New-York tribune., 1902-10-06
MINERS EARN FROM $40 TO sloO \ MONTE
SCRANTON EDITOR TELLS OF THE CONDI-
TIONS IN THE MINES AND THE CAUSE
OF THE STRIKE.
OF THE STRIKE
Iur TELEGRAPH To THE TRrnuNEI

Boston. Oct 5-A Boston business man last week
wrote 10 the Editor Of The Scranton Tribune" the
leading paper Of Northeastern Pennsylvania. ask
Ing him for some light on the conditions Of the
work of the coal miners The following is the
reply.
Replying to your inquiry n the lst inst. I will
try 10 explain mining conditions 10 you as briefly
The miner drills the hole in the coal seam in
coal down. and then takes a rest while his helper
pulls the coal out and loads n into the mine car
hsIraT bi,sv for rom iebt 10 ten hours or longer
~ ,t-.--S -' .ts a. 80, a., ;t,fs
aging about a 81 a car. and the usual days work
OF lump c5aI. rock -fony@ and slate
OF this s. gross earnings the miner pays s. n the
laoorer and keeps 81 for himself. out of which ne
must pay for the p'wier he uses. oil wicks. fuses
and M snarp,ning ~ his picks IN some places
me unit az pay IS the sql3rr yard 81 coal IN tht
seam, and in others a weight unit Of 200 pounds.
age it viii take nom 275a To- SEQ pounds 81 gross
coal Ohat is. coal as in comes from the seam! O.
wher. th unit ~ tTTsrt Is the nine cT Tie ar
continually growing one OF their Jokes Is that The
mine Is made - live oak.
However this may be- Cand my personal belief Is
tn,,t Their Is Just about as much honesty on on"
trlous miner averages. net. per month. for about
LMenty aays work ~ from -FOUR 70 six hours a day.
as much II be would blow enough coal % keep two
Who are scaf6ine work as hish as ten ehambers
apiece and earn ~ some cases. S-o dly. But II
miner does not seem to h. ambitious % do more
five or six hours day
THE REAL CAUSE OF STRIKE
The real cause ~ this strike was that the miners
helpers. who mostly foreigners. had got % into
their heads that tho miners Were not making far
movement a. force the miner g. divide even The
operators have rothtug 10 10 with hiring the help
ers They ar- hired hy the miners Themselves
To avert "a sGt-strike among their .hutties" the
general strike ostensibly Tor tb4 points set forth
IN their published demands hgt IN reality 10
Il beyond the power ~ Tho lahorer % revolt
In ihe mines also are many company hands
hrsmen. attend 10 the pumps etc. The unions de-
- az" r - h' , i ,.iE Va 10, 20 ',!lSI '''in IN IA
neers. - SS' a month for long d, urs hut light
thsse men were enrireiy ss,isaed and many of
them refused 20 go 'ut
s mine oT pr II Is PaSssi through hish structure
Purities are picked ont Much ~ the labor IN the
breaker Is done by boys. who average * cents a
day- They have no complaint for their paw Is
better than that - the average lad in city Office
the calling Of strikes and the idea OF striking has
dgSSeloPed among them TapidIy Last Year a. this
iRfal sirikss mostly over the peitest conceivable
element had good deal 70 Do with declaring them
ARE WELL PAID
have lived in the anthracite region fourteen
years and know that In the wear 1901 the miners
time our banks are f!il ~ Their Gul,'s my
LITTLE of which has Vet heen drawn out in spite ~
grade OF labor in the country which is bettsr nsid
than @ the anthracite coal miner. and no workman
pracucaiy eiyes him a monopoly Of the labor OF
work az mining in the mines To GET a license or
oeFlins3a'e, as - IS called, he must first have
!aooTer ana then pass an examination 70 show
that NJ knows enough about the peculiar require
chamber. aunt 70 "a