The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-03-01

EXPERIENCE IN A MINING CAMP

largest mining city had several
Experiences which portrayed little
OF the Lives OF the other half" and
some of these might be interesting
TO some of us who have seen only
one side Of IL.
In that city of twenty thousand
miners, representative OF nearly
every race and tongue, OF every
class and rank,-men who left good
homes 10 seek their fortune In the
Treasure State and men OF the low
est type, the son OF the capitalist
and the son OF the immigrant, -
every opportunity was afforded one
who might wish 10 study social con-
ditions and problems.
In the Office I talked 10 many OF
the miners who never knew what II
was TO aspire TO anything higher
than what to them was the only
logical equivalent OF the monthly
payroll,-the bare necessities Of life
and the periodical sprees, with a
few thrown in for good measure"
as one expressed il. Often I have
had men to come and beg the price
of drink until they could get
their pay check cashed; and some
came asking for work at our mines
because IL was out Of the city and
and they could get away from the
old bunch and the saloon. One will
ing to resort To any method TO get
away from drink, the other willing
To give up good positions in the
city TO get away from il.
We find IL new thing 10 most
Of them for anyone TO be interested
in the welfare; TO care whether
they were drunk or sober; 10 care
whether their homes were happy
or otherwise. One Of the DULLES
Of the camp. a great big, husky
Italian. came to the Office one day
after his pay and was going TO quit
! talked To him a little while about
giving up drink and urged him 10
brace up. He was proud OF his ply
steal strength and through that
fact I appealed 10 him 10 "cut from
the old crowd" and be "every inch
a man." He arose and came over 10
the desk and with a tremor in his
voice he said as he took my hand,
boy. amt nobody talka TO me lika
that before. I'm gonna make good
because you believe in me-" And
Frank Poliero went back 10 the
mine and made good.
One learns something OF the trag-
edy and disappointment in their lives
too. A man enters the door with
gait as unsteady as that Of q
drunken man. But he is only in
trouble. He has played margin"
on the market and has lost home,
wealth, credit and all. Yesterday
he had social position and luxury;
today he is pauper; yesterday he
laughed at chance and deiled fates;
to-day he is embittered against the
whole world. II has been only a
month since he was in the Office;
to-day he looks ten years older.
Within twenty-four hours anoth-
er comes in with the air OF
prince. He. too, has taken big
chances on the market but Fortune
has favored him. He is wearing a
new broadcloth To keep in step with
the class Ia which his good luck has
raised him, and being one Of the
newly rich the "cramping modes
and customs Of conventionality"
seem b. embarrass him.
II is huge game Of chance and
the men in the large mining camps
play at il blndly only 10 be awaken
ed sooner or later by sudden and
unexpected disaster. A prospecter
who has worked his little plot for
years without success came in 10
sell out his claims for the price OF
a song He is followed by a pros
porous looking promoter who wishes
To solicit your interest, land Incl
dcntally, your money! in some gold
mining proposition in British Col
umbia. Both go out together and
by the fateful hand Of chance, by
the treaeherous game which both
are playing. the prince and pauper,
the prospector and the promoter,
may change positions socially and
financially within a year.
These are not the idle fancies OF
a kindled Imagination. II has been
done and I have seen IL. In less than
a month after the president Of the
Gold Dredging Association exhibit
ed a bottle Of nuggets TO the officers
Of our company, presenting certified
letters from the leading banks OF the
Northwest as evidence Of his credit.