The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-05-18

the hammers and placed the timber
in the mines west of the Rock,
mountains; while American boys, re-
cruited from nearby ranches ant
country towns, shoveled the muck
pushed the cars and did much of tn,
surface work about the mines. Ever
at that time a few miners (and good
ones, tool We're beginning to arrive
from Austria and timbermen from
Finland and Sweden; but the great
influx of mine laborers from southern
Europe had not yet reached the west
ern states.
Today, especially In California, all
this Is changed In such old mining
centers as Butte, Park City, Tlntic
grandsons of the old-time Irish and
Cornish hammersmen running ma
chine drills in the mines; but, even
In these districts, most of the COM
mon labor is performed by newly
rived immigrants from southern Eur
ope; and in many other western
mines nearly all underground EN-
ployes are from the same region. In
other words, the American boy as a
prospective miner has practically dis
appeared
Much has been written since the
beginning of the European war re-
gardlng its present and future effect
upon European emigration and al
though all are agreed that while the
war lasts emigration will be practice
ally nil, the views of writer's as to
what will be the condition prevailing
after the war are quite divergent.
Without taking space in this letter to
give the reasons for my belief, l in
clude myself with those who think
that for many years American immi-
grafton from all parts of Europe will
be Of much smaller volume than for
the years preceding the war Where
then are we to look for the mucker
of today who must become the miner
of tomorrow, unless American boys |
can be induced to take up the work, |
as they did 80 years ago? Further
more, is II not within the range of |
possibility that general improve
ment in the intelligence of the miners
of the future may be brought about |
by training American boys, instead of |
European peasants, for the work? |
am not among those who subscribe
unreservedly to the sentiment that the
best qualifications for mucxer are
q strong back and a weak intellect,
and, while not wishing to belittle in
any way the hard grinding work per-
formed by immigrants from foreign
lands, ! believe that most mine fore
men will agree that 1t Is easier, on
the ground of better understanding
Of the language alone, to train a will
ing and industrious American boy
than raw immigrant. And on the
same ground, of the better under
of spoken orders and print
I'd rules, gerater aid is given to safe
" OF operation and the prevention of
The writer recently visited mine
where underground sorting Of ore is
necessarily practiced, and where, af-
err months of training, the work of
he muckers Wa still unsatisfactory.
n part, their failure to do good work
vas due to lack of knowledge of the ;
anguage; and in part, / fear, to the =
lek Of native intelligence; but what
YER the cause, the mine is losing :,
of dollars per month because
Inefficient sorting. +
It has been said that the Ameri an ;,
oy, as found in the country districts :
nd small towns of California, win =
OF work, and certainly not at such .
ommon labor as soils his hands and !
lakes his back ache; and, fear that O.
conditions now exist, this is all too ),
ne, But American boys have. in -
lie past, worked es. common laborers. =,
nd the writer was one of them But, =,
ley will not begin work of that ~
If they see that it Is hope =;
SIS for them ever to expect any ~
ing better; therefore many such =,
)ys and young men are idle, or COM
lratively idle, today largely be- a.
use of lack of opportunity to make 10
start in some employment that ~
'omises future advancement. In the ~
echanical trades the labor unions
rgely controlled by the foreign ele-
eht nave so curtailed opportunities
r apprenticeship, that 1t is difficult
BOY to get start in those lines ="
ia we are today confronted by the
ectacle OF many American born
US and young men idling their time
fay or crowding into poorly paid pa
'rical or mercantile positions, while be-
more lucrative, If, also more ex- All
ting, occupations afford employ ia,
ent to others. drs
IN seeking for remedy for this To
uatlon as applied to the mining in sh'
stry We must take into considera fro
n the character and traits or the a !
erage American boy who might be wit
lde available for mine worl, Such dit
boy will probably be found more ion
Ihitlous, though less industrious ant
more Independent, and yet, under Sta