Evening journal., 1897-04-19
SIjFFERINGS on MINERS.
Pitiable Condition Of Men Who Risk
Lie For Bread.
LIVING III wREToHED sQUALoR

The Pennsylvania Legislative Conn
mittee Unearths a Condition OF Az
fairs Which Is a Disgrace to the Land
OF the Free.
Pittsburg. April 17.-The legislative
committee that is investigating sh>
condition OF the miners Of the Pitts
burg district completed its second day
OF personal inspection among the min
ers yesterday When the work was fin
ished the members OF the committee
made the statement that no such suf-
fering was ever known by them to
exist before. and they are well con-
vinced that something must be done,
and at once. to alleviate the condition
Of the unfortunate thousands who are
in the district
The territory that was inspected was
in and about Banning, on the Pitts
burg and Lake Erie railroad about 4C
miles above Pittsburg. The miners are
unable 10 make more than a dollar a
day at the outside. and very more fire.
quortly their pay for the day is from
25 to 80 cents. The greater part OF
these employees are foreigners, there
being but ten American born families
In the entire number
Alongside the depot Is a row Of sheds
one story high and built Of unplaned
boards The building is about 100 feet
long by 12 feet deep. 1t is divided into
three departments, for each of which
the inhabitants pay Sc per month tC
the COMPANY. The shed stands OF
posts. and a small lake of foul watel
covers the ground under it. In thi.
building 100 people live. In the winter
time it is said. four Of them woulC
lie in a bed, place a cover over them
selves. and as many more lay on tol
of them. their heads I'm the opposite di
rection. When the weather is warn
enough their bed is on the floor. Brea,
and water forms the greater part o
their food with canned sardines an,
cheese occasionally as luxuries.
A little further up the stream are
number of frame buildings which an
swer the purpose of houses There 1
absolutely no drainage. and under eac
house a pool Of stagnant water stand
the year round. All the refuse /
dumped into the little stream. and
spring on one side of IL is the only plac
for the miners and their families to Sc
cure water There has been muc
sickness and a number of deaths late
ly, all Of which are blamed on the SUI
roundings.
After leaving the settlement in an
about Banning the committee went
Jacobs Creek, baout three miles belo'
Banning. where the Darr mines Of Os
borne & Sager are located. The conditio
of the miners here is worse, If any
thing, than at the mines at BANNING
The men work from three to four day
a week, but the wages they receive al
so small that they can scarcely manae
to exist. The greater part Of the mir
ers are foreigners, with a good sprinl
ling of Americans, and some negroes.
The company owns the miserab
novels which shelter the inhabitant
One of the most wretched Is she
about is by u feet For this hovel Il
company receives 81 per month, and
would cost about SIS to build It, TT
occupants of these houses are Pet
Jones, his wife and child and eigl
"boarders." Where these IL persoI
manage to find room enough to stretC
out at night is a mystery. Inside the
was a varied assortment of furnitur
for the cooking, eating and sleeping
all done in one room.
I'VE just manage to live" said MI
Jones, "but If IT wasn't for the boar
ers that we keep Peter could not NAL
enough in the mines to keep us fro
starvation"