The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-07-12
Coal 1Hif1if1Q.

"
~
Let US look at the system in use in
these miniature cities, and you will
have an idea how perfectly every
thing works when there are no acci-
dents. At the end of the trip is a
large subterranean chamber two hum
dred feet long, fifty feet wide aud
eight feet high, which has five or six
tracks, on which may be seen empty or
loaded cars. The "trip" arrives with a
load of empties, stops, and starts to re-
turn with it's load in quicker time than
I can tell you. You wonder how this
is accomplished so quickly! The ex-
PLANTATION is simple. Each strip" takes
the same number of cars in either
direction, and as soon as it arrives in
the mines, the cable is Immediately
taken from the empties, and attached
to the loaded cars by boys, who are
there for that purpose. Had you be-
come so interested in this rapid chang
ing of the cables, that you failed to
notice what else was going on, you
would be very much surprised to turn
around and find that every one of these
twenty-four empties had disappeared
But when you found out that they
were far distant, being hauled by the
patient mules that you have seen wait
ing for them, you would then see that
every minute underground is employed
to advantage by the miner.
These mules, as rule, are very gen
tie, altho their drivers, who are boys
ten or twelve years of age, are contin.
ually tormenting them. They are some
what smaller than those so often seen
upon the streets, and generally haul
three loads or six empties. Many OF
these mules never see the sunlight fol
years at time. The entries are all
mined high enough for the mules to
pass along without hurting themselves
tho the rooms are never mined above
the coal.
The boys who drive these mules have
entries to work on. They must keeI
them clear of cars at all times; must
tske the loads. away from the rooms al
quick as possible; must supply emptie'
to the miner when required, ant
watch the signal of the door tender il
order to avoid accidents while hand
ling the loads. To give you an idea o.
this work, will ask you to imagine
yourself one of these boys for a few
moments. You and your long-earet
friend are waiting for the "trip" t.
arrive with empties; it arrives! Yor
take six, and passing thru one or tw'
entries, enter your own. Maybe 20,
have five rooms on each side of you
entry; in some you leave empties, whil
from others you take loads. Yol
send your mule back to the entrance
of your entry, and await the signal o
the door tender. When you receive tn
signal, you draw your spragues, juml
on the rear car and you're off. Th
road being clear you may 60 quartz
of mile before stopping, or the doc
tender may sprague your cars at tn
end of your entry, when you hitci
your mule which is waiting for you
withdraw the spragues, and proceed Of
your way. On the other hand, suppos
that you were careless and didn't wal
for the door tenders signal, or tina
thru an oversight he gave you the sig
nal when others had the track, the re
suit would be wreck which Nigh
loosen the slate overhead in sue
manner that cave-in might occur
causing many lives to be forfeited.
| I give you this description of tn
work of these little fellows of tende
years to show you that the importanc
and responsibility, of the trust place
upon them is immense. These boy
are first to enter and last to leave th
mines; their wages range from fifty t
: sixty cents day, ahd their workin
day is often heightened to twelv
hours. The trsp-door boys or doc
tenders are about the same age as th
mule drivers, receive fifty cents da
|, for their labor, and are required to b
constantly on the watch for signals 9