Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-27
CONNECTICUT CHARCOAL BURNERS.
How They 1--we and Reckon and Avail
Themselves Of tho Bounty OF Mature

How They L'vs and Reckon and Avail
Themselves OF tho bounty Of Mature
There is a peculiar people living be-
tween the Connecticut river aud the
western boundary of Middlesex aud
New Haven counties. They are char
coal burners. and o. their habits and
modes of life comparatively little is
known by the outside world. They
are ignorant to a degree which APP
proximates TO that of the poor whites"
in the south. and this ignorance is per-
petuated from one gen, ration to an
other, without visible signs of the or
binary improvement which has marked
the progress of affairs Iva most New
England towns. These people inhabit
the widest and most heavily wooded
part OF the state. Il vast area in the
northern part of the towns of Clinton.
Madison and Guilford. which extends
east nearly to the Connecticut river.
1t is country little travelled. except
by the coal men themselves or by en-
thusiastic sportsmen in quest OF game
or trout. Right in the heart Of this
section is the village of Killingworth
and the hamlet Of Black Rock. made
famous some years ago as being the
home of Mary Stannard. the girl who
was reputed to have been murdered by
the Rev. Herbert Hayden.
The charcoal burner is a peculiar
sort of fellow, and although he belongs
to the Caucasian race his own family
would not recognize him unless his
features were hidden beneath coat
ing Of coal dust, which in time be-
comes SO firmly embedded in the pores
of the skin that nothing will remove it.
These men are, rs "A rule. physical
giants. and possess constitutions which
withstand all sorts of privation and
hardship. Most of them are the de-
scendants of "pitmen," and have no
idea of earning money in any other
manner than by burning coal. Their
education is extremely limited. aud
their knowledge of arithmetic does
not 20 beyond the power of being able
10 keep an account of the number of
bushels OF coal placed in crib or cart.
by making a mark on board with u
bit of charcoal for every bushel de-
posted. These marks are always in
blocks of five. four being made ver-
tically and the fifth running across the
four. Every burner has sort of intu-
iIion that stick placed crosswise in
the bottom of \ basket aids amazingly
in filling the basket. Another curious
fact about these people is that they
always calculate their business on the
basis of mine pence and "shillings,'
never condescending to figure in dol
lars and cents.
There are several ways in which
coal is burned. but it is generally done
on shares arranged with the owner of
tract of woodland. Either the burner
burns it. and carts the coal To market
or he simply sets UP the pit and buns
it. 1t is considered an art to set up
pit and burn it successfully. The
modern way Is to set up stake about
twelve feet high in cleared spot.
Around this the wood is set up end
wise until the pile has a diameter of
from twenty-five TO forty feet The
top is rounded off with small chunks"
of wood. and the whole mass covered
with sod and leaves. The burning
continues from two TO four weeks. and
during this time the pit has TO he
watched night and day for fear the fire
within should get too much Roadway
and thus ruin the whole. The rapidity
OF the burning is regulated by vents at
the bottom of the pile, which are con-
stantly changed. So expert do these
charcoal burners become that they are
able, by the color of the smoke issuing
from the pit, to tell the exact condi-
ton of the tire within it.
As class the charcoal burners are
called honest. They love their liquor.
and the successful burning of pit is
an excuse to get gloriously drunk.
Most of them are expert shots with a
gun or rife. aud all of them are pot
hunters. Game aboundS in their ter
ritory, and they never miss an oppor-
tunity to secure it. During the sum-
mer months the wives and children of
the charcoal burners gain a livelihood
by picking huckleberries and bluebcr-
ries, and while in the wilds discover
the hiding places of broods Of part
ridges. Often the birds are fed to
keep them near certain places. and
just before the open season the entire
flock is trapped. They are not over
scrupulous in their methods of hunt
Ing. The sound of hound following
warm track near their pit is signal
to quit work, aud if possible shoot the
fox. And if the owner of the hound
secures the dog after it has run into
the coal district he considers himself
lucky.
Most Of the coal burned in Connect
icut finds market in New York aud
Meriden, and sells at 10 cents bushel
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