The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-07-17

Interview With Miner in Cincinnati Times-starl
Reporters of several papers were sent out to
these mines, and l tell you they soon got
enough. They had not been there week be-
fore they began to send home for money. For
they daily came across such scenes of hunger
and distress that they were continually going
down into their own pockets, and they had to
60 broke and hungry day after day among the
people they came 20 tell about. They wanted
10 get away because they were out of money
more than they could afford. These mines are
scattered over an area of miles Some are two
or three miles from Brazil some are ten miles.
And the very same day that the mines were
shut down on these operatives. that day
did the suffering commence. And for
the first six weeks the average of
the relief that came was only about
/ cent per head. For the past four weeks it
has been about pa per cent. per day per head.
No. this Brazil mining company is not the only
mining company there; there are several. But
it is the octopus that holds all the rest. The
chief owners of the mines are also the owners
in the c. & f. /. and c. & ]. c. railroads, which
carry all the coal. They can thus dictate.
Why, they will even discriminate against them
selves in hauling bituIninous coal for 90 cents
and block coal 10 Chicago, and in this way get
50 cents for hauling the coal of the other CON-
panies, the bituminous coal mines being ten
miles nearer Chicago. That is what they do
their own block and bituminous coal, but bleed
the other mines all about. These roads con-
troll the entire shipping"
why did they bring on this reductioaP
Because they claimed they couldn't get
their coal into the market. But we know bet
ter than that, and can give figures TO prove it
from the mines of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West
Virginia, Illinois and Indiana. And only per
cent. reductions were made elsewhere.
There are ten supply stations. or relief sta
tions. They are Brazil Knightsville Harmony,
Benwood, Cardonia, Perth, Carbon. Asherville,
Hosierville Center Point. These are all through
the mining districts. It was IN going about
among these little mining towns that the re-
porters were continually going down into their
pockets to relieve want If a miner doesn't {
trade at one OF the stores of the company he
will only get scrub work to do. And il he does
they will be assured that be has coal before
they even give him loaf OF bread. Why,
have known children to be sent for bread. and
they would not get it until they had wired
TO the top, that is TO the mines to see If that
miner had coal out have known this TO hap
pen even where the family was starving for
bread. And it Is not always the miners fault
that his coal is not out. Sometimes there is de-
lay caused by the company. But that makes
no difference in these stores. You will not be
trusted for a loaf. And they charge about
10 per cent. higher than other places. These
stores shut down the same day the miners quit
work. And you must remember that there are
taxes to pay some, and powder and oil we have
to furnish, and all on less than s. a week.
That is the average. Why, a neighbor heard
the children of the clerk of the village crying
one night and went over and found that they
were crying because the mother was trying to
put them to bed hungry. Think of that, the
clerk of the corporation, mai elected TO Office
by his fellow-citIzens and known and respected
by all. sending his children hungry TO bed, with
nothing in the house to give them"