New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-10

months Of the current year, During those three
Mon s the miners WORKED only 81 ana
worker were. during little over ons-hai OF each
s52 Il; October SAC 72-making total sum received
FOR 5I hours work Sls 45. or an average OF ABOUT
q cents an hour. or at the rate OF - 20 FOR day
From this same payroll good workman was
shown to have received during the three months
named. respectively working the same number Of
hours SAG 49, SO 80 and $50 CO. or tota! OF sl49 70
or at the rate Of 50 for day OF ten hours. The
same payr3l for the sane tine sSowd an average s
total Of $40 o. or at the rate Of $3.50 day Of ten
hours The pay OF their aborers or helpers whose
work Is principally to pick the coal or 10 ift Il into
the cars and who are in every sense sim2.e labor
months So for the 52 hours work. or over l6 cents
an hour or. for day Of ten hours. 81 20. These
wages certainly compare fayoraoly WIN those OF
excel them. The writer also permitted TO
! make transcripts from The payroll OF the William
A. collery al Durvea, for the same months. Dur
ing August the Miners worked thirteen days Of ten
S2%1 e1c@ 2na h hs gar @ % 1at pG0r
Der the miners there worked thirteen days OF nine
month si2 49, In October the miners worked four
teen days, OF eight and half hours each day FOR
a good workman a, that same coliiery. working
the same number OF days and hours, received In
s7S GS It should be stated that during some months
the miners work continually and sometimes earn arm
a month TIL. figures given above. however are
fair average for the year. and show, without bias,
the geNPTdl earnings OF tue Hllltr
The interior of a mine consists generality OF main
gangway along which extends railway way; track c
surface nanked on either side by breasts" d.
v1ed off so that each miner and his assistant are
1t happens sometimes after an explosion occurs
and the coal is thrown down. that there will re-
sIzeg some big chunks OF coal which require to be
demolished by the pick and shoyel II Is not
therefore It has been disintegratcd by the pick
rr,olr ~ tho dinC waited
away by the air-fans the work or loading the
The coal ia now taken to the surface BY moons
OF the cars most Of them being Operatei by steam
turnouts within the mine known as passing
II was formerly the habit in order TO save time
and in disregard for the miners welfare. to make
tho roofs low. that some Of those engaged in
daily toll through ncessart STOPPING became
dwarfed. and many were unable to hold themselves
erect. There are a few such low roofs now. but
in nearly all the workings the miner IS able to
stand erect. \ glance at the ordinary miner shows
one upright. healthy appearing person. although
some of those who have become aged ana were
workers IN the mines thirty or forty years ago.
through stopping. Occasionel by the old low roofs
are unable to stand up and nxed curvature OF the
spine has resulted one such person-fa nniar to
the citizens OF Scranton-who has gone to his daily
mos, bent double. his body from the hips upward
being almost horizontal Although he Is an object S,
a happier man does not exist, and hts dcformity,
he declares Is entirely unfelt. He Is an expert
miner however and rarely has 70 work over six
hours each day. He makes good wages and en-
joys lfe more than the ordinary "oTher dooNe
ground.
After tho coal has been scattered by the explo-
sion aud is ready for loading. large pieces OF TIM
Der placed under the wheels TO prevent the cars
from running way by reason OF the weight within.
This work OF placing the wood beneath the wheels
IL technically known as "spraggng.
There are two methods OF ventilating In use,
known IS tho open and the closed ventilatOrs one
Keeps n current OF air continually In motion
through the mnos, and the other pumps the air in,
large extent keeping Il stationary as In the
atmosphere. There are varying opinions as TO the
relative merits Of these two methods One how
ever. Is liable to give the miner cold II he is sus
cep;ihe - draughts. BY the closed ventilatlng
method. there various doors that closed or
opened according to the exigercies and the air
pressure.
revolution during the last twenty years. Steam and
cectricty for Vhe most part. do the work OF haul
ine which formerly performed by mules, but
for the purposes Of drawing cars from glngway
TO gangway mules Still largely used In the
mines Like rats. they seem 20 thrive there They
grow fat and eat heartily, and. not being over
worked. become risky and amuse themselves in
their natural way Of showing their heels on slight
provocatIon. Some Of these mules have never seen