Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-10-02
West Virginia as Seen Through
Rockbridge Eyes
GLEN JEAN, W. VA, Sept. 9S, OF

EDITOR tTAZhTFE:-A DrleI dccOuuJ
of recent visit to solae Of the coal
fields Of West Virginia may be of in
terast to your readers especially the
mines of Fayette countyi'which rank
second In coal production in the State.
On what is know as the Loop Greek
branch OF the o. &. OR. r. leaving the.
main line at Thurmond and its short
tributaries in distance OF Is miles
there are 26 mines with their mining
towns OF from 500 to 1900 inhabitants,
The daily output being from five hum
dred to fourteen hundred tons to the
mine. No one can have just concept
ion of the immensely of this without
being there to see.
The preparation for mining is much
more extensive and costly than would
be readily supposed. The very best OF
machinery is used. Not less than four
and in some cases as many as six i'm
mense boilers are used for the engines
that hoist the coal and pump fresh air
in and water out of the mines. Miners
get so cents per truck load; some OF the
most industrious can send out from ~
to 20 trucks per day. Many, however,
fall short of the half of this amount,
more from want Of industry than OPP
portunity.
There is general complaint of E. ar
city of hands. A majority OF laborers
are foreigners, chiefly HungarianS ana
to say that they are trihing is putting
it mildly. There is said to be better
condition as regards labor in some
other localities. Since the recent mine
disaster in these parts Americans ana
negroes are somewhat shy OF the mines
there and have gone to other places.
One great trouble is that in this fast
age. where there is such-a rush to make
money there is not just estimate
placed on human life.
Viewing things there from llnanclol
standpoint is very pleasant but from
moral or religious view, 1t Is nothing
shcrt of extreme sadness. So far as |
have been able TO learn, and l doabt
not that what saw and heard OF the
locality in question nay be taken as an
average Of the whole, it is veritable
hot-bed Of iniquity. Workshops IN
which the great Adversary Is holding
In constant training thou;ands OF souls
for his service h IRE and for eyerylast-
ing destruction hereafter. One OF his
most formidable tools is whlskeY'
Hundreds of men there, after pay
day" will work no more until the
Devils agents, the saloon keepers, get
the last penny OF their earnings
Fayette county has within her bounds
seventy. eight saloons Each saloon in
the State pays license tax of six hun
dred dollars. But alas! what a pit
lance is this when compared with the
awful results,
The State holds within her bosom a
vast area of high grade coal from which
she car supply every requirement
known to commerce. After eliminating
many marginal areas that are not OF
commercial value, she is estimated to
carry 11,0J0 square miles of minaole
territory, with estimated gross coal
content of more than 30 billion ions.
During 1905, 5000 men were given
employment in 710 commercial nines5
The total production being AZ, $40
tons. At the same time the coke snip
inents amounted to 1896, 744 tons.
This represents three-ffths CT amount
of coal used In making it. These sta
tlstics l got fIoln reliable source and
whilst they may appear dry to some,
vet will be of interest to many. The
State ranks second to Pennsylvania
in coal production, and some who are
In positions to Judge intelligently> say
that IN the very near future will be in
the lead
1t proved great surprise to ne to
see the evidence of so much money
spent in fine residences in these mining
towns. This is done by the m any who
ale interested in the mines and Others
who have easy paying jobs. In taking
In" town, in company with friend
familiar with affairs | asked What Is
to become OF all this expenditure of
money after the coal supply is exhaust
edY' This caused a laugh and the re-
ply, "These houses will be gone before
the last Of the coal"
Many years ago, far-seeing men of
means bought up these immense coal-
beds and just enough Of surface to an
swer their purpose at minimum price,
a great deal of it only normal aud now
the original owners or their descendants
are securing hard-earned subsistence
on the surface while wealthy companies
are lifting their millions from beneath
them.
must not stop off without saying
that there are scattered here and here
q few churches, mostly union, in which |
the gospel is sometimes. preached.
mostly monthly appointments. And
theie are a few who make the best OF
their very limited opportunities. 1t
takes more faith THAI l can sum lp.
however, to feel that this little leavep
will ever permeate the whole.
Sabbath dissertation is another dis
tressing feature IN the case. At Glen
Jean where there Ia a Presbyterian
,hmch, on a recent Sabbath during the
preaching service, there was game OF
base ball going en- with an attendance
oafad RI he 4 000 whila tho prench-