The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-02-12
JUSTICE TO THE MINER.
A Spanish American comrade Makes
Strong Plea for Him.

a opdn1Su- AHcIlCoh DOLIA ou0 AA0ACo q
Strong Plea for Him.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I am a
constant reader of THE NATIONAL TRIB-
UNE, and have noticed your attitude to-
ward labor unions and the striking coal
miners. 1 wish to say for their defense a
few words of what actually know, living
in a mining district. Twenty years ago
| miners in this vicinity mined coal by the
pick alone, and received 81 a ton. They
could work as long as they wished, and
dig as much as they pleased, but could sell
dom get over three or four tons per day.
| 1t was common for a5farmer to go into the
mines and work during the Winter, with
| no practical experience, and also men in
other lines of work who were out of en-
ployment. Soon progress demanded newer
| and better methods of working coal, so
| the men of capital began to buy up the
extensive coal tracts and put modern ma
chinery to work. Formerly when coal
was mined by individuals who conducted
small coal mines or slopes "a slope is sim
ply tunnel driven in horizontally, the
accident rate was II per cent. Today
| finds it reduced to 3 per cent. The union
has done more for the man who goes in
under the ground to dig coal for his sub
| sistence, than any company possibly could.
| The price of coal mining per ton rapidly
| declined; it fell to 95 cents; thence to 80
|
76 to "a; from 81 to Al, and from Al to 80
cents per ton. With the drop in price of
mining the pick was cast aside, and pow
der took its place. Why? Because OF the
pick work mans wages ran from 81. IA
| to S1.52 per day; by the use of powder he
could get more loose coal, and thus make
more Twelve years ago the conditions
| here were this, the men received IS cents
per ton, worked II hours per day, paid 81
per gallon for lard oil for lighting, S1.5O
keg for powder, and had to buy his gro
ceries from the cOmpany's store, where
they charged such prices as they wished.
| If miner refused to buy his goods at the
company's store, he was discharged; no
other store could exist.
Men who could get in favor with the
mine bosses got ''free click" "a many cars
as they could load. (The miners cars hold
from 100 to 800 pounds) A man not in
| favor sometimes only got two or three
day. The bosses favor could sometimes
| be bought by monetary presents or lntoX-
icants. Carelessness was common, and no
provision was made to furnish good air or
| bad. A green man at the work was often
put to work alone, with no practical min
er to show him. The coal was all screened
| on q two-inch screen, and he was only paid
| for that which passed over the screen. The
other was divided into slack, pea, and nut,
and sold for almost as much as the lump,
| but the miner was not paid for any except
| what went over the screen.
| After the extension of the United Mine
| Workers Union to all the mining districts,
we find a change. Their first victory was
| to ask for and receive cine hours as
days work. The next was the raising of
| the price per ton until it nov stands at 81
cents. Then they demanded Inspectors to
examine the workings, and that no miner
should be allowed to work in unsafe
| places.
They also demanded the right to trade
| where they pleased, and not to be liable
| to lose their places if they did not trade
| at the company's stores.
Later they demanded and received pay
for all the coal they dug, not simply that
which passed over the screens. They were
given the right to put weigh-boss or
somebody to look after their interests in
] the weighing room, with the company's
weighman.
They also received the right 10 cause a
man to work two years until he was con-
versant with coal mining, before he should
be allowed to work alone.
They regulated the giving out of cars,
so that every miner would receive like
amount.
If man goes to work in a new SHIFT
now, the Miners Union have a committee
who examine the place given him, and see
| if he can work there with profit and SAT-
| ety. The companies have less accidents,
| and the coal mine today is governed upon
n systematic plan, which is rapidly being
perfected. The coal miner today is not
| bunglesome laborer, but scientifically
| trained mechanic. His aim is to get out
the coal for the company as quickly and
conveniently as possible. True, a large
number are of foreign extraction, and find
| it hard to adapt themselves to our Amer
| lean environment. But their sons and their
sons sons are the ones that are ready,
and will in the time of need go forth to
| protect this country of ours from any
| foe.
I When / first came into the coal region
here, four years ago, thought coal min
| er illiterate, avariciOus and bigoted, with
| just enough of the human instinct in him
| to keep him above the level of the brute.
1 have since seen my mistake. Like all
classes, they have their faults, but, taken
| as a whole, considering the large per cent
| of foreigners, they are well-meanIng,
honest and industrious people. l wish to
cite one little incident which happened
here; then l leave it to you if for $4,000
year you would wish to follow the same
| calling. A widow lived here with one
| son, a boy of about %. He had worked
hard to provide his mother home and
had it almost paid for. 1 believe they
owed only SlOO. lie WIS WOEhlIS iiSutS,
and one night he went to labor the same
as he had done for over seven years. He
was working in an entry or road in the
shaft, when a stone about II feet long,
IL feet wide, and from 3 to IL
| inches thick fell out of the roof. 1t was
over 20 minutes before they got him out.
but he was dead, crushed almost out of
| shape. Now, reader, you who consider
| the coal miner an ignorant Slav or Dago,
stand by and watch them pick up the
| body, lay it on a stretcher, then march
down through the streets of the town
| over which he had gone to work about
three hours before in good health. See
them as they knock at the door, see the
mother open it and the look of horror and
pain as they bring in the body and lay it
down. Why censure the miners for asking
| for business from men of capital, who
consider their workmen as mere machines
| to accumulate dollars for themselves? Are
not all free and equal? Is life not as dear
to one as another? Will death be made
easier and special heaven provided for
the men of many dollars? No. None of
my family were ever miners but l wish to
see fair play, as the few letters after my
name here below will testify.-F. l.. AN
GER, X Co., 9th ILL.,, Spanish-American
war, Kangley, Ill.
| Bombardment to Prevent Hailstorms.
| Congresses were held in Europe in
| 1899, 1900 and 1901 to discuss the results