The advocate., 1895-06-12
LOOK ON THIS PICTURF.

which the following extracts are clipped:
AIN the valley Of Thoms run several collier.
les have been built. Some OF them are models
of mechanical perfection. part Of these
mines run only during the summer season, as
they sell their coal to lake trade. While the
lakes are frozen up nothing Is done in the pits.
The poor fellows who depend on the mines
that ship to the lakes must at best have un'
steady work. When the meagre employment
is lessened by interruptions in the summer
from any cause the condition Of these men 1s
pitiful. The need Of an income, however
small, creates q keen competition for what
little work there is to be DONE The men Of
Thoms run assert that to-day able and compe-
tent miners are working at anything they can
get that will pay even Is cents day. All are
not doing that Only the fortunate ones gain
those prizes. These men have not had steady
work for long time, nor have they prospects
for anything encouraging In the GuGuEe. Inc
mines are idle, along with the others OF the
district, until the strike ts settled one OF
two NAV be working to limited extent, DuG
they give work to a small portion OF the men
who must be fed. Before the strike the men
had but the ghost OF chance 10 secure q
days work. Idleness has been the rule Tor
months. Their slender resources and moder-
ate credit have long since been exhausted AT
the present they are as near the point OF star
yation as men with their waves and babies
should be permitted to come in this country
of bOundless possibilities They are industF1-
GUS men. They only ask q chance to be Of use
to the World, that they may pay for what they
eat They are not grumbl1ng, nor are they
beggars. Thoms run is community OF men
brought face to face with q situation which
they cannot understand, but they realize that
the simplest necessities are in jeopardy. They
have no assurance that they will eat at all to-
morrow. They know not how long they may
live In the house for which they are unable 10
nh1 Int al N
light ahead. Some Of these men were willing
to talk to o representative of the Times Some
were doubtful about saying much to
stranger. Those who would express an opln-
ion invariably guarded il with request to
use no names, as the publication Of COM
plant would work even worse ruin TO the man
who might have q possible chance for Few
days work in the future. Some men reIuseo
to stop to talk with stranger rearing tnet
the sight of such thing might lead to d1sas-
ter. A request for information brought forth
the response from q miner: You can go up
there and look around and see plenty for
yourself. 1t Is safer for me not to go along.
San industrious looking man said this atter'
noon that his entire earnings for the past TWO
months had amounted to less than SS, OF
which 81 cents was paid in cash. The rest was
deducted for powder, oil, blaCksmtthing and
little on the rent he owes Another said that
il he could get q check at the end
OF the fortnight for his two weeks pay, ne
would be as proud as the kings OF France. so
ne might be for he had done but little, ana u
would 90 on the rent. The next man al
dressed had petended to be at work during
period Of two weeks, and in that Time nsd
mined three tons Of coal, for which ne re, Ie,
chan said l don't know what we are going to
do 1t is so desperate. We can't stand IL
much longer. 1t Is getting worse and | rear
that o crisis Is not far off. We can't starVe.
We must eat and live. The country produces
enough. l saw in the papers about millions
nR h11ohola nf WhoNt in (AllfOrniA W8nblQR
buyers We are willing to work and earn
money to pay for wheat and meat. dent
drink l work when l can find loO out
have no work and no money. l suher. see
INV family suffer. The compulsion will make
me beat anybody that l can. See how the
mules are fed See how my young ones 90
without shoes or stockings
al don't see money enough any more 10
hardly recollect what it looks ltke,' was the
confession of the wife OF miner. Yet she
felt pretty good, for her husband had the
promise of a days work to morrow, and at
that moment he was wedding lGtle gar9en
spot where he had planted some vegetables
This family had eggs occasionally, ss tney
kept four hens and three ducks. This small
brood Of poultry was an annoyance TO tne
neighbors and terror to the tiny garden. 1T
Is trial to me to have no sugar in my cohee,
her husband ventured. MILK can get along
without, but sugar always had hankertng
for But we are not so bad OIL ss some OF
them. know lots Of Hungarians and Italians
VINO are doing Jnelr own "SsnInB euu SV CVOA-
ing, and the washing Is the biggest job OF the
two They have mighty little to cook or bake.
Some of them are trying to get along on -four
alone
"A grievous trouble is that the most Of them
live in rented huts, the first money earned
goes to pay the rent and the bills for oil,
6lacksmithfng and powder. Some Of them
cannot keep the rent paid, without getting
anything for themselves, so they say The
rents run at IS or Sc for few miserable rooms
that probably cost no more than q years
rental The men recognize the discrepancy be-
tween cost of the buildings and the rents
charged for them, and they chafe under the
burden Of their poverty.
"An intelligent Englishman had bread, with
out butter, coffee with no milk, and thought
ha did ripht we'll For dinner. as he had