New-York tribune., 1902-07-13

II is dangeroqs work, too. and many little fellow
In M running a shesd Of car is caught between il
fr9m ON a : car: Is mangled beneath the wheels
Gus The sin@ cars are taken INTO th cbsn1br
or breasts. usually on a considerable grade above
mines so tha' the ears and the coal slide down
b @ s,ius 80, sss % uen .e cs are Illl IN ths
breasts the runners start them down toward the
gangways- Running by gravity and heavily loaded
of the 'runners' TO '.spras's them work which re-
ggires steady hand, a good eye and a cool head.
the wheels heavy sticks of wood, which stop the
40 nor catcb or bif M b9le tn Sr INNS aS ssS
down the track. and then comes the peril OF
doors TO prevent the car Smashing them O and i
& Ine car remains G on th9 tTaez u Will seneray rqr
head car, and If it runs away and jumps the track
between some of the cars that follow and the
RIB, the side Of the working About five run
the last ten years show. The runners rsngs
from eighteen 10 twenty-five wears. and get a.
pert, and there are not many trustworthy and
The driver boys" who have charge of the m lies.
ana VINO urge tne not always doelIe animals along
a single mule 81 A. day. and for two. 81 50 say-
usually about eighteen. make a good driver.
The mules living continually underground. with
sweet tempered animals. and many is the driver
many more MANNED for life. while. too. many
poor mule has gone up the SHAFT feet nrst with the
Ihan q TOOT or Two or space on either SfCe OF t7e
mule. and frequently his ears scrape the roof. SO
that the bOv caught IN corner with vicious
animal has not much chance; The boys have
proved more than one occasion that they have
the spirit of thair fathers and particularly In the
last two years In that time the mine workers
were organized in a union and there were some
strikes. The boys. quick 70 eaten the enthusiasm
IN the taste of power which strike gives. prompt
ly went strike themselves For a year there
was barely day when in one portion or another
of the region there were not one or more strikes
of breaker bows or drivers or runners Alone. their
striking would not have been such a serious mat
ter but they Were so essential 70 the days routins
OF work that without them the miners could not
go On-there were no runners TO move their cars
drivers to take the cars IN and out. OF
breaker boys 10 run the coal through the oresker-
Consequently. each time the boys struck the
tire mine had TO be idle Did they dislike breaker
boss a co pie OF boys discharged for neglect
OF duty. were they required TO work overtime. vas
there a circus which they wanted TO see. they de-
clared a strike and trooped out with wild shouts
So serious became this strike annoyance that the
union protested. out in vain for some time until
some conceived the idea of organizing the boys
branch Of the union This assumption Of
power is proving the best thing tried 20 stop
the strikes the boys feel they are responsible for
the good name OF the union, which declares there
shall be no strikes OF its members unless duly
authorized. and end is coming 70 the petty
strikes. The boys feel their importance. and only
want be officially clothed with il TO become good,
earnest members OF their organization
OF late years the combined influence OF COM
pulsory education laws and the influx Of foreign