Mules, Drivers, and Spraggers
An Anthracite Coal Region Legend
Dedication
In preparing this work on the mine mule, I came across a
very wonderful book written in 1904 entitled Colliery Jim, written by Nora Finch. In dedication, I would like to
use what Ms. Finch wrote in her preface as I feel it states the way I have
always felt about this wonderful animal.
Quote Ms. Finch, “I wish to state that the principal motive
which led to its production was a sincere sympathy for that most abused and
downtrodden of all animals, the mine mule. While man furnishes the brainpower,
which directs the workings of the great coal industry, the mule constitutes its
bone and sinew. Without this patient, homely drudge the coal industry could
hardly be carried on; yet few persons realize his worth or take into account
his sufferings.”
To all those men and boys who spent their life working
underground. I dedicate this book.
Mules, Drivers, and Spraggers
An Anthracite Coal Region Legend
By, J. Stuart Richards
My sweetheart’s the mule in the mines
I drive her without reins or lines
On the bumper I sit, where
I chew and I spit
All over my sweetheart’s behind.
The sweetheart of the mines was well remembered in both song
and verse. The famous ballad shown above was sung by many a mule driver in the
mines, while he led his mule along the dark gangways. Mule drivers were known
to sing throughout their shifts. Another lively little poem about the mules and
boys was written early on.
If the mules were in a
patient mood,
And meekly jogged along,
The boys enlivened
every hour
With merry jests and
song.
For well over a century, these wonderful animals lived,
worked, and died inside and outside of the anthracite and bituminous coal
fields. The mule was an intricate part
of the process of mining coal during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The miners depended upon them for hauling away
the coal that they mined, the transporting of timbers, and especially for their
uncanny method of staying alive deep underground. Some mules knew the inside of the mine better
than most of the miners or drivers. Many
a story relates how mules lead trapped miners to safety during an emergency. In the 1940’s, a miner by the name of Vince
Gately from Port Carbon, worked in a mine along with his brother and another
miner named Hank Holley. Their method of
haulage was with a mule named Charlie.
‘We paid $125.00 for Charlie; he was dark brown and black. He was very high strung, for whoever had him
before us didn’t treat him right. He
didn’t like my brother to much, for he would always put a squeeze on him every
chance he got. I always treated him
pretty good, would give him carrots, and talked to him nicely and he would
always walk back to the stable for me. I
always took care on putting on his harness and traces. I would adjust them so he was comfortable. My
brother and Holly would throw gravel at him. You see, you get more with kindness than
slurs.
“One day we were in the mine and I found an old heading and
I went to explore it. I used a rod to
push through the wall and made a hole big enough to put my head in and when I
shined my light in there all I saw was water. It looked like a lake in there. Well we were working near the heading one day.
This was after a couple of days of heavy
rain when Charlie, who was standing near and chained down, started acting like
he was getting shocked. He looked like
he was doing a dance. He kept looking at me and shaking his head up and down. Now when a mule starts acting funny you take
heed. I unhooked him and he galloped out
of the mine. He knew some thing was
wrong. He didn’t only run out but went
to the high ground above the stable. When
all of a sudden, the wall in the old heading broke loose and the lake of water
came rushing at us. We just barely got
out, but thanks to Charlie, we did. We
had him for 3 years and sold him to a miner in Branchdale. He was a good mule.”
First, just what is a mule? The breeding of horses and wild asses have
been carried on for centuries for the purpose of producing a good, reliable
working animal. The mule developed as a
hybrid cross between an ungelded male ass called a Jack and a mare horse. The mule dates back a thousand years to the Middle East.
A mule’s physical characteristics are large ears, a very
heavy muscular neck and large head. They
are one of the most sure footed animals known. They are relatively disease resistant,
tolerant of heat, live quite long, and have great endurance. Their use in the mines has proven very
satisfactory. They are very quick in
their movements, they adapt well to stress, especially in the mines. In comparing them to a horse, they have better
eyesight, carry their heads lower to avoid obstacles better, and move with
steadiness. They rarely become ill or
suffer wounds, and can withstand extremes of temperature living on meager
rations. Their stamina is excellent.
Mules are known to have a reputation of being bad tempered
and stubborn, but this characteristic is just related to the mule’s knack for
self-preservation. Mules are also very
sensitive and many times untrusting of humans. Until they learned to trust the miners and
drivers, they would take a defensive action of a good swift kick. They can kick fast and accurately. And, if a mule misses with the kick, it is
because he intended to.
In the Mine Haulage Systems Manual written in 1927, one
section describes what one should look for in a mule when the agent is
purchasing the animal. Heavy mules are
preferable but they should not be thick about the hocks, but should have good
feet. If the coal beds are thin, the
mule should be purchased to work the haulegways. The animals should be young, that way they are
more easily broken into mine work. The ideal age is less than four years old. Some mules are better adapted to mine work
than others. In fact, some are so
nervous or stupid that they are useless. The training of the mules should be the
responsibility of the stable boss or one thoroughly accustomed to handling
mules.
The average mule weighed around 900 pounds and was capable
of exerting six times that weight at about 2.5 miles per hour or 220 feet per
minute on a level track. The following
example shows how strong a mule is. A
coal car weighed about 2,000 pounds empty and loaded with 4,000 pounds of coal
and rock required the animal to exert over 1,200 pounds of energy just to start
it moving. This number would change
depending upon the age of the track, the angle, and other factors.
The most common disease of the mule was an aliment called
Lampers and Scratches. If not taken care
of, it could cause lameness, although, with the mule’s tendency for being very
tough and durable, it was mostly just an annoyance. The major problem associated with mine mules
was from the carelessness of the drivers not checking the harness, collar,
hames, and traces for proper fit and chaffing. The most dangerous thing the mules had to
contend with was the same as anybody who made their living working deep in the
bowels of the earth, that of gas explosions, falling roofs of slate and rock,
and coal falls. This great animal shared
all the same dangers as the miners and drivers. There is no listing of how many mules died in
the mines, but the ratio would certainly be on the high side for the number of
years that they worked the mines. Following is a good example of the dangers
the mine mule was subject to and how tough and durable they were.
The Mule
Men generally fail in their estimate of the enduring
characteristics of the mule. We have
heard a mule can kick, and that the mysterious law of gravitation has been
outrageously violated when the mule has exercised in this particular. Some say the mule can reason and that its
logic is remarkably penetrating; whether the animal is all as represented, we
cannot with any degree of positiveness, state. However, we have always been inclined to the
belief that the mule is very philosophical in its ways. Conceding it being possessed, intuitively or
by acquirement, of these worthy qualities, a late incident justifies us in
adding to the role of the mules virtues; that of wonderful physical endurance. At a certain colliery the other day, a mule
employed in drawing cars to and from a counter chute on the surface, through
some mysterious manner entangled its foot in the track and unwillingly
precipitated itself hind-foremost down the deep, dark chasm. It would unbecome us to estimate the number
of revolutions made before its dark destination was reached-we allow the mule
to tell its own story. Much anxiety was
experienced for the mule by his astonished driver who saw him disappear from
view. With a woebegone countenance
expressive of a deep care and concern the agitated driver speedily made his way
to the dark abyss prepared to shed a kindly tear over the remains of the late
departed, when to his surprise the mule in question was found possessed of all
the live qualities so characteristic of his specie. On being led to the stable, he relived himself
of the dust and dirt acquired in his two-hundred eighty feet descent by a
natural mule shake, par-took of a hearty meal, reposed in undisturbed slumbers
throughout the night and in the morning awoke as hale and hearty as if he had
been romping over a green field with his muleine relatives. This incident deserves to be added to the long
catalogue of events illustrating the progress of science. Investigation has proved that the interior of
the chute has in no way been damaged. We
cannot explain the mystery, except that irresistible forces met the
irresistible substance and the result was as stated. It is presumed that the colliery will continue
its mining operations despite its possession of this remarkable scientific
factor.
