The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-06-28
day. They were not paid by the
Duslel but nv fha ia,,

day. They were not paid by tn
Dushel. but by the day.
Among these miners are Gue lookinl
men and men of refinement, as well a
men oi plety-men who subscribe iO
the leading newspapers OF the country
ana Tor books of history and genera
knowledge and information. Coco
husbands are the rule mot the exception
among the mIuers.
| lhOse who have no mental resources
10 tall back upon are the ones who take
TO drink. They have no other way o
passing the time when not W orking and
Iaii easy victims OF inlemperance and
dissipation. Evening schools and circu.
iatlng Libraries are greatly needed in
mining towns. a library with a iey OF
the best illustrated papers and small
supply OF standard books OF history aud
ncti0n cost but little, and would do a
great good, not only by entertaining
ana improving the minds of the men,
out by ahordimg some place other than
the saloon Tor them TO pass their even.
ings. A miners wife in Riverton for u
While had an evening school of Young
men some OF whom were foreigners and
deslrous OF learning the English lam
guage.
with very few exceptions, the min i.
ers have been working in the mines
since they were children, and have had
DO opportunity for educating them.
selves. Many can neither read nor write.
Educate them first, and reformation
Will nptnralIxr a
gladly attend school if they had the
opportunity. Your commissioner has
frequently been asked by miners 10
petition the legislature to establish
night schools. The men evince desire
TO Improve themselves, and although
hard work in the mines during the day
Is not the best prelude for hard study al
night, 1t Is probable that many would
avail themselves OF the opportunity
were IL extended them. There are many
ambitious men among these miners
ambitious for book learning, for higher
ideals.
Some miners, it seems, make good
wages, for one who was given the
position of weigh boss at $50 per
month. in short time gave up his posi-,
tion to return to mining. He thought
he could earn more at mining.
When miners give u statement OF
wages earned, they sometimes forget TO
mention that out of the amount actually
earned has been deducted cost of coal
(Which they buy from the company for
which they work) and orders Oh gro
GERS. A man may earn $50 for the two
weeks he has been working, and yet on
payday he may receive only $50, as he
has anticipated pay day by getting
Sl5 order on grocer, and has bought
10 worth of coal during those two
weeks.
There are great many miners who
are very industrious, working when
ever they can get the work to do, while
on the contrary. there are others of a
lazy, shiftless disposition, who take ad.
vantage OF the liberty they enjoy in this
kind OF work, to lay off whenever the,
please. Some will leave the pit as early
as or O'Clock in the afternoon, after
perhaps attending ball the night be.
fore, or not feeling we'll on account OF
a day or two OF drinking, or from being
naturally averse to lOug continued
labor OF any kind. Of course, state.
ments from such miners as these TO
wages earned or number of days of
work during the year are worthless
W hen taken as an average for the whole
class. and hence are not considered in
the following budgets.
The coal seam known as the Lexing-
ton seam underlies perhaps one hum
dred thousand acres OF the land OF
Lafayette county, in workable quantity
and quality. Average thickness l8I
inches; yeild per acre about 2,5OO tons
good root; all worked OH the long wall
plan of mining plenty of slate for road
walls ;coal comes out III large Jumps mo
powder used; no screens at the dumps
no explosive gases.
Mines haye been worked in the seam
Tor thirty or more years in q dcsultory
fashion for steamboats, and local de-
nand, but no extensive operations be.
fore the year 1880, since which time
the animal output has approximated
20O, 900 tons.
The coal measures lie level and at an |
average elevation OF 40 feet above the |
Missouri river. Along the river bluffs |
the coal is mined by drifts, and at msny
points in the interior where deep
erosions have exposed the coal il ls |
mined by drifts also, but In other places
i is worked by shafts OF probably an |
average depth of SO feet.
hnt