Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-01-22
Buying the Elephant.

Mine Inspector by popular vote.
Which is about as sensible as endow-
ing the same authority with the cleo
ton of school teachers. Indeed, the
sovereigns of Winchester Bridge are
better qualified to pass upon the fit
ness of teachers than upon that of a
man who has filed a tive-year contract
with himself as digger of coal.
Hence, as inspectors of the In
spector, the kings of the Bridge will
be individually and collectively a re-
spective, en- masse farce.
For how shall the bridge potentates
know that thirty years of age makes a
digger ventilating sooan' And by
what rule shall they determine that
five years experience with the pick,
even in Allegany county. makes a
miner a scientific differentiation of
gases? Why. at this very moment,
the JOURNAL will wager a years sub
scription that there is not Il miner in
the county who can determine by a
sniff from two tanks which is the Paul
process in Frostburg, or the Potomac
water gas In Cumberland. Yet both
are notifications. still noxious, of
black damp.
What qualifications, therefore, can
the five-year residence and five-year
experience of "a prwctical miner con-
fer upon the thirtyyear old for boss
ing the "prac:ical," to say nothing of
the scientific operations of all these
mines? Who is to certify the fit
ness of such man to the ltelligent
primarians of Cresaptown. especially
when there will be every two years an
increasing number of the duo five year
graduates in the field
Gentlemen of the Maryland Legisla-
ture, the nominal author of this bill
cannot put his finger upon practical
miner fully competent to carry out its
provisions Even if he thinks he can,
acho is he as a judge of competent
''plactical miners ?"
1t Is said, however, that
Whenever he 0he Inspector) finds that a
mine is not properly ventilated he shall order
the necessary change to be made.
If he does not so ''order' he becomes
liable to penalty ranging from $50
up" AS the advertiser saws.
And the people "ordered'' have got
to toe the scratch,' leone up smil-
ing" and take the same medicine"
In fact, there is a 'gum-elastic' sound
money penalty fixed for everybody
concerned, except the grand jury and
the court. How these escaped is not
apparent. y
The jury, however, will summon the
Inspector at each term of court, III
deemed necessary." How this conclusion
is to be reached can only be surmsed.
The Inspector will probably first Tip
the court with the hint that he "deems
it necessary that the court shall deem
it necessary to inform the grand jury
men that they shall deem it neces-
sary' to summon the Inspector. The
officer will then enter the room with
look of surprise on his face-this for
''the corporation tools" on the jury.
"What about Fair Play mine ?" asks
the foreman.
"Well, sir, the air in that there
mine is so dern noxious that ordered
the operator to eXpull it inside of ten
days
Odd he expel it -
"Expull, sir, if you please; the law
says Expulsion
500 you know of any other infrac-
ton of the law -
Eyes, sir, think it was infractured
at the Play Fair by the boss allowing
men who knew better to go in where
the timbers were not in good con-
dition.'
eff any accident had befallen one of
those men would he not have been
guilty of contributory negligence -
''No, sir-only the boss or operator
The law is not to keep the men
straight. 1t is only to make the top
and bottom bosses behave. Why, sir,
il that boss had done his duty properly
we could have enjoyed strike for a
week or two
The journal is not sure that this
pre- spective testimony is exactly cor
rect as to detail. 1t thinks, though
the provision does not appear in the
synopsis, that miners are forbidden to
travel certain ways deemed by the
company unsafe, but in nearly all
other respects the bill takes the com
pany by the throat and commands
"thou shalt not do this nor that with
thine own, for | am the miners
Decalogue and David E. Dick is my
author and tinisher What he doesn't
know about tables Of stone for
bloated corporations would start new
marble-yard in Frostburg'
1t is early to prophesy. But the
JOURNAL feels sure that if the bill
goes through in its present shape and
is enforced with the same spirit which