The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-05
BUSY DAT FOR ARBlTRAIORS
GO INTO DEPTHS OF NINE At
SHAMOKIY.

ties Found In the Latter Place Living
ia Homes That Are Mere shantIss.
Hazelton, Shamokin Valley, Mount
Carmel. Pa, Nov. 1.-THE arbitration
commission appointed by President
Roosevelt to adjust the differences ex-
listing between the anthracite coal min
ers and their employers visited the Sha-
mokin region to-day and tonight are
resting in the mining town of Mount
Carmel
The commissioners put in busy day.
They went into the depths Of one mine,
then looked over several towns and
wound up their days inspection by Wis
iting the mining patch of Hickory
Ridge, where they saw mixture of half
a dozen nationalities of mine workers
living in homes that are mere shanties.
The commissioners saw much to inter-
est them in the various places they Wis
tied and obtained much information
that will help them in the task that Is
before them. Tomorrow the Mahanoy
and Panther Creek valleys will be Wis
tied
The arbitrators were up early and left
Hazelton on their special train at s
o'clock. On the run to the Shamokin
region the train passed through Maha-
nOy City, Shenandoah, and Centralia.
At several stations small crowds of
persons were on hand TO see the train
go through. The commissioners arrived
at Shamokin at 1880 a. m. At this
place District President John Fahey,
Secretary Hartlein and National Board
Member Miles Dougherty. representing
the miners in this district, boarded the
train and were introduced to the MEM
beers of the commission General Super
intendent r. c. Luther and Mine Super
intendent John Veith, both of the Phil
adelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
company, met the train at Mahanoy
City and representing the Reading
company in the tour of the commission
to-day. Among the other persons in
the party were General Superintendent
Warmer of the Lehigh Valley Coal
company, Richards of the Lehigh and
Wilkesbarre Coal company.
The special train was run to the Bear
Valley colliery of the Reading company
near Shamokin. This mine Is a very
wet one and the commissioners were
compelled to wear rubber coats and
hats besides their Usual outfit of jump
ers and overalls.
1 More than an hour was spent in the
workings which are about $50 feet be-
low the surface. The principal feature
which was new to the commissioners In
this colliery was the very steep pitch of
one of the veins. 1t has a pitch of
from IS to 70 degrees While the arbi-
traitors were in the mine they were
hauled about in train of cars drawn
by a mine mule. One of the cars
jumped the train twice.
While underground the commission
ers questioned several of the miners
whom they found at work. In this col
lliery some of the men are paid by the
lineal yard, and they were asked the
usual questions of how much they
earned, the number of hours spent in
the mines and the character of the par
ticular breast they were working. The
trip was also made through the break
err, where lot of boys and old men
were seen picking honey" and slate
out of the coal Lunch was served on
the train.
From Bear Valley the special train
was taken over the mountain to Trlver-
ton, which Is the western extremity of
the Schuylkll coal bed. The commits
sloners took hasty look about the COL
liery, and then, at the suggestion of
the mine workers representatives the
snecial train was run back through
Shamokin and up another mountain to
the little mining patch of Hickory
Ridge. The colliery at this place is OPP
Grated by the Union Coal company
which Is controlled by the Pennsylva-
Inia Railroad company. There was no
official of that company present when
the commissioners arrived. Under es-
cort of Mr. F'ahy and Mr.. Dougherty
the commissioners and the others in
the party were taken through the viii
llage. which consists Of about three long
lrows of houses.
With the exception of few houses
the homes of the foreign population are
of the poorest description. The COM
missoners asked the residents what
rent they paid for the houses and ques-
toned them regarding the children.
Some boys were found who said they
were only ten years old and worked In
the breakers. Inc were III
vited into the house of a Slovak, where
1.-THE ceiling was so low that the taller
members of the commission had to
stoop In coming down the stairs from
the second floor one of the commission
ters said: This is almost as bad as go
ling down gangway in the mines"
Some of the mine workers showed the
commissioners statements of wages is
sued to the men each two weeks. Judge
Gray was much interested in them, as
they showed accurately what the men
received He asked many questions
and otherwise thoroughly analysed
them.
It was probably the greatest hour
that Hickory Ridge patch has had in
many days No one in the place was
aware of the coming of the commits
sioners. and when they did arrive the
whole place quickly knew 1t and the
people came out on the street to see the
the commissioners. They were looked
upon with reverence one man asking
member of the party to point out the
'Iord high bishop" The commission
ers left the patch at o'clock and ar
rived here shortly after O'Clock. They
are uuartered for the night at the Com
mercial botel.