Reports of the Inspectors of Mines of the anthracite coal regions of ...

62 REroRTS OF the Inspectors of Mines. [No. 10,
In examining the Hutchinson colliery referred to, I found sufficient
cause for complaint, and requested and stopped all the cliambers in the
lower seam, for want of sufficient ventilation, being that section where I
found deficient. In a day or two afterwards a committee of two of the
workmen, working in the said section, called upon me and begged of me
to let them work on in the section that I had stopped, for a time, and that
they would run their own risk. They acknowledged that the place was
not a fit place to work in, for their health, but that it would be worse upon
them and their families if I insisted upon keeping the place stopped.
They said it was not a question of their own health, but a question of
bread for themselves and families. After such strong appeals, I informed
them that they had an organization belonging to the said colliery, of which
they were all members ; that if they would lay this matter before their
meeting, and bring, or send me a" communication, properly attested by its
officers, expressing a desire, upon their part, of my withdrawing the said
restrictions, that I would then consider the matter, but not before that
could I do so.
The next day or so a communication was sent to me, with the request
above referred to, signed b}- the officers of the said association, to which
I replied that I could not give them the specified time of ninety days, but
would leave the matter open for the time being, bj^ letting them work on.
I read the letter above given, to the said committee, and they said it had
been sent by an individual that did not then work in the mines, and of-
fered to give me his name. I objected, not deeming it woi'th knowing.
They insisted, however, in giving his name, and stated that he was not
living upon his own earnings, but upon the savings of others, having mar-
ried a widow woman with a litJe money, in the vicinity of those collieries.
Operators' Coiiiplasiits.
It is true that inspectors seldom receive letters of complaints or abuse
from operators. They do, however, enter strongly worded protests against
what they call the dictations of the inspector, in manj^ waj^s and on many
occasions.
They have a good many ways of making their displeasure known, and,
often it is known rather against their will, as it crops out almost unknown
to them.
I was once assailed vigorously, by one of them accusing me of inter-
fering between him and his workmen. Not being guilty, I, as a matter
of course, at once repelled the slander, and the individual subsequently
acknowledged he had been mistaken. Frequentl}' an inspector that
dares do his duty, is charged by the operators of being biased and preju-
diced against them and their whole interest, by favoring the workmen too
much in various ways. On one occasion the writer, when having a case in
court against one of them, relating to second opening, was accused in open
court of persecuting the said concern, as their counsel stated, "because their
mine was a black-leg operation," meaning a place being operated by persons