The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-04-04
COAL MINERS.
SCENES OF DISTRESS IN THE
ANTHRACITE REGIONS.
Bread Forms the Chief Food of
Those Who Delve for s'Black
Diamonds" - Seven Ages
Of a Miners Life.

T ARD times have often been
NJ felt in the mining regions,
but never before, says
Wikesbarre Penn. letter to
the New York World, has starvation
been so near as now. Employers can
give the men no hope of improvement
for at least five months to come.
How to support large family on $40
or S15 month is problem in econ
omy 30 difficult that the miner, ex-
perienced as he is in such necessity,
has almost given up trying.
The condition of affairs in the Wyo-
ming Valley may be taken as an exam
ple of the destitution that also pre-
walls in the other tEo anthracite min
ing regions Of Pennsylvania - the
sehuylkill and the Lehigh. Wyoming
is GREATER than both, it's mines are
more prosperous, it's output much
larger and it's miners double in num-
ber, but from Carbondale to Schicks-
hinny not one of the hundreds of
mines is being worked more than two
days week, and some have closed en-
tirely. In this valley are SO, 900 men
employed in and about the mines.
Nine-tenths of them have families to
support. The highest wages made by
frst-class miners during January was
$25. A very large majority received
less than $15. For February the fig
ures are even lower.
Such an amount of money. is sufi-
cient to keep single man in comfort,
but it must be remembered miners
families are invariably large, and the
household without small children is IN
exception. The question of children
Is serious one in mining regions, and
has often been the subject of discus
sion among operators and company
managers. Poverty and children seem
to increase in the same ratio. cit is
not O matter to be considered lightly
or humorously," said the manager of
large company to the World CORES
pondent. "Miners' families are grow
ing constantly, and at time when the
parents can i'll afford to feed more
mouths. Every accident leaves host
of helpless children, who become sub
jects of charity. Raising family of
six or more keeps the father constant
" in debt and creates home in which
there is the direst poverty. The miner
argues his sons will keep him in old
age, but the young men soon marry
and have all they can do to support
themselves. The subject is most SER
ious one for mining communities.
Bread is now the chief food in the
majority of miners homes. In some
it is already the only article, and the
number is increasing daily. '"There
Is many family in the valley where
the bill of fare is dry bread for break
fast, dry bread for dinner and dry
bread for supper" This was the
statement of mine worker who knew
by sad experience that it was true.
"The miner is poorer to-day than
I ever knew him to be before. Out
of his pittance of wages must first
come Sc to $12 for house rent, and
then see what is left for the family to
live on-$10 a month, OF thirty.three
cents day, to feed and clothe six or
more persons. This is what hundreds
have been existing on for two
months"
During 1898 there was an average
of 1S0 working days in the mines, or
little more than half time. The first
month of 1894 the mines averaged
about eight days; the second not so
much. The question of wages is little
heard of any more. Now it is ques-
tion of work. Yet it took years of
conflict and agitation before wages
were adjusted to their present basis.
The following list, taken from the