Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-12-22
CHAPTER L.

CHAPTER |.
During all October and half of No
vember no work was done in the Black
Eagle mine, except by the pumps drain
ing the sump. The "coal pool"-a COM
bipation of anthracite mine owners
formed to check overproduction and
keep up the price of coal-had arbitra-
rily ordered ''shut down." Such stop
page OF labor at one or more of the
numerous collieries in the anthracite
helds was common, but the length of
time prescribed for it in this case was
unusual and not without purpose. A
general reduction of miners wages was
In contemplation, and the Black Eagle
had been selected as the point at which
the first blow should be struck for its
inauguration. In their best times the
300 men employed there, with their
families, lived from "hand to mouth"
and it was only reasonable to expect
that the exhaustion of their scanty re-
sources by prolonged "shut down"
would leave them so close to starvation
that they would be glad to get work at
any rate. Then the new scale, thus es-
'esciASiSN CIV OhO poAhU, Wou1l DO ldll6
general as rapidly as circumstances
would permit.
The Black Eagle miners, however,
displayed an unexpected obstinacy in
resistance to the pretty scheme. They
actually refused to go to work under the
new scale, and "strike" was declared.
That signified nothing to the "coal pool"
which was helped by it in keeping down
production, but was terrible misfor-
tune for the 300 and their wretched fam
lilies. Cold and hunger were in all their
comfortless homes; bitterness and al
most despair in their hearts, Neverthe-
less in dogged endurance they struggled
through the latter half of November and
three weeks of December, obtaining
from workers in other mines sufficient
aid to barely maintain life.
Christmas eve came, and still there
was upon the surface no indication of a
change in the situation, but a prescient
impression began to be generally felt
that crisis was rapidly approaching.
The small and repellently ugly frame
houses of the miners were scattered in
an irregular double row along the rug
SCd lOdd oh ullc Dltdh dDONt ull6
colliery. In one of them this Christmas
eve, in the darkness, were to be heard
two voices-those of woman and of a
child
please, gran'ma, do light tandle,"
pleaded the little one beseechingly.
please do. 1t SO dark. Ally hate
dark"
TRY and get used to the dark, dear.
Ye'll have to get used to everything We
hate most when ye're older" replied the
woman.
ALLY wants see pity picture; please
light tandle, granma.".
"Ohl darlin, it's the last one we've got,
and supposin you'd be took sick in the
night, what would we do then for
lightY
ALLY won't be sick. Please light tan
dle."
well, well, dear; it's little thing to
deny child, the Lord knows. Give it
here off the table,"
The woman groped about on the floor
for a twig from bunch laid by the
stove to dry for kindling, poked it
among the few Goals still glowing in the
stove, and when it blazed lighted with
it the candle handed to her by the child.
By the feeble light it could be seen that
she was sitting upon low seat-a bit
of board laid across the top of an empty
powder keg-in front of the stove She
was gaunt and pale, her hair was
streaked with gray, and her thin calico
dress was patched on the breast and
arms The child-a little girl with
curly golden hair-knelt beside her
knees, and thrusting a fragment of paper
in her hands said eagerly:
'See, gram pity picture; tell Ally
bout it."
Its Santa Claus"
who Sanity Taus, gran'ma"