The mine mule had many interesting, inherent
characteristics. Some would lie down and not get up no matter how much coaxing
was done. Others would stop dead at
quitting time and would not move no matter how hard they were pulled, pushed
and coaxed. They seemed to know how many
cars they normally hauled, and adding any more to the trip would cause them to
stand fast and not move an inch. A good
example is Vince Gately’s mule Charlie. Charlie
could pull up to three cars on the little pitch but he only wanted to pull two.
Charlie could feel the jerks in the
number of cars. He would pull and if he
felt more than two jerks, he would sit down on the track and not move. So I would place a stone under the first car
and then let them drift back, and he wouldn’t feel the jerk. Then he would pull the three cars out.
An interesting story of the strange behavior of a mule was
given to me by my father in regards to my grandfather, George Richards, known
to his friends as “Gigi’. He was a
driver, miner, and barn boss in his 40 years in the mines. While working as barn boss at Indian Head
Colliery, he had a mule by the name of Duke. Duke was an inside mule who spent the majority
of his time underground. At one point,
Duke got injured and was brought to the surface to recuperate. Gigi treated him with kindness and a good relationship
developed between them. Duke would
follow my grandfather all over stable. Gigi
would share his lunch with him and groom him. But, Duke had one of those strange mule
characteristics that stumped Gigi. When
he was brought to the surface, he would not drink any water. At first Gigi, was not concerned, for, like a
horse, a mule will only drink when it wants to. But after a while my grandfather became
concerned. He would get him fresh
buckets of water, but Duke would just turn his head and walk away. One day, Gigi went back into the mine and down
to the inside barn and brought up a bucket of water. At that, Duke ran over, dipped his head into
the bucket, and drank it empty. The only thing my grandfather could think of
was he wanted water that smelled like sulfur. Gigi was kind to his mules and
always related the fact that he never hit them with hand or whip. He always cracked the whip over their heads. He could always tell a mule that was hit by
the drivers by rubbing his hands over their backs and finding the tender spots
and rubbing them with ligament. He would
always approach his mules from the front and pet and rub their heads and talk
nicely to them. His favorite method
involved giving them some sugar or tobacco. His favorite mule was a small mule called
“Little Joe.“ He was a dark bay color
and stood no taller than himself. Little
Joe worked in the Evert Tunnel on Red
Mountain in 1933. Vince Gately also shared that mules very
rarely had worms, most likely because of them drinking water tainted with
sulfur inside the mines.
Another great mule story was written in the Pottsville Republican, March 8, 1915. This is a story of a stubborn mule. He escaped from the Bell Colliery stables, was
known as a veteran of the mines, and was now on the surface because of an
injury to three of its legs.
A Stubborn Mule Fought Fireman
When the 7107 Reading
Railway train, bound for Tamaqua from Pottsville Monday morning, was commencing
to ascend Tuscarora hill, shortly after 8 o’clock, the engineman, Geo. Paul was
astounded to see a large black mule coming down the track between the rails and
apparently determined to dispute the right away. Whistling “Down Brakes.“ Paul sent ahead fireman Jim Riegel with
instructions to drive away the belligerent mule, and Jim, armed with the wire,
bread and steak toaster, approached the mule which at once turned tail. Every
time Jim hit it on the rump, he let fly with a viscous kick using its one good
leg, and hee-hawed loudly. Engineman
Paul followed with the passenger train, slowly of course, until Jim’s toaster
broke, and then he went to the tender and getting a scoop shovel returned to
the combat. In the mean time, Conductor
Jim Gately and a number of passengers joined the attacking column. The mule now turned around head toward the
locomotive and refused to budge an inch. Finally, executing two flank
movements, the mule was made to turn tail toward the locy and then, engineer
Paul put on the steam while Riegel belabored the mule with the shovel, and at
the psychological moment the conductor signaled Paul and the port side front
bumper struck the mule on the starboard hind quarter and the stubborn animal
was tumbled into the snow “Hee-hawing” loudly at the mean trick played on it.
In this story, a mule’s stubbornness caused its death. Shamokin
Times, May 14, 1880.
The other day, a mule
started to walk up the slope of the Pennsylvania
Colliery and about the same time a wagon started down the slope. The
mule and wagon met and both were stubborn and refused to turn to the right as
the law is supposed to direct, something had to happen. The wagon was the victor in the collision and
the mule was reasonably dead in about four quick seconds.
The mule was also known for its mysteriously strange memory
and would remember the driver or miner who mistreated them. They could become extremely agitated quickly
and strike out with their front legs or turn around and give you “Both Barrels,”
as it was known. Many drivers and miners
were injured severely or killed by the kick of an angry mule, and many a mule
suffered pain and injury from angry drivers and miners. It was a real love hate relationship within
the colliery sometimes. In mine
inspectors reports there are hundreds of examples of injuries received by
miners and drivers while working with the mules. An interesting article was reported in the Mahanoy City newspaper on March
4, 1890.
Killed by a Mule
Fred Kershner, aged 19
years, employed as a driver at Elmwood colliery, was fatally kicked by a
vicious mule while at work Saturday morning. Before the Coroner’s inquest last evening,
Joseph Copley, a l7year-old boy who was the only witness of the accident,
stated that Kershner was going toward the bottom with a trip of loaded cars. He was standing on the front of the trip when
his hind mule, a vicious and ungovernable animal, began to kick. He heard Kershner cry “ Whoa” or “Ob,” he could not clearly distinguish which, and
then saw him fall off the trip into the ditch aside the road. The witness was frightened and ran to the
bottom of the slope to summon help. Evan
Reese who was one of the men who ran to the assistance of the injured driver,
testified that when he arrived at the spot, Kershner was found lying in the
ditch with his head covered with blood, and his body convulsively twitching in
agony of pain. He was picked up and
carried out to the bottom, dying on the way up the slope. There could be no doubt that the mule kicked
him, as he could not have been squeezed between the car and the timber at this
point, as some had supposed. The kick
was received in the face making a frightful wound. The deceased was a son of Mrs. Elizabeth
Kershner, residing on West Centre
Street.
The miners always stated that the company favored the mule
over the miner, which was true because the mule was company property just like
all the drills, picks and cars. Any
known damage to company property by an employee demanded immediate dismissal
and the possibility of being black balled throughout the coal region. A good example of this type of incident
occurred on June 13, 1891,
at the Brookside Colliery, in the Pottsville
district. John Maguire, a Philadelphia and Reading company
superintendent, was called out to investigate a mule that was cut by an axe. The following is taken from Maguire’s notes.
June 13, Brookside,
saw bosses and John Monahan and told me that Owen Langton had cut a mule with
an axe and by reports that driver says he did it purposely. Told bosses to suspend him.
June 19, Brookside saw John McKurk driver of
the mule that Owen Langton cut with the axe, he says Langton was standing on a
scaffold and was knocked down when he hit the mule with his axe, and said it
was not accidentally as Langton claims. Also
saw a laborer who was working with Langton and he says he must tell the truth,
that Langton hit the mule purposely. It
is evident that Owen Langton lost his job at the Brookside
Colliery, as damaging company property was an offense.’
