Morning journal and courier., 1889-10-12

How They are worked and the Peo.
pie who Work Them-Daring Help
er Lads-The Methodist Miners and
Their Reckless Bravery-A Life Un-
derground.
CLAIBORNE, Cornwall, Sept 20.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
have no thought of wearyine the reader
with Cornish mining statistics or history.
The former is accessible in all we'll made en-
cyclop@dias. The latter, one would have to
begin on . good ways behind the Ohaistisn
era. Rut the Cornish miner himself is worth
coming to zee, to know and tell about. He
is such brave, sturdy, cleaaly, religious
fellow that you cannot help having a power
of respect for him; and then, though an
SO warm hearted, loyal and hospitable that
he wins your whole affection, If You have
not even half won his trust and confidence.
For myself had always imagined some
dark tales could be truthfully told about
these miners labors and lives. Tragedies
and dolors among them are many, 1t is true;
but the damnable injustices common to hu-
man beings In the great pits of Pennsylva-
mia, and which ruin and depopulate entire
communities within the sound of church
bells, as in Illinois, are not known and never
have been within the mines of Cornwall.
| Two facts reveal the reason for this. The
| frst is race stubbornness and independence,
| as at least the miners themselves sacredly
| cherish as q truth, has never permitted that
subtle encroachment of money force and le-
| gal power which invariably finds Its ultimate
| IN the serfdom of labor. The seaond-a
| fact which American mine owners might
study and adopt with pront from interested
| helpers and contented, instead of ever glow
| ering and rebellious, 1abor-is in system
| which from time immemorial has made the
Cornish miner an enthusiastic sharer in min
ing profits, or a patient and sympathetic
bearer Of mining losses. refer to the "tr1-
butte" system, as it is universally known In
Cornwall. This system, invariably employed
in the actual breaking down and extraction
of tin and copper ore, unites the interests or
the miners and their employers. There Ia
no other sort of labor in vogue In the Cor
nish mines save in the "dead work" carried
on for trial and discovery, for which the mi
ner il paid q fixed sum per fathom for his Ia
Dor. The "tributers" then are the miners,
all of whom receive q certain percentage on
the actual value of all ore taken from Cor
nish mines. Therefore the quality of all ore
raised is as important as the quantity, and
| every stroke of a miners hammer or pick is
made with precisely the same careful self
and mutual interest as 1t conld be were the
tools in the hands of the mine directors
themselves. At every mine there are mum.
ber of ''overlookers," captains or agents
whom the miners call s'kepens." These meet
six times each year and determine on the de-
tail of the work to be done for each succeed
ing two months, and among themselves form
an idea of what price SHOULD be paid for
each separate item of excavation. "Setting
day." or contract letting day, follows.
The plan is practically an auction of petty
contracts. Each piece Of work is called in
turn, and bidding is done by the men, who
; begin at the highest price or percentage they
, may hope to gain, and falling from this uu-
| til satisfactory terms are made. This little
contract has not been taken by one man.
} sMates" or spairdners" of three, four and
! sometimes half dozen miners, these parties
universally designated "cors" (corps) in
Cornish mines, combine their labor. They
have undertaken on q certain "pitch" to
blast or break the ore which they call "hure,
) wheel 1t and pay all expenses of oandles
, blasting powder and all other materials ne
cessary for the work. Every month all ore
ssfatohed to grass" that is, raised to surface
. is assayed and the s'core" receives in a lump
. | and divide between it's members ss may hav,
been agreed upon, their stipulated percentage
or s'tribute." The score" may at any tim'
9 throw up the contract on payment of a,
agreed fne. As "pitches" are CONSTANT,
!, growing richer or poorer the result to tn
' miners is constantly variable. But 1t seldom
: falls below living English wages, and occa
!. sionally in two months time gives the mine
q handsome reward. Instances have bsel
Z known where ''core" Of "tributers" hav
8 made enc thousand pounds by single bar
q gain. There is no doubt that the system ha