Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-06

coal miner may be learned by seeing
him at work and seeing how he lives.
by seeing his home and his wife and
children. Reading about what he
earns is not altogether enlightening.
In a typical Kentucky coal mine the
miner earns his bread. and everything
that goes with it. Yet he enjoys a
he likes and be assured of good
wages, and the labor turnover In Ken
lucky mines large and small, large
ones especially, shows that he does
go when he likes. And he likes Oft
en- to go. Why, So, inasmuch as he
does not better, himself by going F?
For the same reason that a domestic
servant, weary of washing another
woman's dishes. moves on ga job no
better in a vain attempt to- getaway
from dull routine.
1t is necessary for a tall man to
bend almost double in the tunnels
miners work. The tunnels Ire in
darkness and it is necessary to be
careful not to- touch an electric wire
overhead which runs the mine trolley
carsA Miners get used to the STOPPING
position and grow ,contemptuoua of
the live wire. One strong man grew
finally to believe the. wire would not
hurt him and in a spirit of bravado
took hold of it. The wire did not
slay him, but left him alive as il to
teach him a lesson. It visited upon
hinr for life the grim jest of an UNI
seen Titan. =
Almost fabulous stories are told of
the possible, and occasionally actual,
earnings Of miners when coal is high,
but the average earnings of a miner
may be learned, If anywhere, from
the ledgers of a mining corporation.
The company employees don't tell:
1.-THE miners don't know, apparently.
A mar who doesnhard manual.la:
Dor in a~rr4solated room opening upon
a tunnel which runs a half mile to
daylight on a mountain side ought to
30 Well paid. A man whose hair does
not stand "on end when he removes
coal which has been left inNthet form
OF pillars. till the vein has been rob-
bed. and sees the mountain settle%in
front of him and close the opening
that has been made. has the admiral
ti6n OF anyone. I
Few desire to witness that feature
OF mining. Occasionally an e~rrorrof
judgment in that work, or: anfferror al
to the stability tof a slab Of slate in the
roof OF a room, results in a three fine
report In the press that a miner wa
killed, and leaves a widow and nu.
merous childIfn weeping in b cottage
In a coal camp. \.
Hazards OF Mining.
There are other causes Of occasion
Al fatalities, but the .statistics OF min
Ing do not shbw thai the occupation
Is extremely hazardous. IT is pointed
out that the miner, Is exposed to no
extremes Of Temperatures. His work
y lone in an atmosphere not unlike
that Of Mammoth Cave. so we'll ARE
modern mines ventilated, and insan
unchanging cellar-Iike Temperatures.
After a short days work the miner
10 free to enjoy life fnSLynch or Jen-
kins in such9a climate as health seek
ers so far to enjoy. Lynch has near
~ as high an elevation as Rockbridge
Alum Springs In Virginia, or the ho-
tells in and about Asheville, N. g. All
Injuries of life In a first class city. arr
provided. J The miners residenoeY is
near everything his wife wants IN the
way of table or household supplies.
high. 81
The rapidly with which money il
spent BY miners and their families
Indicates welfare above that OF 4 ma
|1ority Of skilled laborers Including
those engaged in Occupations saehsa !
(o or olss carpentry md Outside paiintiIns
hal. come 81. 81 ths mine
With dust, oakedS on perppfra.
ton goe6 to . 5bath--h0use Wick kom-
pares fayorably AitHStf1At ofs sfhesY.
d. g "A. In W]ashipSton ~ M Yorse.
|AfterWRrd he may bSsGSnypliyinx
billiards Or Intending spfcturs sYpW.