Mules were kept either in underground stables or above
ground stables. They were well taken
care of for the time period in which they were used. They were well feed and
watered daily. They had veterinary
services and their aliments were treated with great care. The average daily feed for a mule weighing
1000 pounds is 12 pounds of grain and 15 pounds of hay. Hay is digested in the intestines and grain in
the stomach, so it was important for the drivers to water them first then give
them hay and grain. It was important for
mules to have as much water as possible through out the workday. The one requirement for the drivers was that
the mule should have plenty of water in the morning.
In the stables, the drivers were responsible for properly
harnessing the mules. They paid
particular care to the shoeing and mule’s legs were washed down when in the
stable. According to the Mine Haulage Systems Manual, stables on the surface
should be well ventilated and drained. Underground
stables were some elaborate places. Some
were cut right out of the rock with individual stalls for each mule. In the Pottsville
Journal, October 11,
1911, an article was written that described a new method of keeping
the mules in good health.
Mine Mules Bathe
Have Tubs of Their Own and Shower Too.
Concrete bathtubs are
the latest addition to the mule stables of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal
and Iron Co. and according to Chief Veterinarian Newhard, who originated them,
they help to keep the work animals in good health and spirits. These concrete basins are set into the stable
yard to a depth of four feet and filled with water, which is heated in winter
by a jet of steam. The dimensions of 6
feet by 27½ feet are ample for the mules to enjoy a good dip, while
corrugations on the bottom of the tank keep them from slipping. The inclines at both ends are likewise ribbed
for the safety of the animals. A
six-foot shower is suspended over the center of the tank and all the coal dirt
and dust is quickly removed.
In 1894, Stephen Crane, the famous author, wrote an article
for McClures Magazine entitled “In the Depths of a Coal Mine.’ In one part, he describes the underground
stables of a mine.
“Over in a wide and
lightless room we found the mule stables. There we discovered a number of these animals
standing with an air of calmness and self-possession that was somehow amazing
to find in a mine. A little dark urchin
came and belabored his mule “China”
until he stood broadside to us that we might admire his innumerable fine qualities.
The stable was like a dungeon. The mules were arranged in solemn rows. They
turned their heads toward our lamps. The
glare made their eyes shine wondrously like lenses. They resembled enormous rats. About the room stood bales of hay, and straw
the commonplace air worn by the long-eared slaves made it all infinitely usual.
One had to wait to see the tragedy of it. It was not until we had grown familiar with
the life and the traditions of the mines that we were capable of understanding
the story told by these beasts standing, in calm array with spread legs.”
At some of the collieries, the underground working mules
were taken in and out every day. Other
collieries kept mules underground for very long periods of time. Some mules lived years underground before they
were brought to the surface. Many
stories relate how the mule, after being brought to the surface, would run,
snort, and kick the air madly with the happiness of its new found freedom, and
upon being made to go back into the mine would not move, or become very mean. Stephen Crane continues his story of the mine
mule and his life.
It is common affair
for mules to be imprisoned for years in the limitless night of the mines. Our acquaintance, “China,” had been four years buried.
Upon the surface, there had been the
march of the seasons the white splendor of the snows had changed again and
again to the glories of green springs. F
our times had the earth been ablaze with the decorations of brilliant autumns. But, “China” and his friends had remained
in these
dungeons from which
daylight, if one could get a view up a shaft, would appear in a tiny circle, a
silver star aglow in a sable sky. Usually,
when brought to the surface, the mules tremble at earth radiant in sunshine. Later they go almost mad with fantastic joy. The frill splendor of the heavens, the grass,
the trees, the breezes, breaks upon them suddenly. They caper and career with
extravagant mulish glee. A miner told me
of a mule that had spent some delirious months upon the surface after years of
labor in the mines. Finally, the time came
when he was to be taken back, but the memory of a black existence was upon him. He knew that gaping mouth that threatened to
swallow him. No cudgeling could induce
him the men held conventions and discussed plans to budge that mule. The celebrated quality of obstinacy in him won
him liberty to gambol clumsily on the surface.”
Mules were used inside and outside of the colliery. The typical method utilized underground
started when the mule was brought in either by way of a caged car, which was
lowered down the shaft, or slope or they were walked in by the driver boys. Inside the mine, the mules hauled loaded or
unloaded cars from the working faces and breasts by way of the gangways. There were areas called mule ways where the
mules were taken off the gangway and distributed to other gangways or headings.
Some miners had many working faces and
required numerous cars. One driver and
mule was assigned to a number of miners. When the car was loaded, it was taken up to a
parting or siding in a given amount of time. The cars were held there until a trip was made
up to go to the surface. The most common
trip consisted of 10 or 12 cars using three mules and three drivers, with the
mules hooked in tandem.
One of the most interesting jobs the mule had was that
reserved for a special mule, one with a little bit more intelligence than the
norm. This mule was called the
“Breechin’ Mule.’ It was this mule’s job
to work at the base of the shaft where the cage was located. As a trip of cars
was being readied for the lift to the surface the bottom man would take each
car and one by one take a hook on one side of the spreader chain attach it to
the Breechin’ Mule. The mule would pull
forward, at the right time, with quick legwork step out of the way, and allow
the loaded car to move forward into the cage. Once in the cage the door would shut and the
cage rise to the surface. It was said
when the mule did the maneuver, it looked like he was dancing.
The normal speed of the mule hauling a loaded car is about
2.5 M.P.H. depending mostly on the pitch or grade of the haulway. Drivers were taught never to work the mules at
a fast pace. The animals would tire and
in the long run it would just exhaust the animals. When they were used too hard, they became
winded, so the advantage of using them to gain more movement of cars and coal
was lost. If the mule was tired, the
chance existed he could stumble or lag behind and on a down pitch, the car
could easily run into the mule and injure him. Care was needed when using the mule on a
descending grade. Anything above a 3% grade was not supposed to be used in fear
of hurting the animal. Cars were supposed to run down the grade without the use
of the mule.
The mule’s effectiveness came from the fact that an average four-mule
string could haul nearly 500 tons of coal in a 10-hour shift. Barring
unforeseen circumstances, and the distance traveled was not more than a half
mile. According to statistics, this
method of haulage was more cost effective per ton than any mechanical haulage
system. Although using mules for haulage
was cheaper for the mine owners than other methods. Whereas keeping and owning mules required more
money for their daily maintenance, feed, care, harnesses, shoeing or any
temporary injuries. Money was also
expended in just keeping spare mules on hand.
The dangers a mule experienced in a mine were constantly
around them, the possibility of a roof fall, or explosions, water coming into
the mine and of course, all the gases they were ex posed to. In the August 10, 1882, Pottsville
Miners Journal was found this tragic news item.
‘The water from the
red ash workings at Preston no.2 Colliery broke through into the lower workings
on Tuesday and drowned 27 mules, the miners escaped.”
Sometimes tragedy was averted at the collieries as
exemplified by this fire that consumed the stables at the Otto Colliery near
Branchdale. Pottsville Miners Journal January
1, 1913.
Otto Colliery Stable Burned 58 Mules Rescued-Work of Rebuilding Started at
Once.
A fire of unknown
origin destroyed the stable connected with the Otto Colliery Branchdale shortly
after eight o’clock on
Wednesday evening. The stable was two
stories in height, of frame and was about 40 feet wide by 200 feet long. So suddenly did the flames burn forth that the
colliery employees residing in the vicinity had a great difficulty in rescuing
the 58 mules quartered there. Although a
number of the volunteer fireman had a narrow escapes from serious injury and a number of the mules received slight burns,
all were rescued in safety and taken to stables and barns in the vicinity. Over 30 tons of hay with the harness was
destroyed. The loss is estimated a
several thousand of dollars. At the time
the fire broke out, neither one of the stable bosses were near the scene and
neither one of them is known to smoke, as Wednesday was a holiday and all the
mules were kept in the stable during the entire day, with the exception of one
team which was returned to the stable shortly before four o ‘clock. The colliery whistle sounded the alarm and
several streams of water were soon playing on the burning structure. The fire however, had too great headway and the
barn burned to the ground.
