Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-07-18

upon the proper adjustment of prop to
support the shaky roof, and sometimes
| the lives of all the men in the mine may
be endangered by holding lighted mine
| lamp shade too high and thus bringing
| it in contact with volume of gas strong
enough to wreck the mine and destroy
. every human being that works there.
| Men who cannot comprehend danger
and who are too dull to understand what
| they are told in crisis calling for imme-
diatc action should not be permitted to
labor in the mines, for they not only in
| vite their own doom by doing so, but
| they also intensity the natural dangers
surrounding those who work with them.
Physically the work of the mine
| laborer is about the most eXacting known.
! He breaks up the great bowlder of an
thracite that tumbling down from the
everlasting coal seam in response to the
blast or "shot' that has been fired by
the miner, and then he loads this coarse
ly broken coal into the coal cars which
the nimble mule driver and his mule
bring along the track from the foot of
the shaft to the mouth of the mine
chamber.
But the mine laborer is generally
cheerful being. He is up at the earliest
dawn, sometimes before daylight, espe-
cially in the short winter days, and he
hastens to his work with light heart,
even though he may be going to his last
SHIFT"
The miner is usually man of more
than ordinary intelligence. In addition
to being skilled in the requirements of
his calling-the nature of the gases, the
effect of sudden barometric changes on
the mines, the measurement of air
currents by the use of the thermometer
and other matters essential to the careful
working of mine-he possesses a wide
range of knowledge on general topics
and takes keen interest in the news of
the day.
On all matters of vital current import
ance in religion, education, politics and
public questions, generally, he is up to
Pennsylvania differs widely from the
collier of the English mining districts
The English collier feels that he belong,
to a class and that he has no Interest
beyond it. The PENNSYLVANIA minel
feels that he is an American citizen anC
that he is interested in everything OF
importance to his country.
Many of the miners own the homes
they live in. Some of their homes ar,
poor and plain and severely simple, anC
not few show the hard lines whicl
their occupants endured through tn
long siege of idleness in the coal industry
but many more are coZy, pretty an,
picturesque.
The feudal castle of old was grand t.
look at, but the shadow it cast for mile
around left no room for aught else thai
servility and the sense of persona
degradation which made poor men fee
that they were constructed of commone
clay than the baron, whose smile wa
their sunshine, but whose frown wa
death. Although this species of auto
cracy is not present in PENNSYLVANIA tn
coal baron is there with his combinations
his monopoly, his schemes and hi
company store. The miner feels thes
influences. They creep into the price O
the powder that he uses in blasting Goa
and extract from him So per keg for a.
article that can be bought in the marke
at 81 80 per keg; they compel him to bu
his supplies at store where he get
inferior goods for eXtravagant prices
they encroach on the standard size q
the coal car and are constantly trying t
make it larger, as well as to ''dock" hir
outrageously because he may accdentl
have sent up Il few pieces of slat
among the anthracite that is so muc
like it in the darkness of the mine; an
! ut election time they would like to cor
troll his vote in the interest of some ma
; or monopoly inimical to his own il
terestS.
Resistance to these and otherencroacl
ments on his rights makes the life of tn
miner a continuous struggle, but II
preserves his manhood nobly through
all and it would be difficult to find i
any part of the country or at any callin
a braver, harder or more upright an
law abiding class of men than the miner
of Pennsylvania.
Few men are more courageous in tn
face of perils that threaten certain dealt
than these miners. Proof of this ha
been furnished time and again at tn,
black mouth of the deadly pit, in whicl
the terrible fire-damp or the fearful fal
of roof have played sad havoc.
They are generous, brave and kline
hearted class, and it deserves to be sale
to their credit that despite the provoca
tions which they have often had fol
hatred, anarchy has never been able tc
find foot-hold among them.
The miners and laborers, with theii
families, derive good deal of whole sale
enjoyment from life when times are
fairly prosperous in the coal fields. The
men belong to various temperance
literary and singing societies and ar,
proiited mentally and morally in thi
way.
The most proficient singers in thu
world are the Welsh miners of tn,
Lackawanna valley.
When Patrick Sarsiield Gilmore visite,
Scranton short time ago with his ban,
he gave concert in connection with tn
Cymmrodorian Society of two hundre,
voices, led by young man named Pro
theroe. Mr.. Gilmore was delighte,
with their glorious singing He con
fessed his surprise and declared that i
reflected great credit on the musical tast,
and culture of this hard working com
munity. Later on when the famou
Cappa came from New York with hi
band he co-operated with the Cymmro
dorians and paid them equally higl
praise. The eisteddfod of the Welsl
singing societies are among the most en-
joyable events of the year, and these
musical festivals are given almost excu
sively by miners, laborers and thei
mothers, wives and sweethearts.
Preparing for '92.