PERSONNEL. 79 



ing on the size of the seam and dirt to be picked out. The 

 work of shooting down is the same, whether the coal has been 

 holed by pick or machine. Wheelers are lads who drive the 

 ponies that draw the skips to or from the working places and 

 the nearest collecting station. If the wheeler has a bad road 

 he is given the assistance of a helper-up, who puts in sprags and 

 makes himself generally useful. Drivers are boys in charge 

 of a horse and set of skips on a main roadway, where difficul- 

 ties are not likely to be encountered. A set-rider is a man 

 who accompanies a set of skips, hauled on the main and tail 

 rope principle; he attends to any points on the track, and 

 signals to the engine driver in case of accident. Trappers are 

 boys sometimes employed to attend to the doors erected for 

 ventilation purposes in roadways along which hauling is done. 

 Flatters are men in charge of a flat or station underground 

 where shunting takes place. Clippers-on and clippers-off fasten 

 or unfasten clips connecting the skips with ropes when the 

 endless rope system of haulage is employed. The on-setter 

 has complete control of the pit bottom; he cages and uncages 

 the skips at the bottom, and gives the signal to the engine- 

 drivers to hoist. The banker-oft' or banksman attends to the 

 caging of the skips at the surface. Water bailers are em- 

 ployed below in wet places where it is not always convenient 

 to put a pump, such as at the end of a leading heading that 

 is constantly going forward to the dip,. Road-men are shiftmen 

 who lay the tracks, see that they are kept in order, look after 

 the timbering, and attend to various odd jobs below. Horse- 

 keepers attend to the pit horses, whether the stables are on 

 the surface or underground. A bricklayer is sometimes kept 

 at a mine to build any walling, put in brick stoppings, over- 

 casts, etc. Engine-drivers are in charge of various engines 

 for hoisting, hauling, fan driving, pumping, lighting, etc. 

 Stokers are required to attend to the boilers. There are 

 mechanics, blacksmiths, and carpenters, for various repairing 

 and constructional work. Lampmen attend to safety lamps, 

 when they are used. Where many horses are employed a har- 

 ness-maker is engaged to make and repair the harness. Screen- 

 men look after the tipplers and screening of the coal; while 

 weighmen weigh the skips and take their tally. The miners 

 generally engage and pay a check weighman to look after 

 their interests. Shiftmen are those engaged on wages at 

 various jobs, and are rated as first and second class. These 

 include such men as stowers, dirt-fillers, timbermen, and 

 labourers. Top-men are any men employed about the surface. 



Rate of Pay. 



The rate of pay that colliery employes receive depends to 

 a great extent upon the price ^of coal, but there are many 



