Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-01
THE ANTHRACITE COAL COUNTRY
One Of tho Days Best Cartoons.
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKI,

Tho surface has been undisturbed, and
the original owners or their SUCCESSORS
sun dwell quietly on their ancestral
farms.
But the complexion Of the popula-
, tion has greatly changed from the
! First the Irish and the Welsh came
into the coal fields and worked these
mines generation ago they began
to be displaced by Hungarians. Rus-
slams. Slavs and Italians. These have
come and arc still coming BY tens Of
thousands. Many OF the workers hore
have been but Il short time In America.
About the mouth of each mine arc
posted Safety First" signs, on which
IT is necessary that tho warning should
be set forth In twenty languages. The
round and globular dome Of tho Rus
sian Church is everywhere to be seen
The Greek Church occupies a pinnacle
here and there. There are touches OF
many races. The anthracite regions
arc Babcls OF languages, and as cos
mopolitan as Constantinoplc
And all these peoples arc prosperous
beyond the widest dreams OF their
European peasant imaGinings. Slow
wittcd, cowlike SiaYs are the parents
,of quick. bright American boys that
astonish him who attempts To under
stand tho racial influences OF the now
land. The sons OF Polish miners are
the practicing attorneys In the courts
OF Scranton and Wilkes-Barrc. There
Is plenty In all tho miners homes, and
the public schools remove the hyphens.
There is not better-kept community
In the nation than Ia the anthracite
region. There is peculiar condition
existing here with relation to such
matters AS tho maintenance Of the pub
lie roads. The coal companies. accord
ing to the returns OF the assessor. pay
80 per cent OF the taxes. They would,
therefore. under the ordinary method.
contribute 80 per cent toward tho build
ing Of the roads II they were con-
structed by the counties. This money
would be expended through usual po-
litical channels and this method has
been shown not to be the most eco
nomical or effective.
ConI Companies Build Roads.
The coal companies have, therefore.
volunteered to assume full RESPONSE
bility for road construction. There are
no road taxes and the companies have
assumed this burden. They find It
cheaper. The roads are constructed
along best-proven. scientific lines and
maintained on tho same basis. They
are mostly paved with brick. even those
In tho country. They are kept in per-
feet condition. The companies know
that this In economy
ono would hardly expect coal min
Ing, as an industry, to go hand in hand
with the spinning of silk. Yet in most
OF these towns one supplements the
other. The silk mill is 10 be found In
nearly every village. There is a rca-
son. The coal mines offer no employ
ment for the wives and daughters OF
the miners There is al abundance OF
woman labor. The silk mills locate
here that they may draw upon the la
Dor market thus provided.
This coal field OF incompatible value
Is now on fire. Far beneath the sur
face the flames are raging and slowly
spreading. The fire is In the upper
end OF the field. but is stealing stealth
lily toward the greater deposits IT has
been burning for seventy years. II has
consumed coal valued ut millions.
Every device that science could con-
ceive has been brought to bear on these
isubterranean fires without results.
steam and water have been forced into
the workings. Attempts have been
made to smother the fire by shutting
OFF the air. A herculean attempt cost
ing hundreds OF thousands OF dollars.
has recently been completed, which
sought to cut the valley in two below
the fire and build a concrete wall TWEEN
ty feet thick so deep into the bowels
OF the earth that the fire would never
get past It, 1t was a vastly expensive
lire break and titanic engineering
undertaking. But the engineers have
received Indications that tho fire ia al-
ready beyond this wall, and the prob
lem of tho burning mine is still un-
solved.