Safety for the mules was a constant problem. Many times anyone caught hurting a mule would
be immediately terminated. The
introduction of electricity into the mines and the use of high voltage for the
new electric mine motors, produced another type of problem for the mules. Some operations were in the process of
converting their haulage system from mule power to electric power but were
still using mules in conjunction with the new mine motors. So with electric wires running down the
gangway and the constant wet ground any mule whose head and ears were tall
sometimes had the misfortune of coming in contact with wires and were
electrocuted. Fortunately, for the mine
mule the Pardee Company came up with an invention. On December 3, 1919, the Pottsville
Journal printed an article concerning this problem.
Maude
The Mine Mule Will Wear Stylish New Bonnet
Old mine mule Maude is
to wear a bonnet. They’re going to put
one on her as an experiment and if she shows any signs of appreciation gets to
realize that’s she is putting one over on her half-sister above ground who only
gets a straw lid during the Summertime, and acts with judgment, all of her kind
laboring inside will have there measures taken for headgear. No bulletins will be issued by mining
companies and in this way they hope to avoid disappointment. Blonde mules and black mules will all wear
black no favoritism will be shown at the bargain counter in the underground
barns.
Pardee and company are
responsible for the innovation. An official of the Hazleton company discovered Maude had the
habit of perking her ears every time she heard an unusual sound in the darkness
of the gangways. No body seemed to care whether
she did or not until it was discovered the habit was costing the company
hundreds of dollars.
Nine times out of ten,
when Miss Mule planted her feet on a rail or a wet spot on the roadway and pointed
her ears heaven ward she came in contact with the overhead wires furnishing power
to the mine locomotives well then another was sent in to haul out the carcass
after the electrocution. The wire always
held a heavier kick than the mule, and as she always carried around four legs
and two ears as circuit makers the odds were always against her.
The new bonnets will
be made of rubber; and cover ears and top of head. As there are few mirrors in
the mines and not every miner carries a brand new dinner pail no unnecessary
time will be lost in adjusting the new toggery to take satisfaction of the
wearer. The company doesn’t care what
the driver boy thinks about it. If it means longer life for the mule, he is
expected to overlook any unexpected air of vanity or pride she may display.
Mayhap she’ll get
rubber soles and heels on her shoes and a chemically prepared powder puff later
to make her immune from the dangers of everyday labor of life where daylight is
unknown.
The number of mules used in a colliery varied greatly. The main factors affecting the number included
the size of the workings, the amount of money expended by the companies etc. Trying to find the total number of mules used
is almost impossible. There were
accurate records kept for some years, and others show no listing at all. In this work, I will indicate the number of
mules used in the anthracite region for a few selected years.
In the year 1879, in the Shamokin District, there were 64
collieries working, with 3,525 miners employed 505 drivers and 1,345 mules were
being used. A typical large colliery
such as the Luke Fiddler colliery near Shamokin employed 150 miners, 30 driver
boys inside and 66 mules, 35 inside and 21 outside. While a small operation such as the George
Fales colliery owned by the Philadelphia Reading Coal and Iron Company employed
216 miners, 7 drivers and they owned 16 mules. In addition, the total number of mules used in
1879 all districts was 4,108 mules.
As the years progressed, the number of mules would rise with
the number of operations. In 1895, there were 7 districts working in the
anthracite region and the number of mules used was 13,253. In 1900, there were 15,708 mules being used,
1905 saw 17,125 being used in the anthracite districts. And even into 1920, with electric locomotion
and steam driven engines, the anthracite coal region was still employing 11,062
mules. The highest number of mules used came in 1907 with 17,500 being used
throughout the anthracite coal region.
In 1880, a survey was done to show the cost of using a
powered locomotive to that of a comparable number of mules. At the Ebervale colliery, using one
steam-powered locomotive with an engineer and fireman, it cost the company $
5.35 to haul 10 cars of loaded coal per trip. In comparison, it required 15 mules to do the
same amount of work in the same time, and also cost the company $ 16.00 for the
use of the mule requiring feed, harness, shoeing and attendance, plus the wages
of the driver. The difference in cost
per day was in favor of the locomotive, by the value of $10.65 per day. And the value of the locomotive was $ 3,000.00
and that of 15 mules was $ 1,920 dollars. The cost of one mule in 1880 was $160.00. Of course, there is a limit to the use of the
mine locomotive for underground haulage. It can only be used for the hauling of coal
from the inside turnout to the bottom of the slope. Also in the year 1880, only one engineer was fatally
injured while six drivers were killed in the mines.
Beginning in the late 1880’s, technology was starting to
take over the mines. With the
introduction of the locomotive, the mule was in danger of being removed from
the mines. Although the locomotive would eventually replace the mule as the
major form of haulage in the mine, the mule still worked for many years in the
dark damp bowls of the earth. On October 25, 1898, the Miners Journal printed an article
concerning this subject.
Festive Mine Mule has Lost His Grip
Coal operators look for economy and speed
Success of the New
Haulage System. Compressed air locomotives will eventually be introduced in all
the mines of the Anthracite Region. A million and a half of money invested in
mule flesh now. It costs a fortune every year to haul underground in the
old way.
The mine mule, that
much abused object of alleged humor in public print and the common enemy of
every man and boy employed in collieries, is at last about to realize his hopes
of an earthly paradise. That is if a mule ever has any hopes and also if there
is such a thing as a paradise of any kind for the long-eared beast of burden.
Ever since the first
coalhole was sunk, the mule has been the favorite, though oft times expensive
means of locomotion in mining coal. He
turned the gin at the top of the slope, he pulled the cars of dirt and rock
onto the dump and he felt his way along the narrow gangway at the head of a
string of cars. And outside of his daily
ration of oats and hay his only recreation was an occasional roll in the dust
of the barn yard. His only pleasure was
an occasional sly uplifting of his hindquarters, while his sharp shod hoofs
flew out at right angles and planted themselves firmly on the bosom of some
poor door boy’s pants. No man whoever worked in the mines can forget his first
experience with the mine mule, when as a boy he conceived a spite against the
quadrupled, and later on felt the caressing touch of the left hind hoof. He will never forget the fiendish delight
expressed in that mule’s gleeful braying. And, he has ever since considered every mule
in the mines his personal enemy.
But, there is to be a
change. In fact, it has already been
inaugurated. The miner and the mine boy will still drive for a livelihood in
the dark caverns of the earth, but the mine mule will breathe the air of heaven
and feed on the green pastures of picturesque hillside.
The Journal noted last week that the Reading Coal and
Iron Company is preparing to introduce the air compressor locomotive as a means
to haul the cars underground at the Shenandoah
City Colliery. The Reading Company is not in the habit of
making radical changes such as this without first knowing all about it. And, the officials of the company do know all
about it. They have weighed well the
advantages consequent upon parting company with the old slow going, sometimes
stubborn but generally faithful mine mule.
It was about a year
ago that the company first began to make preparations for this change. Alaska
Colliery, near Mt.
Carmel was selected as
the place for making the experiment. The necessary changes were made and the
machinery secured. The air compressor
engine has been working there for several months and has been a great success
far beyond expectations.
