Lcîilpin] coal MINING IN PICTOU COUNTY 17S 



wore losing money with a better selling j)nce. Jle states that the miners 

 had become a privileged class, receiving from eight to twelve shillings a 

 day, and privileges in the way of rent and fuel equal to tifteen pounds a 

 year. In the pits labourers performed equally severe work and were paid 

 three and sixpence a day, without being allowed by the miners to join 

 their ranks. Sometimes the miners took an apprentice who by the pay- 

 ment of a fee attained the standing of a miner, but the employer could 

 not send a single man among them. He concluded by reporting that if 

 the management would inaugurate a system of strict economy, put out 

 more of the work to contract, and abolish the exclusive tactics of the 

 miners, much better returns would be received. 



The association, threatened with the loss of their most important 

 market, did retrench as far as possible, having completed their rail- 

 way, and their new colliery enjoyed for some time a somewhat improved 

 condition. 



The second colliery was commenced in 1837 to the north of the tirst, 

 or Store pits, a barrier of one hundred feet of solid coal being left. The 

 shallowest pit next the barrier, used for ventilation, was 240 feet deep. 

 From this point there w^ere seven other shafts sunk over a space of 253 

 yards, the deepest being 4Ô5 feet on the Seam. The cost of sinking and 

 equipping this colliery was £18,178. It was worked on a system similar 

 to that adopted in the Store jîits, and enjoyed an immunity from serious 

 accidents for many years. This colliery was equipped in accordance 

 with the best mining practice of the day, and proved very efficient. The 

 pumps were of the Cornish pattern, the boilers in part of the " wagon " 

 or " balloon " type. In 1855 much damage was caused by the crushing of 

 part of the workings owing to the weakness of the pillars left to support 

 the roof. At this date the practice of sinking a new pit whenever the 

 coal within easy reach of a shaft became exhausted, was changed, and 

 slants were sunk from the pit bottom running obliquely across the dip of 

 the coal seam. Engines were used to bring the coals up these inclines, 

 when they were raised to the surface through the vertical shaft. In 

 1861 the coal in the slant running to the eastward took tire from a blast 

 igniting the coal, and it had to be tilled w^ith water. In the year 1867 the 

 other or western slant took tire, and the mine was tinally abandoned. 



The Avestward extension of the Store and Bye pit collieries was 

 limited by a band of inferior coal marked supertieially by the course of 

 Coal Brook. As the coal was proved to improve again in quality beyond 

 this space, fresh workings were decided on, and in 1849 the Dalhousie 

 pits were sunk. There were five pits, the main shaft being 234 feet deep. 

 Shortly after a shaft Avas sunk through the outcrop of the main seam, a 

 few yards from the Dalhousie colliery to the next underlying coal bed 

 known as the Cage pit or Deep seam. 



