Vol. LIV. No. 2349. NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 2, 1895. 
$1.00 PEIl YEAR. 
were falling' down without any obstruction. We 
simply “held on” and breathed as well as we could 
After a few seconds of this falling we began to slack 
iip and at last came to a stop as gently as though our 
descent had been but a few feet. We stepped off into 
what seemed a vast black cavern which I supposed 
was the first vein of coal possibly 50 feet down. 
“ How far are we down ?” I asked. 
“Just 1,042 feet from the surface and we made the 
drop in eight seconds ! ” 
Think of that, you people who work and play in the 
sunshine on the outer crust of the earth ! Think of 
the danger and risks men undergo, day by day, to 
provide you with fuel! Great and wonderful thoughts 
come to one’s mind far down under the sod. Here we 
were peering into the secrets, that Nature had hid¬ 
den ages before. So long ago that it makes one’s 
head ache to think of it, where we stood was the fceat 
of a great forest. Slowly the vegetable matter accu¬ 
mulated. The forests were destroyed. New soil was 
deposited above them and the remains of that vegeta¬ 
tion were pressed and hardened through countless 
ages into what we now call coal. On the layer of soil 
above it, new vegetation grew and was in turn cov¬ 
ered and pressed, until to-day layer above layer can 
be found in these coal valleys—packed with this won¬ 
derful fuel—stored through all these ages for man’s 
use. We could follow the “dip” of the coal veins 
far, far down until, at one place, we stood over 1,500 
feet below the surface. It was wonderful to see how 
closely these veins follow the contour of the outer 
surface. 
A FAVORITE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING “THE BURDENS OF TAXATION.” Fig. 22. 
In the 1,042 feet through which we dropped, are 00 
feet of solid coal in various veins. The miners follow 
FARMING AMONG THE COAL MINES. 
Driven Back to the Hills for Land. 
stranger, the whole thing seems like a foul, black blot 
on the face of Nature—except at night, when all 
the dirt and smoke are hidden, and only an occasional 
the coal veins down through the earth. Only half 
the coal is taken out—the rest being left for supports 
For instance, the miner blasts out a passage 30 feet 
wide and leaves a solid wall of coal 30 feet thick on 
either side of it. We walked through miles of these 
passages where men live and work day after day. As 
a rule, the men work in groups of three—the miner 
who provides his own tools and powder, and two work¬ 
men whom the miner hires. The miner follows the 
passage in the veins, drilling into the wall of coal and 
hlastincr-'off as larere a piece as he can. This mass is 
spout of flame from some furnace, and the innumer¬ 
able electric lights flash into view. 
It was after dark when we started down into the 
mine. Each one took a small miner’s lamp, and then 
we climbed to the top of a dark building and stepped 
on to an elevator made something like a large cage. 
A signal was given and down we went slowly at first, 
but faster and faster until it seemed as though we 
A SERIOUS AGRICULTURAL, PROBLEM PROMPTLY MET. 
(Concluded.) 
[editorial, correspondence.] 
“Down in a Coal Mine.” 
I have stated, in a general way, the chief problem 
that confronts the coal region farmer. He is being 
driven back from the rich lands in the valleys to the 
cheaper and poorer lands on the hills. If he can suc¬ 
ceed in filling this new land with humus and fertility 
—clear it of stones and level it, draw out the surplus 
water and make it warm and mellow, the change will 
be to his advantage, because he will be able to grow 
as large crops as now, at great decrease of cost. It is 
like a city manufacturer paying an immense rent for 
his factory, and large sums for heating, power, light 
and labor, taking his work into the country. On 
cheap land his rent is reduced over 50 per cent. Some 
rapid stream is made to turn a dynamo which pro¬ 
vides electricity for power and light. Labor is 
cheaper, because the cost of living is reduced. Natur¬ 
ally that man can cheapen the cost of his goods—all 
he needs is a small business office in the city. It is 
just on that principle that Mr. Garrahan is going 
back among the hills for new soil. We 
shall keep our readers informed as to 
the progress he makes. 
And now a word or two about the life 
down under the farm—in the black coal 
mines. Thousands of us use coal for 
heating our homes, wdthout a thought 
of where it comes from or who toiled 
and endured hardships to provide it for 
us. The exterior of a coal mine is a 
nuisance to those who are forced to live 
near it. Along the railroads are high, 
black smoky buildings, surrounded by 
vast piles of fine refuse coal. The 
piles are slowly creeping over the river 
bottom lands as the dumping from the 
mines is constantly going on. To a, 
flOW THE COMING GENERATION MUST CHANGE 1 THAT DISTRIBUTION, Fig. 33. Seo Brevities 