After all, it will be
the mule trade that will be affected the most. For some years, the coal region has been the
most extensive market for the mule dealers. There are many dealers in the Anthracite
region alone and then there are soft coal districts, which also use mules. Few
mules die, it is true, but they wear out and are crippled and killed by
accidents in the mines. These cases
result in a continuous steady market and most dealers make money.
From the reports of
the inspectors of mines, it is estimated that over 15,000 mules work in and
about the mines of the Anthracite region of Pennsylvania. The prices of mules run from $100.00 to
$125.00 a head. Averaging the cost, we
have the total investment of $1,400.000 in mule flesh in the Anthracite region.
No attempt has been made to figure out
the cost of feed and other expenses necessary to keep the livestock up to the proper
standard, but it must be a tremendous item in the expense account of such a
large corporation as the Reading.
And so the mine mule
must go. His day is done and his usefulness
in the mines is discounted by the invention of the modern man of brain. No one will ever regret the side kicking of
the mine mule more than the driver boy and his colleague the door boy. They will have nothing to swear at and the
festive lump of coal will not make any impression on the sides of the air
compressor as it glides, smoothly over the rails with its long train of loaded
cars.
Part2
The Drivers, Spraggers and Barn Bosses
The Driver
The most coveted job within the mines for an unskilled young
man was that of the driver. He was usually a boy in is teens although some young
men in their twenties still drove the mules. They were totally responsible for the movement
of the loaded and unloaded trip of cars inside and outside the mine. The boys started out with one mule and worked
their way to 6 or more mules. The
drivers were the idol of the younger flippers and slate pickers and almost
every young boy around the colliery couldn’t wait until he was old enough to
become a driver.
The driver boys were a breed unto themselves. They chewed tobacco, smoked cigarettes and
used some rather foul language. In the
early years of mining, 1850’s thru 1870’s, their ethnic back grounds were
mostly Irish, Welsh, Scottish and German. During the 1880’s and 1890’s, the immigration
of Slavic and Italian people into the coal region changed the ethnic make up of
the drivers. The big problem the
Italians and Slavic people had was the language barrier. Many fights occurred between the various
groups. The one thing that maintained continuity among the boys was their work.
They cleaned the stables daily. They watered and feed the mules daily. The boys also curry combed the mules so that
the mule’s hair would not knot and cause chafing under there traces and
harnesses. Most of the boys knew how to
perform different remedies to help care for an injured or sick mule. First aid was one of their primary concerns.
In the 1881 Reports of the Inspectors of mines, the duties
of a driver is described. It states:
It shall be the duty
of a driver to take proper care of his horse or mule, and see that it is
properly fed and watered. He must not
whip or abuse it unnecessarily, or allow any person to do so. He shall drive it carefully, and when
ascending steep grade allow it to rest frequently. When he leaves his mule or horse at any time,
he must be careful; to leave it in a place of safety, where it will be secure
from run away cars or other danger. When drawing cars into a place he must be
careful not to drive his mule or horse any further than the track is laid, nor
into a pile of coal at or near the face, or to leave the car at a place where
he has no room to pass it. If the road
is in bad condition for want of filling, he shall be careful to sprag or block
the cars sufficiently to prevent them from running upon himself or mule. If head or stopping blocks are used at certain
points upon the gangway or main road, he shall see that they are properly
placed upon the road when going up with the empty cars, so that they may be in
a proper position to stop the cars before they go onto the steeper grade. If any person abuses his mule or horse he must
report the same to the mine boss, nor will they be allowed to delegate any
other person to take out or return their mules to the barn, nor drive their
mules to or from the barn faster than a walk.
These rules were published in almost all the collieries, and
in almost all the mine inspector reports. The boys were supposed to obey them to the
tee. But, with youth you have bravado
and not a lot of fear of danger and the boys sometimes paid no attention to the
rules. In the 1873 Inspectors report
under the heading of “Accidents by Mine Wagons” (wagons is the early name used
in reference to a coal car) it is stated that mine wagons are principally
handled by irresponsible, wild youths, that become inured to the fast driving
of mules upon inclined grades as well as upon levels in the different lifts of
the mines, having no retreats or loopholes along these roads for safety, but
take there chances at best. These boys
are subject to many disadvantages, as follows: A boy of 16 years of age may be
put in charge of three or four mules, there may be three or four such teams
used inside, and the haulage is generally managed under their own rules, but
subject to perform duties required of them by bosses, loaders, miners etc. To a stranger this is one of the most
intricate employments of man. In large
mines of extensive excavations, where 250 men are at work, these brave fellows
are obliged to forward the miners timbers in the morning or at the miners will,
and in their passage through these wild caverns the rumbling commotion created
by these trains, the firing of shots, the impenetrable powder smoke, black and
fire damp, the bustle of miners and loaders, bosses and track men, these worthy
boys rush on in the gloom when, in a number of cases, the space between the
gangway timber will hardly admit of the passage of a wagon, over ill
constructed railroads and sloughed gutters they fly at full speed, standing on
the spreader chains or traces, carrying an armful of sprags at each trip to
slacken speed in case of danger, yet without the slightest pity for their lot,
they are hustled about by the older folks, as boys generally are. The slightest
derangement to a train may cost him his life by being crushed to death by
wagons, timbers, or jammed by trains, and commonly in a gloomy passage. This is without a doubt a prolific source of
accidents.
In collieries that produce say 12,000 tons of prepared coal
per month, it must be evident these drivers appear to be fully occupied and evidently
content, with their work.
The drivers were probably the most rambunctious boys in and
around the colliery, as there are many photos and picture post cards to attest
to this. They were known to ride the
mules bare back to and from the barn, as was usually against regulations. Many accidents happened because of there
playing and Tomfoolery with the mules.
The boys learned to drive the mules without the aid of
reins. They used voice commands and the
crack of a whip. While standing on the
front bumper of the lead car or walking close beside the animal they used the
commands of “Giddup” meaning to move forward, “Whoa” to stop “ Gee “ means to
turn to the right, WaHa “caused the mule to turn to the left.
The Driver Boss or Barn Boss
The driver boss shall see that the drivers are at the
stables in proper time in the morning, and ready to begin work at the appointed
time. He must see that the mules are
regularly feed and watered, and properly attended to, and must see that the
mules are not driven up steep grades without frequently resting them. He shall see that the mules are not
unnecessarily whipped or abused.
If the safety of persons or animals require a safety block
or latch to be thrown across the track, near the face of working places, he
shall see that one or the other be put on at once. He shall not allow door boys to leave their
doors except by permission of himself or the mine boss.
Spragger or Runner
The spragger or runner was the boy who assisted the driver
in the movement of the loaded and unloaded cars in the colliery. He had to be a very alert and fast acting boy
who moved with the quickest of reactions. He was loaded down with an armful of sprags
that he could insert in the moving wheels of the cars. This job was very dangerous as the boy could
easily be run over by a car or trapped between the car and the side of the
gangway.
Some Mule Reminisces
Local Schuylkill County Canal Historian, John Butz Bowman,
interviewed some drivers and wrote an article entitled “The Mule In The Mines
“and gives a wonderful account of what their lives were really like. Mr. Nicholas Neider from Pottsville told Bowman this story. Courtesy of the files of the Schuylkill County Historical
Society.
Nicholas was a driver at the Lincoln Colliery and at one
time had charge of a team there. Mine mules are generally brought in from the
western states ‘Green.’ (What is meant by that is, not harness broke.) He is taken into the mines and left in the
stable for a few days, to become accustomed to darkness. Then he is harnessed and left stand for a day.
