Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-22
Some Things You Want to Know
The Treadwell Mine

the unique feature Of the situation ia that
the superintendent can talk to only %
per cent~of his men. To the remainder he
has to make signs or depend upon inter
prefers. which always is unsatisfactory.
Few Of the men are married. They get
from 81 to $3.50 per day and their board
and lodging. Many OF them come direct
from Europe to enter the employ Of the
company, and most OF them save the
greater part OF their wages. They cue
their own hair, d. their own washing, and,
In fact, get along as cheaply as only
Europeans can. Their only regular ex-
penditure seems to be the purchase Of
cigarettes. Of which they are excessive
smokers. Many OF the men leave their
money with the company, the books at one
time showing that over $4,000 In wages
was uncalled for. The company pays no
interest on this money. but agrees to pay
any or all Of Il on demand. The largest
sum due any one man was 5000. He did
not draw a cent for a year and a half after
he went to work.
Slavs and Scandinavians predominant
among the nationalities employed In the
mine About the only expression in Eng
fish that they can ever master is ''all
right" and they work It overtime. No
matter whether one Of them is called a liar
or told that dinner is ready, he invariably
answers ''all right" Their inability To
understand what is said to them often
causes trouble. one day a new boss was
experimenting a big blast and as a couple
OF workmen approached he shouted: Don't
go that way or you'l get your heads blown
off" One Of them answered: "All right -
and the boss, supposlng from their answer
that they understood English, made a
break for cover. They had not understood
him at all and walked right into the blast
receiving the full force of It. There wasn't
enough left of them to hold an inquest
over.
Working with powder is always a dan
serous job and 1t is particularly so for
those ignorant foreigners. The principal
blasts are made at noon and at 6 o'clock.
An elevator goes down the shaft to the
level where everything is ready but the
lighting Of the fuse, and as soon as this
is touched off there is a quick flight up
ward to safety. Sometimes the men COM
plete their work before the elevator is
due, and, in order TO get to the surface
end loaf awhile before the whistle blows,
they light their fuses and climb the ladders
that lead from one level to another. One
uly AuIGt Ll6U lOuCTeu OH lle fuses and
ran for the ladders. Two of them mounted
safely. but the third one missed his first
step and became so confused that he could
not make his feet stick to the rounds Of
the ladder The blast went off with a
r~esounding report and about all there was
left of the poor devil were the buttons
from his brooches and the buckles from
] Is suspenders.
Probably the most remarkable accide
that ever happened at the Treadwell was
when a Swede fell down a shaft 25S feet
Into ten feet of water without being killed.
Whenever this story is told the nearer is
naturally skeptical, but remarkable as Il
was, he actually fell that distance and
lived to resume work In the mine. When
he fell he had on a slicked coat and a pair
of gum boots. Both his boots came off,
one OF them being found at the 110-foot
level and the other at the 220-foot level.
He maintained an upright position during
the whole Of his awful fall and struck the
water feet first. When the cage was sent
down after him 1t was not NTH the inten-
ton of performing q rescue. but to make
preparations for "a funeral. lie was not
even unconscious. An examination re-
vealed the fact that not a bone was broken
by the terrible plunge. However, his
nerves sustained SuCn q severe shock that
he was confined to the hospital for eight
months and he did not do any heavy work
for two years, In referring to his expert
ence he said: II one big Jumper.
Although the men are extremely economl-
cal. they cheerfully contribute a dollar a
month for the support OF the hospital and
a like sum for the maintenance of the
Young Mems Christian association. The
company spent 5000 for the erection Of a
suitable building and the membership dues
defray the running expenses. 1t has a
gymnasium with baths, besides a reading
room containing literature in all the
languages spoken in the camp.
1t is impossible TO even estimate the
quantity Of gold that is locked up behind
the rocky walls of Alaska's mountains.
Some say it IS more than equal to the
riches all the mines In the world have vet
produced. The country that Uncle Sam
bought from Russia for less than 2 cents
an acre has proved to be the greatest bar
gain ever made in real estate. When
T%readwell paid the freight on French
Pote's goods, and took over the claim that
proved to be the GLORY hole of mining
history, he paved the way for operations
that viii so on for years and years, adding
all the while to the hords OF wealth the
world is storing in its treasure vaults.
By FREDERICK J. nAsK1r.
Toni cProvg-Tha Hau THhoaAou