Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-12

na1OTa
departure of my team.
so we returned along the gallery and
entered one of the powerful lifts which
are employed to bring up trucks of salt
tor assured me with a smile that / need
not have any alarm about the capacity
OF the life as it was constructed to carry
over twenty-five hundredweight Indeed.
we crawled down at snairs pace, and
mad an opportunity of studying the
strange natural frescoes on the walls
1ney were merely geological formations,
here of wild sea-serpents. there Of beauti-
Iul decorative patterns. and every now
and then impossible heraldic animals
Datios on dados. mentally summed
We stepped out on to the floor of a
Titanic cathedral. a vast basilica where
armies might have knelt in prayer, and
might easily imagine that this was the
universe. Even the great strong electric
globes could only create a din religious
light in this huge editice. The lofty walls
were marked with curly stripes of spark
ling gray and white. running up and down
like the waves of tempestuous sea
Along the various naves and aisies rude
tramways were laid out upon kind of
emba nkment of salt. Here trucks were
waiting to be fed by the miners, who
came up ladders and elementary gang
ways bearing loads from the salt trenches
below.
The atmosphere was utterly unlike any
l had ever breathed elsewhere. 1t was
very dry. very pungent. highly exhilarat-
gas. There was a pleasure in quaffing
1t with deep breaths. but presently as
you licked your lips you tasted salt. you
smelt salt. you felt yourself impreg-
to understand the sensations of Lots
wife. The prevailing desire was an inor
dhate raving for the immediate con-
ee tSs to ~ 'a
told me two things. In the first place.
the free workers in salt mines acquire so
can resist the temptation to become habit
ual topers. During their work teetotal-
ism is enforced. and they are always find
ing excuses to make their way to the
tank of fresh water which is kept near
the bottom of the lift. But directly they
emerge upon the outer earth they make
stampede to the nearest public house
and spend most Of the night as we'll as
tinual carouse. But they are not SO much
to be pitied as might be imagined by
readers Of sensational fiction about the
horrors undergone by Nihil;sts in the
fact which the director told me was tina
the climate Of the salt mine is the best in
the world. 1t is even said to be certain
cure for consumption.
Though in summer the even tempera-
ture Of the heart Of the earth must be
very pleasant as a refuge from the roast
ing Roumanian sun. and even in winter
after the arctic atmosphere outside, the
work Is undoubtedly hard and probably
monctonous. To the stray visitor it pos
sesses charm of its own. The workers
divided up into squads Of abl sH nece
Of the floor Of the mine about as big as
a tombstone. 1t is his business to SCOOP
round it with pick little ch 1ahae or or
has done this he summons the other five
members Of his squad and they stand
teside him on his slab. Then trey
then, down simultaneously at the word
of command A good deal of force Is nee |
essary, but what is much more important
Is that they should strike with rhythmi-
cal accuracy. II they Go not strike to-
gether and in the right place the whole
I wondered that they did rot sing at
their work as the Somalis do. or that
the adminstration o did mot not h prog nt
long practice they have become extraor-
dinariIy expert. and that they scarcely
dverss hairs breadth This from nroc sns
as the squad has hammered away long
stinse from the e sound Of their blows that
the job is done. The persistence blows
have detached the slab. which may now
be rlised by lever with long, strong
null of the six men together. AS soon as
to the others in turn. until they have
raised all six. 1t is a simple form of CO.
operation.
and breaks 1t up into hunks: which are
placed on a truck sent UP by lift, and
credited to his account. A very active
man can earn from half crown TO three
shiilings a day. but beginners must be
content with good deal less. Each man
has a particular mark or sign which he
carves upon one of the Jumps IN his truck
before he sends it up to be weighed
The cOnvicts who work In the san
min. at Doftana are In many ways al
most as well of as the free miners. ex-
cept that when their daily task is over
they cannot auench their great tnnss
at the tavern ard must return to their
prisons But they are actually paid for
their work from sixpence to eightpence
a day which is enough to encourage tneir
industry ard enable them to Obtain a rev
extra comforts such as tobacco.
The work of experimenting the con-
victs in the mines cannot be by any
Plea SAINT habit of dealing with an unpop-
meditation they gather into knots in his
he finds himself surrounded. In the
course Of few minutes all the breath
has been squeezed out of his body, and
on more than one occasion men nave
actually been killed in this lie wa tSa oo
round robin. to shirk responsibility. NO
one convict more than another has done
the deed. and 1t is difficult to pnnish the
whole gang to the same extent which
would be possible in the case OF one or
two As there is no capital punishment
In Roumania the convicts are really not
much worse OF when they have thus add
"a one more crime to their record; Inc
only possible punishment Is to Knock
on their small comforts and privileges
md to inflict solitary confinement. which
n the case of a whole gang would mean
of of work for some time
Perhaps the chief charm of Rouma-
man salt mine Is that 1t perpetuafes tine
anne old methods and the same old I'M I
Elements which have been in use ever ,
dnce the darkest ages. An attempt was
made at one time to introduce machinery.
nut this was found to add too much 70 [
ne cost of production. II Is true that ,
.he machines produced more sait "
yfyen space Of time. and that manual
abor wastes about q per cent oy crum {
,Iing and powderfng the salt with DICKS; ,
Iast "a men. and particularly convtcts; are ,
much cheaper than machinery. ana as
he supply Of salt appears practfcauy m
.xllaustible. it Is better economy TO ad- '
,ere to tn. old methods. And 4 visttorI
o the mines will not regret tnSs fact.
which affords him an opportunity OF wit
essing 50 wonderful and romantic sur
ival Of ancient times. n
A Hull woman. named Flora Whis- i
ers. was fined the other day for steal