Next day he is put in a team. All teams
in the mines are in tandem. He is left
to walk alone for a few days, before being urged to put any pressure against
the collar. In many cases, they try it
themselves.
As time goes on and he begins to work, he is taken out of
the team, taught to pull an empty car, and then two empties, once he masters
that, he pulls a loaded car around. Drivers must use patience, for a loaded car
is much harder to start than two empties. Once he handles the one loaded car, hang the
second one on. More patience is to be
used, for he knows the difference, and in many cases he refuses to pull. Give him plenty of time, and keep the cars
bumped every time he stretches them, and finally he will take them away.
All this is done by walking along side of him. Once you step back, he will turn around
looking for you. As days go on and he
gets confidence in you, you can start to ride the cars. Next move is to teach him Gee and Haw. If he is real intelligent, he is put back in
the team, to be the leader, which is very hard work; for he is asked at all
times, to start the trip. He knows when
the rest of the mules behind him have to do their part. Once the trip is under way, he takes it
easily, until he finds it slowing up, then is when he goes to work again. A mule of this type looks for kindness, always
and will never refuse his driver if it is in his power.
A strange driver for a day may spoil him, and it will take
days to bring him around again. Also, in
many cases, he is spoiled for good. Many
mules, that are bad, can never be brought back, due to the abuse from the
drivers. A mine mule can find his way in
the dark for miles. Never use a whip
unless absolutely necessary and then coax him so that he knows that you are
still his friend.’
Mr. Bowman asked Mr. Neider whether he ever had any serious
trouble with the mules, during his experience. He replied, “Only in one
instance.” He had been given a green
mule to train, a big fine, valuable one. After having put him through the
regular routine, and the time came to put in a team, he was astounded to find
the mule work as though he had been trained to mine before, which seemed almost
impossible, there were no body marks of collar, britchen, or traces to bear out
that fact. He was gentle, friendly, and
confiding, showing no signs of viciousness. Mr. Neider took a short vacation and upon
returning, found the same mule now was mean. He would try and kick him off the bumper, so
that he could not ride the trip, bite kick with both hind legs and cut with the
front ones. Finally, he became
impossible and was left to stand in the stable. Time went by, when the superintendent called
Mr. Neider into his office.
“Nick,” he said, “There is a mule in the stable eating his
head off and I understand he came here a good mule, and now you can do nothing
with him?”
‘That is correct. He must have been abused while I was
away.”
“Well, everything, as you know, at the mines must pay, so
manage to get him out and then kill him.”
Nick secured an iron bar, struck the mule back of the ear
with all his might; he collapsed to the floor, whereupon he jumped upon his
body, striking him with all his force. Instead
of dying, the mule began to scream. He
let him up. For weakness and fright he
could hardly stand, showing no signs of viciousness. Nick coaxed him, took his face between his
hands, showing the mule they could still be friends. He immediately put him in a team and the mule
worked, but in after days, when Nick didn’t work, the mule did not work either.
At the approach of the drivers, he went
up in the air, front and back.
Another story told to Mr. Bowman was from Robert Allison of
Port Carbon. When Mr. Allison was a
young boy, he went into a mine to watch what it was like to work in the dark
depths.
Mr. Allison said, “We were then taken to a loaded trip going
out, and told how we must not walk behind the cars, keep together and by no
means fall back, should any one’s lamp be extinguished by the dampness.”
Water dripped everywhere, my light went out, but I plodded
along through the slush. At a bend of
the gangway, the trip came to a large wooden door, which was used in regulating
the draft of air in the mines. The mules
had to stop until this gate was opened to let us through. When ready to start again, the mules were
unable to budge the cars, try as they would. The gatekeeper went back into the
mines, and from out of the darkness came another driver, with a large gray
mule. Believe it or not, at the given
command of both drivers, this mule stood up on his hind feet, placed his breast
against the rear hindmost car, and pushed, walking on his hind legs until the
team was well out of its difficulty.
And finally, from Mr. Bowman, a story of wonderful kindness and
caring.
Mules were always trained at the mines, inside in the dark. A good mule, inside, was not always a good one
outside. One boy was told by his father
to take a mule to the surface and do some outside work with him. When they came to the daylight, he wouldn’t
work. The boy tried everything he could think of, but to no avail. Then his mother came and she tried, exhausting
all her efforts.
Finally, she said, ‘Well, I’ll fix him.” She went into the kitchen, secured a hot
potato, lifted the mule’s tail and slapped it under. I told a grand-daughter of this woman, that
her uncle told me this story.
“Well,” she said, “‘I am not at all surprised, as grandmother
was a very capable woman.”
Sometime later, this mule was horribly burned in the mines,
and was brought up to be shot. The
mother protested, ‘You dare not kill him/”
The father said, “It will be up to you, he’s yours. I wash my hands of him.”
She bathed the mule in sweet oil, padded him with cotton,
attended him like a child, and finally healed all his burns. When they wanted to take in back into the
mines, she said, ‘Oh, no. He belongs to
me.”
He became quite a pet in the neighborhood, and the children
had a good time riding him about the patch. When let out of the stable each morning, he
would first go to the back gate and bray for the woman, who would come out, pet
him and wash his scares.
For the most part, the boys treated the mules with love and
affection and in return the mules had their favorite drivers like wise.
One of the most famous stories about a driver and his mule
is the story of the 11-year-old mule driver named Martin Crahan. Marty worked in and out of the mines for over
two years. In 1871, while working in the
West Pittston mine, there was a major shaft
fire. Marty could have escaped the fire by riding up the cage, but elected to
return deep into the mine to alert 19 miners of the fire. Marty told the miners and ran to the cage,
which to his dismay had been consumed by the fire. He once again went back to the miners who had
barricaded themselves against the deadly fire and fumes, he begged to be let
into their safe haven, but they refused. Marty then went to the stables were he found
his mule and they both died together. The
other 19 miners also died from the effects of the fire.
The danger drivers and spraggers encountered is listed count
less times in the reports of the mine inspectors, from the 1870’s through the
1930’s. The most common type of accident
was being squeezed by mine cars, kicked by a mule or run over by cars. Drivers and runners are the principal
sufferers of being crushed by mine cars. In 1876, the Annual Report of the Inspectors
stated, “These accidents are generally the result of reckless daring on the
part of the boys, and the narrow main roads, which are frequently obstructed by
rubbish.”
How often the inspector is notified that a driver has been
killed or seriously injured by being crushed between cars and the pillar,
between cars and props or by falling under cars. Then again, the drivers very often attempt to
couple cars while they are in motion. This they should never do and the driver
bosses should prohibit the practice at once. If these boys were outside, in broad daylight
then, the practice might be excusable, for then they would be able to see any
obstruction that might be lying in there way and avoid them. But, underground they are comparatively in midnight darkness, and cannot see but
a few yards in advance at best, and they are hence liable to be thrown under or
between the cars. Every effort should be
made by our colliery managers to save these boys lives.
Listed in the Reports of the inspectors of the mines for
1883 are some of the accidents that drivers and spraggers endured. Mike Contra, an Italian driver was fatally
injured by being thrown from a mule near Milnesville. He was riding his mule from the stable when
the animal became frightened and made a sudden plunge. He was thrown and in falling, became entangled
in the harness; the mule becoming thoroughly frightened ran away dragging him
about a half mile before being caught. When
he was released from the harness, his head was reduced to a soft mass by the
bumping against the ground. In another
accident, George Nesbitt a 14-year-old driver was fatally injured at Ebervale No.
