White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-17
PEOPLE ENGAGED
IN MINING WORK
CENSUS BUREAU COMPLIES IN
TERESTING INFORMATION IN
REGARD TO INDUSTRY THAT
EMPLOYS A MILLION MEN.

A preliminary statement OF the
results of the Thirteenth census rela-
tive to the persons engaged in min
ing industries was recently issued
by Director Durand of the bureau OF
the census. department of commerce
and labor. 1t was prepared under
the direction of Isaac A. Hourwich,
expert special agent on mining.
The number of persons engaged in
mining, according TO character OF
employment. was ascertained when
ever practicable for December l.,
of the year 1909. In those cases,
however. where the mines were not
in operation on that date. or the
time records for that date We're not
obtainable. the numbers were aseer-
tanned for the nearest representa-
tive date.
The number Of persons engaged in
these industries which include the
operation of mines. quarries and
wells. as returned for December 10.
1909 or nearest representative day
was 1,139, 1872; of whom 1866
2SS. or e3.5 per cent were wages
earners: 49,374, or As per cent We're
proprietors or officials; and 24,675,
or p per cent We're clerks. The pro-
portion of proprietors and officials
ranges from OF per CEN in the an
thraeite branch of the coal mining
industry TO 81 per cent in the cop
per mining industry, being high in
the petroleum and natural gas in
dustries, and in the industries min
ing precious metals. lead, and zinc.
Or the $500 females connected with
the mining industries, 1.443 were
proprietors and officials. and 1851
were clerks, the wage earners being
exclusively males.
In the mining industries, S,l51. or
0.S per cent Of the wage earneTs
We're boys under sixteen; of whom
6,s6S, or S5.4 per cent, were EN-
ployed in coal. 4S9 in Iron and 6s4
in other mining industries. The
boys employed in the Goa indus
tries were about equally divided be-
tween the bituminous and anthracite
mines which employed respectively
1921 and 3.247 boys; but the pro-
portion under sixteen among an
thracite mines which employed res
speetively 3,721 and 3,247 boys; but
the proportion under sixteen among
anthracite wage earners-about ,
per cent.-although not in itself
high, was nevertheless higher than
in any other industry. Practically
all of the boys employed in the an
thraeite mines. however, worked
above ground, only Is being at work
below: while of the 1921 boys en-
ployed in mining bituminous coal. p
904 or more than three-fourths Us
per cent? worked under ground. OF
the 200 boys working under ground
in other mining industries 16e We're
in the iron mines.
Mine operators of the old tyre Who
operate their mines without the as
sistanoe of hired help or with little
help are still quite numerous, a. ap-
pears from the fact that out Of a
total of 2s.922 p%roprietors and firm
members in 1909, S.S6l. or nearly
three tenths, were personally per
forming manual labor in or about
their enterprises. The industries in
which proprietors of this type were
the nos numerous include btu
minous coal mining. in which ass
per cent Of the proprietors and firm
members We're performing manual
labor: lead and zinc mining. and
placer mining (surface gold wash
ing). in each of which industries a
majority Of the proprietors We're
working in their own mines; and
deep gold and silver mines. in which
nearly one-half of all ~proprietors be-
longed to this class. There are also
a considerable number Of proprietors
and firm members performing manu-
al labor in the petroleum and ma
tural gas industry. but as the whole
number of p%roprietors and firm
members is very large. they con
stituted a comparatively small per
eentage of the total in 1909.
Adult wage earners We're classified
by occupation into three groups: u
engineers, dremen, machinits. etc. !;
CD miners and miners helpers,
rrarrwuaan anI ernna aessa~es