The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-18

vaulted chamber, with its cracked and
jagged edges, breaks through the wall
that sewers it from its neighbor and
leaves an overhanging bridge of crumb-
ling stone waiting for some spring thaw
to send it down, tons upon tons, upon
the "protected" fellows who from sun
rise 10 sunset, work out their pittance
below. Great derricks rise like spec
tres along the dangerous Drinks OF
these chssms and stretch out ghostly
arms over the yavning mouths. There
is a forest of chain-stays, and cables are
dangling over the openings. It makes
one sick and dizzy to start down into
those CULTS, to see frsil stairway, until
the view is lost in the smoke and dust
which rises from the work going on be-
low. The walls of the quarry, once
white as the blocks of virgin marble
which now and then are lifted into
sight by the big derricks, have grown
black with the smoke and moisture.
To the edges Of the pit, IS the work
goes lower and lover, cling boulders Of
a mans weight. It is q common oc-
currence for one of them, displaced by
rain, to go crashing down. Woe betide
the man it meets. But the quarryman
has grown insensible to these dangers.
He works away, looking no bigger
than a pigmy, and with death all
around him. There is no alternative
but starvation.
A burly blacksmith, who has grown
fat at his trade in West Rutland, said
to the World correspondent: II have
thought, sometimes, Iknew what hard
work was. But blacksmithing is child's
play to what these quarrymen endure.
They are like cattle. Rest is luxury
they don't know anything about.
Year in and out they just pull and haul
down there. Tho air is fearful, too. l
would not do the work one Of them
does for $50 day. They never can get
above 81 Is to support them and their
families. Their lives aren't worth the
old boots they wear. I never was down
there but once, and I'll never 60 again
as long as live. Why, the going up
and down those stairs is o days work" 1"
1t was near quitting time, and l
waited for the men to come out of the
quarries for the night. BY and by they
hove in sight from the bowels Of dark
ness. long, apparently endless line,
toiling up the fimsy, creaking stairs,
which were fastened feebly to the quar-
ry sides. At each landing they stopped,
until some cry from the depths below
would tell the leader to go on. Then
the ascent was resumed. They moved
like men with rheumatic legs and feet
of lead, and by and by began emerging
into the upper air.
s'Where in the world do so many of
tQelO cOIue lEOIu. aSh LILY SoniPoh
ion.
"Oh, they have been working back
under the mountain there. You only
see the bottom of the main shafts.
When they get down these they run
the drift back at right angles. This one
runs in a long distance, though you
can't see the opening from up here. It's
pretty mean place to spend day."
CAN SIBERIA BE WORSE.
From among the rough clad fellows
who kept coming from the pit I stopped
one. The rest, with a listless glance,
passed on and began wearily climbing
the hill to their miserable dwellings.
The quarryman whom had accosted
was wan as sick woman. He was
painting from effort and had the stoop
which incessant lifting gives. About
his mouth and eyes-for all his bravn-
were the blue shadows and lines which
told what awaited him if he escaped
mutilation in the qusrries.
"What do you do down there ?"
"Kill ourselves" he answered bitter
ly.
Don't you feel afraid to 50 into
such place.?
The quarryman smiled contemptu-
DUSTY, and kicked at q fragment
of marble that lay imbedded in
the mnd at the derrick's base.
Afraid No. We very soon get past
that. The chances are too much in
favor Of getting killed. We rather ex-
pect it. Aud, after all, I'd be just as
we'll off if It ended me tomorrow.
Only my wife and babeies wouldn't
have anybody to keep them alive.
You see we only get little over dol
lar day, and the way we have to take
it out it doesn't come to that, at least
none of US believe it does"
Then you can't save much OF any
thing"
save" and again he smiled. "Id
like to see some one besides Proctor
save anything out Of this deal. He
saves at almost every corner. He's a
very saving man. He saves everything
except the men who work for him. BY
making US take out our pay in trade st
his stores he saves the interest Of his
money, and gets quick pay as well as
big profits. Oh, he's Protectionist." ."
"Are you obliged totrade at the COM
pany's stores?"
Eyes. It is pretty we'll understood
that if you don't, you sre warned once
or twice about it, and then Well, !
don't know as it was ever proved that
any one was discharged for not trad.
ing with the company, but nine men
out of ton will tell you, if they dared to
talk about it, that they were afraid to
t,eo %bo;r trade avey. And then.