3 colliery on the 20th of September. He
was driving empty cars from the foot of the slope and was walking behind his
mule when he was suddenly kicked in the abdomen. His injuries were not
considered severe at the time, but after a few hours his condition betokened
internal injuries. The inspector also
added. I am of the opinion that some of the small boys about the colliery
bothered the mule so that he became ugly, and endeavored to kick them.
Many boys were injured by the direct interaction of the mule.
Mike Grady a 16 year old driver at the
Diamond Shaft was severely injured by having both legs crushed when his mule
stomped all over him. James Walker, 14
years old, was injured at the Eddy Creek Shaft, when his mule’s head hit him on
the arm and breaking it. He was holding
the mules head while being shod at the blacksmith shop.At the end of this part
will be found a listing for the 1880 and all the driver and spragger accidents
that occurred in the Anthracite districts. Driver boys sometimes became heroes as this
article of The Pottsville Republican
stated on March 26, 1914.
Bold Driver Boy Saved Six Lives
The bravery of a
driver boy, who although severely burned by an explosion of gas in the Buck
Ridge Colliery near Shamokin Friday morning drove a long distance to the foot
of the slope and informed the foreman that six mine workers were lying in the
bottom of the gangway probably overcome by the afterdamp of the explosion,
resulted in bringing out of the six men senseless and the saving of there lives.
Now the plucky boy, whose name is Tom
Swabusky, is looked upon as a hero and lies bandaged and brushed in the Shamokin Hospital.
Tom was riding on the
top of a car directing his team of mules when he saw a ball of fire ahead in
the gangway, and knowing that it meant an explosion of gas he shouted an alarm
to six workmen in the gangway nearby and saw them throw them selves face
downward on the bottom but he himself had tarried too long and was caught by
the flash before he could get down to the bottom and his face and hands were
scorched severely. Nothing daunted he
drove the mules, also suffering from burns and gave his alarm as stated.
Listed below is a list of all the driver boy accidents for
the year 1880 in the Anthracite districts of Pennsylvania. The accidents are basically
the same for every year from 1870 thru 1930.
The Driver Boys and Their Accidents
§ Mar 15/ Joseph Dix/ 15 Wadsville/ Fell from the front end
of a wagon on which he was riding and dragged underneath injuring him
internally.
§ Apr. 16/ Daniel Oakman/ Top driver/ Wadsville/ Thumb
caught between car wheel and sprag. And cut off.
§ Apr. 16/ John Murphy/ Phoenix Park Caught between wagons
and injured internally.
§ Apr. 17/ William Weakman/ Pottsville/ Wagon ran over his leg injuring
it severely.
§ May 24/ George Wagne/ Dirt Bank Driver/ Glendower/ Fingers
caught in a wheel and mashed.
§ May 26/ Thomas Wilson/ Diver/ Pottsville/ Kicked by a mule and head cut.
§ June 7/ William E Price/ Driver/ Wadesville/ Kicked by a
mule and nose broken and chin cut.
§ .June 14/ James Hayes/ Driven Beechwood/ wagon ran over
his fingers cutting off at first joint.
§ Sept. 28/ James McCreedy/ Driver/ Glendower/ Kicked by a
mule and leg injured.
§ Nov. 15/ David W. Peregrine/ Driver/ Mine Hill Gap. Kicked
by a mule hip hurt.
§ Nov. 23/ George Jenkins/ Driver/ Richardson/ While
spragging a car thumb caught between sprag and wheel and broke.
1880 2nd District
§ May 14/ Peter Cleary/ Driver/ Ellangowan/ In attempting to
un couple cars on a curve, his head was caught and crushed causing death.
§ May 18/ William Henderson/ Driver/ 16/ Packer No. 4/
Supposed to have been tramped to death by a mule. A breast closing in caused
the mule to turn suddenly around passing the car to which he was hitched and
catching the driver, Henderson.
§ Sept. 18/ John Dyer/ Driver/ Indian Ridge/ 22/ Married/
Crushed between Cars on side of the gangway on trip from counter chute to top
of plane.
§ Feb. 3/ Charles Maloy/ Elmwood/ Fell under cars and arm
broke.
§ Feb. 11/ Mike Coyne/ Driver on dirt bank/ Ellangowen/ Foot
caught between rails and shoulder broke.
§ Feb. 12/ John Hendricks/ Driver/ Thomas/ Hurt on the dirt
bank.
§ Mar 18/ Oscar McCord/ Driver/ William Penn/ Jammed between
cars by Mule.
§ Apr. 26/ John Preston/ Driver/ Kohinoor/ Fall of coal,
small bone of leg broke.
§ June 7/ Edward Williams/ Driver/ Girard/ Explosion of gas.
§ July 7/ Mike Gallagher/ Driver/ Honeybrook/ Foot crushed
by mine car.
§ Sept. 18/ Martin Fahey/ Driver/ Plank Ridge/ Jammed
between cars and head injured.
§ Nov. 8/ John Snedden/ Driver/ Plank Ridge/ Wagon Jumped
the track, knocking the prop, causing a piece of slate to fall arm badly
injured.
§ Nov. 24/ Thomas Ellwork/ Driver/ Stanton/ Fell under
wagon between slope and breaker; body crushed.
§ Nov. 26/ Peter Ditchman/ Driver Ellangowan/ Run over by
dirt dumper, leg broken in two places.
3rd District
§ May 3/ Mike Douglas/ Driver Lykens Valley slope/ 20/ The
driver coming in with a mule for loaded wagons, having come to a point on the
gangway beyond which the use of naked lamps were prohibited and seeing men
ahead with open lights, called to them if it was safe, to which they replied to
him, “To come on” which he did; the men were eating their dinner, and while he
was hitching his mule wagon, the men started turning a fan to remove gas that
accumulated in a chute they were driving, this brought the gas down in the
gangway and contact with the naked lamps. Burning the three.
§ Sept. 1/ William Wolfe/ Driver/ 18/ Big Mountain/
Run over by loaded mine cars.
§ Nov. 15/ Patrick Finnegan/ Driver/ Preston
No.2/ 21/ Run over by loaded mine cars, died the following day
§ Nov. 23/ Daniel E. Liebey/ Driver/ 17/ Peerless/ Caught
between loaded mine cars and gangway timber at mouth of the drift. He was
coming out loaded wagons accompanied with two other boys and when outside the
mouth of the drift, being ahead of the wagon he turned back going towards
approaching cars, passing the young men who were with him , supposing as they
have stated, to jump
§ June 14/ James Hayes/ Driver/ Beechwood/ wagon ran over
his fingers cutting off at first joint.
§ Sept. 28/ James McCreedy/ Driver/ Glendower/ Kicked by a
mule and leg injured.
§ Nov. 15/ David W. Peregrine/ Driver/ Mine Hill Gap./ Kicked
by a mule, hip hurt.
§ Nov. 23/ George Jenkins/ Driver/ Richardson/ While
spragging a car thumb caught between sprag and wheel and broke.
§ Nov. 26/ Daniel Kennedy/ Driver/ 15/ Luke Fidler/ Caught
between loaded mine cars and crushed to death. He hitched his mule to two
loaded mine cars to haul out of the mine, having started the mule, he became
obstinate and refused to go further. While the driver was urging him on he
turned around and started inwards on opposite side of the car to the driver,
the latter jumping between the cars to drive him back, he was caught and jammed
by the front car to which the mule was hitched, coming back on one next to it.
NOTE: In some
collieries, drivers, spraggers and door boys are using a villainous compound
called lubricating, or black oil to fill their lamps, which is producing a
heavy black smoke producing unhealthy air.
