide. ''At first they bring them down at
night and practice them hauling empty
cars. After they have grown familiar with
the mine they are put on day-work. But
the oldest of them don't like il. They
often have 10 be forced on the cage
in the morning and fastened in position.
At night, however. they walk on the cage
~ readily and as gladly as the men,"
Starting down the main gallery one is
on reminded by crushed derby and
sck or two on the forehead that the en-
Is are only four and one-half feet high.
mules have effectively learned this,
heir heads are bent and their ears
- in as they gallop along. The
hate" controlling some fifteen
yare now, however, requiring that
tries be "driven five feet off the
nd for taking this additional one
out Of the rock, OF brushing"
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

No sooner was this made a law by the
governors signature than the Jackson
coal and mining company prepared the
following document:
IL, and each of us, do hereby waive my
right to require the Jackson coal and
mining company to pay me in money for
my work and labor hereafter performed
for said company, and hereby consentand
plies furnished me by said company in
the prosecution of my work, and all or
ders given me for goods, wares and mer-
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

more for this than he does for the fine coal
that goes through the CRATE; but he pays
will enough for it when the company's
teamster has hauled 1t off to his home.
This, then, is the way the miners earn
ings are calculated; and these the deduc-
tons that are made from his earnings. IL
is with these methods, including the
"pluck me" store system, that the miners
find fault not with the formal rates of 50
cents per ton for mining in summer and
% cents in winter.
These rates have prevailed during tho
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

from the best information obtainable, is a
fair average. Last year it was very near
this figure; this year it will be less. Give
months we can expect steady work, was
the consensus OF opinion among the
miners. 'The other seven we won't aver
age half time" Taking, then, 220 days as
in 'the good land OF hope" averages for
support his family aud the ''pluck me"
store and to LAY up in the vigor of youth
a store against old age.Y
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03
BEFORE
He Started a "Pluck Me-"

than in the open market. Abuses in this
direction were poured into the ear of the
reporter I'D infnitlm. The artist has given
an illustration of the profits in the bust
ness. "Lans" Milligan runs ''pluck-me"
butcher-shOp for one OF the mining COM
panies. His share of the profits has sent
him from log cabin to a four-thousand-
dollar modern dwelling. Two or three of
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03
The Reason Why

Ayers Pills are so popular is, that
while always reliable as a cathartic
medicine, they never leave any i'll
effects. This is because they are purely
vegetable, and entirely free from calo-
mel or any other dangerous drug. In
all cases, therefore, whether the patient
be old or young, they may De conf
IDENTITY administered.
In the Southern and Western States,
where arrangements of the liver are so
general, Ayers Pills have proved an in
estimable blessing. d. ". Baine, New
Berne, n. c., writes:
81 suffered a long time with stomach
and liver troubles. / tried various rem
edies, but received no benefit until j
commenced taking Ayers Pills. These
pills benefited me at once. 1 took them
regularly for a few months, and my
health was completely restored"
Throughout New England, next TO
lung diseases, Stomach and Bowel
Complaints are the most prevalent.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-03

mines in which one does not step at the
bottom OF the shaft from the cage into
ten-inch pool of Shiny water, but if there
are "Gartsherrie, No. p is not among them.
Dripping water over head and stagnant
water under foot have completely wet and