Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-08-18
DRIFTON.
A Town Where the Good Done by Oper-
ators Is Lost Sight of on Payday.

missioner appointed by the Philadelphia
North American to make tour Of the
anthracite region and report the condi-
tion Of affairs here as he finds them, the
people who live outside the strike belt
are indebted for the best presentation
Of the trouble that has yet been placed
In print. Mr.. Muford began his in
vestigations a few weeks ago in the
Wyoming field where his truthful de-
piction OF the bright and dark sides of
the mine workers lives brought him
praise from all who read his letters.
He makes no attempt to arouse sym
pathy for the employe by giving only
one side OF the story, but gives his read
ers a clear insight into the abuses which
prevail and cause unrest and dssatis-
faction; yet where he finds humane EN-
ployers and men treated fairly he is I'M
stinted in giving these operators the
credit they deserve.
Last week MIR. Mulford arrived in this
vicinity, and In one of his late letters he
took up the homelife and the conditions
OF miners at the collierIes and in the
towns owned by Markle 81 Co. Though
the firms name was not mentioned,
custom adopted by the writer through
out his series Of letters, the pen-picture
of Jeddo, Highland and other Markle
villages was so truthful that it could not
be mistaken. He found some fault, but
the general good done by Markle & Co.
on behalf Of their work ers so overbalanc-
ed the bad that Mr.. Mulford spared no
praise for the operators who try to deal
with their employees on fair basis.
Following his investigations at Jeddo,
he turned his attention to conditions at
Drifton, which, though also unnamed,
is described so we'll that every resident
of lower Luzerne will recognize it as
quickly as II the title of the town were
published in capital letters above every
line. To show how well Mr.. Milford a
perfect stranger, can penetrate the fog
with which wages are surrounded by
Coke Bros. & Co.'s rate-fxers, the fol-
lowing brief extract from his letter in
yesterdays issue OF the North American
is worth reading:
''1n my last letter l gave an account
OF the good work done by an operator
who was living upon his properties and
who came into close touch with his men
a nd hair g., "a
property near where, to some extent,
the same work is being done where at
least nurses are being furnished and
where the homes In which the workmen
live are good However, the wages paid
by the operator are such that the good
done is lost sight of when payday
arrives. The following wage scale was
handed me, and l believe it to be from a
reliable source. Certain it is that the
one who wrote the letter is in position
to know what wages are being paid.
'Some miners receive So 81 per day,
others S1.35. contract miner, If put
on company work, receives only $l.22
$l.22 per day. If contract miner
takes one of these same laborers for
day to work for him he has to pay him
out of his earnings 62 per day.
"Here the question naturally comes
up: If this man is worth $l.69 per day
when being paid out of the miners
pocket, why is he not worth the same
when paid by the company? The 81. 90
has to be paid when working in a breast,
but If the work be in gangway the
miner has to pay him 81. "a.
Here a company laborer gets from
"a cents to $1.2e, while some other com
panies pay for the same work ST. GO to
Sl.s0 per day. Here when a contract
miner working company work only re-
ceives Sl.22 per day, other companies
pay for the same work So. 81 to 81. SO.
again, miner going into the mines
at o'clock in the morning is obliged to
remain there till s o'clock In the after
soon, even though he gets no cars
to load, or be suspended from one to
three days. The letter also recites
other rules to which the workmen must
submit and which make them in fact as
near slaves rs ever the negro was before
the war, with the exception of actual
ownership.
''Be it fully understood that the above
does not apply to the operator referred
to in my last letter who has provided
clubhouses and other benefits for his
employees. Never will disputes over
earnings come to an end in the anthra-
cite region until an entirely new system
OF payment for services is adopted
"For hours l have been putting off
writing this letter, for it is exceedingly
unpleasant to state some facts as they
actually exist today in the vicinity of
Hazeton. Residents there known of
these things-the world at large will
not believe them possible"