The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-06-15
TIE MINERS LIFE.
II Is Full of Toll and Has But Few
EncOureGements
Some of the Dangers and Disadvantage.
which Render the Calling Any
thing But = Desira-
BILE One.

BILE One.
New Jersey has probably 5000
miners, and large percentage OF
them are Americans. born and brought
up in the neighborhOod of the mines.
Ouly iron and zine mines exist in this
state and consequently the miners are
not confronted by several of the ter
r1rs which exist in the coal workings
Of other states New Jersey miner,
have little reason to fear fire. or over
poyvering gases. and their chief danger
exists in the handling of explosives.
IN occasional rOclIfalls, and in awlc-
ward slips and plunges down shafts
More deaths occur from falling down
shafts than from any other causes.
In a few mines in this state the shafts
are vert.-al and bucket hoists are used.
but in mos, Of them access il made b.
slopes and tbs ore is hauled out in
small cars. a series of crude and slip
perry ladders follows the lines Of rail.
on these slopes. and the hardy miners
climb or scramble down the wet and
rocking rungs several times a day.
This means something in a mine with
slope of 1000 feet. In addition to
the danger Of slipping there is always
slope from above and knocking the
miner OFF the ladder
II j. said of the New Jersey miners.
says the Chicago Times, that they are
moral, industrious, and intelligent but
they are in little hope of having their
condition in life changed They work
eight hours day for 81 or SI.25 and
average about $3.50 a year from which
they save nothing. The law against
paving them in store orders has proved
imperative and nearly all of the iron
miners in this state are still working
under one or another form of the
odious truck system which the act was
intended To abolish. They are com
PEELED by necessity to ask for credit
and the company's store is always open
To them
Perhaps they can get credit and low
er prices elsewhere at an independent
stort- nearer home. but IL they are
found purchasing except from the
agent Of the company they are quickly
told to seek work elsewhere.
Although no actual store orders NAV
be issued nowadays. the effect Is Just
the same and the poor miner receives
little cash on pay day. In some cases
the miner lives rent free in one of the
cabins erected by the mine owner and
Il still further enslaved by this fact
Others pay - OF ~ a month rent.
Miners wages have undergone little
change in the last five years. The
books of the GlendOn iron works show
that since ISIS. however, there have
been many fluctuations In the first
mentioned year - cents a day was the
rate and in the following year it wa.
increased to 81, and shilling a day
WAS added in 1860 From 1860 to IsG.
IL dropped 10 81 again and in 1865 went
To Sl-3Ti5. In 1864 the pay rose
steadily a quarter al a jump until April.
ISIS, the high rate of $3.50 day was
being paid Then flour was nearly :.
barrel, but when it jumped To SIO.55
a barrel, in 1867, miners wages had
been cut To $3.50 and S1-G5. These fig
ures stood until the summer of 1873
when they rose to s. again, but the
panic of that year knocked them down
t. SI-75, and there was a steady decline
To 90 cents day. which was reached
in April, 1877 The wages advanced
steadily until 81 was again paid in 1SSU.
and dropped by degrees to al in 1856.
Since then most of the mines have
been paving Sl.25 to men and boys
alike one mine, the Mount Pleasant
near Dover, works its men in three
shifts of eight hours each and paws
them SI-25 a day. 1t is spoken of as
one of the best mines To work in in the
east and has an unusually intelligent
force of men.
The iron miner finds little ioy in
life being poked away in damp and
unwhOlesome tunnel in the bowels of
the earth. with no light but the little
oil lamp dangling from the front of
ms cap. and supplied with air through
"a rubber hose, which in some cases
operates the drills. The fitful CLEAN
of the many lamps. the chugging of
the drills, occasional dull detOnations
when blasts are fired, the reekinr
walls of ore and rock and the dull
throbbiEg Of the big pumps make the
surroundings a. dismal and depressing
as the imagination can conceive of, but
here hundreds of men toll patiently for
81 - u day, and at times for 20 cents,
and perhaps some of them think that
they are getting all ont of life that
there il in it for them.
In their hours of rest from toll they
sleep, visit the store, talk to neighbors,
or, perhaps, till bit-of garden if they
are lucky enough To have anything but
bare rock in the neighborhood of the
home cabin They know from statistics
which have been furnished by the
state that the trade life of Il miner Is
short, and that their employment
makes old men of them before their
time Loss Of energy will come upon
him before he is fifty years old if he
escapes chronic rheumatism, consump-
tion or throat troubles, which are the
natural outcome of exposure to the
damp and unhealthy surroundings of
the miner during two-thirds of his