§ Jan 23/ Edward McHugh/ Stable Boss/ Locust Spring/ Kicked
by a mule in the stomach.
§ Mar 8/ David Moire/ Driver/ Henry Clay Drift/ Caught
between mule and mine wagon/ jaw bone broken and face badly damaged.
§ April 7/ Sebastian Kohl/ Spagger/ Burnside/ Hand caught
between chain and side hook of the wagon. Tops of the fingers cut off.
§ April 19/ Charles Frank/ Driver/ Reliance/ Spreader fell
on his wrist dislocating it.
§ May 5/ Jerome Reed/ Driver/ Henry Clay shaft/ caught in
explosion of gas.
§ .Aug. 8/ John Henry/ Outside driver/ Buck Ridge/
Fell on bell plane while trying to ring bell wrist broken.
§ Sept. 23/ William McKinney/ Driver/ Big Mountain/
Fell of wagon while running down the plane arm broken.
§ Oct. 13/ George Krammer/ Driver/ North Franklin No.2/
Caught between cars leg fractured.
§ Oct. 21/ Patrick Coyle/ Driver/ Stuartsville/ Fall of top
coal.
§ Oct. 25/ Christopher Robsertson / door tender/ Luke
Fidler/ Fell while riding on mine cars.
Middle District
William J Warren, a driver, was instantly killed on the culm
bank. He was fifteen years old. At No. 2
shaft Plymouth.
He was making one of his usual trips to
the culm bank with loaded cars. John Nesbitt was on the hind car, attending the
brake, and John Warren, the deceased’s brother was riding on the side of the
car. When about halfway to the dump
Willie struck the mule with his whip and started him on faster, then he
attempted to step on the front end of the car, and missed his hold, fell under
and was instantly killed.
James Danahey, a driver age 16 was almost instantly killed
at Shaft No. 2 Nanticoke on Dec. 11. The deceased, against all instructions to
the contrary, undertook to run a loaded car from the gangway by a brake. To do
this he was obliged to stand on the front end of the car, as the lever of the
brake was on that end. The brake proved to be a bad one and the car ran pretty
fast and when near the bottom of the run jumped off the track and threw the
driver against the prop with such force as to fracture his skull. The mine boss stated that the day before he
caught him running a car and charged him not to do it again, for he considered
it to dangerous for a boy of such light weight. And, he had employed a runner for just such a
job. But, he was an active boy,
ambitious, and anxious to earn more wages, and had asked several times for the
job of running cars, which he was refused to him on the grounds stated. On that fateful morning another boy told him
the brake was not safe and to be careful, he replied that he would risk it, he
did and sacrificed his young life in the attempt.
Thomas McGlynn, a driver age 16 was fatally injured at the
Diamond Shaft, November 29. He was
walking out carelessly on the gangway, along with his mule and a trip of cars
and thoughtlessly set his foot between a latch and the rail, his foot was
caught fast and failed to release it until the cars were upon him, they crushed
his leg fearfully, between foot and knee. Hope was entertained of saving his
life by amputating the limb, but the surgeons had hardly begun the operation
when he expired.
John Dunstan, a driver age 14, was instantly killed at Shaft
No. 2 Nanticoke, December 21. He had
just pilled an empty car into the chamber, which was pitching about four
degrees, was leading his mule back and the trace chain caught in the corner of
the car, Jerking it over the block. The
same time the mule swung against the boy and knocked him down on the track. The laborer, who stood by, held the car almost
instantly, but as the boy was rising he received a thrust (kick) in his side,
which caused his death in a few minutes. This was a very unfortunate accident,
occurring in a safe place and could have been easily avoided with little care,
as there was plenty of room to pass the mule without touching the car.
§ July 30/ Patrick Welsh/ Driver 23/ Midville/ Kicked in the
mouth by a mule losing two teeth.
§ July 20/ Gomer Lewis/ Driver/ 15/ Nanticoke Tunnel no. 1/
Kicked by a mule.
§ Sept. 6/ John Hughes/ Driver/ 14/ Old Slope Franklin/ Slopped under
loaded cars.
§ July 10/ Leo Dutch/ Driver/ 13/ Hollenbach/ Kicked by mule
teeth knocked out.
§ Sept. 13/ William Devlin/ 17/ Henry Coil./ Kicked in the
head by a mule.
§ Nov. 19/ David Evans/ Slope No. 4/ severely injured, his clothes
being caught in the trace of a mule the mule was fright ened was frightened and
dragged the boy for some distance.
Eastern District
Edward Watkins, a driver at the Brisbin shaft, was fatally
injured by being caught under a trip of empty mine cars. He was driving a team
of mules and had them hitched to a trip of eleven cars, when the mules started
and ran away down a steep grade that required two sprags in each car. The mules ran until they reached the chamber,
Watkins hanging on the harness of the hind mule all the way, but he finally
lost his light and fell before the trip, and the two forward cars ran over him
and he was found lying under the third car. The men who were present made all haste to
free him from under the car, not with standing that the roof was cracking
fearfully over their heads and they had just moved him when a large portion of
the roof fell just were the boy was lying.
These mules or rather one of them was in the habit of
running away, they would balk, and when they started they would run as hard as
they could. As far as possible, all such
factious mules should be banished out of the mines, and if I could I would do
so this at once. I am happy to state
that some of our most efficient superintendents do not keep unruly and
fractious mule in their mines for an hour after they find they are dangerous
and unsafe for the boys to handle.
1894
§ 1,136 drivers employed in mines
§ John Yates 18 fatally injured while falling under a trip
of cars while hitching his mule. Maitby Shaft
§ August Sheffler driver 19, Shaft No. 1 G seam Nanticoke A piece of
scrap steel penetrated his body when riding on front of car.
§ John McLaughlin Driver 19 Ashley, Kicked in the abdomen by
mule walked home and died a couple of days later.
§ George Mashinko driver 31 killed by having his head
smashed between timber car
1895
§ Emry Jones was killed when he was kicked by the mule in a
manway he was 16 years old. The Hollenback colliery.
§ John Griffth was instantly killed when he was trying to
spragg a car and it ran off the track and crushed him he was 20 years old
worked at the Franklin Colliery.
§ James 0 Connell was instantly killed when he slipped and
was crushed by a car when he was unhooking his mule. He was 17 and worked at the Shaft No. 5 in Plymouth.
§ Thomas Duffy a driver’s helper was injured and had five
teeth kicked out by a mule he was 17 and worked at the Plymouth Colliery.
§ 29 drivers and runners were injured in the 4 district
during this year.
§ John Trsco or Freda and John Martin 25 and 35 both out
side drivers at the Milnesville colliery were instantly killed by a landslide,
they were taking a trip of cars to the bottom of the slope or to the outside
plane.
§ William Lilly a spragger was injured when he slipped and
fell underneath a car his arm was badly injured this happened at the No. 1
breaker in Lattimer.
§ Joseph Coulon was struck by a bale of hay and his leg was
injured he was 18 years old and worked at the No. 2 Hollywood breaker.
§ Adam Trimble a 22-year-old driver was struck on the head
by a door when a gust of air blew it open which was caused by a heavy fall of
rock. He suffered a brain contusion. This happened at the Sandy Run Colliery Luzerne
City.
§ Harry Reilley an Irish driver 19 years old who worked at
the Maple Hill colliery was injured when his clothes were caught and he was
squeezed by a car and the brattice.
§ John Chisnell 22 working at the Bear Ridge Colliery skull
was fractured after he was kicked by a mule.
§ John Everman 19 a driver at the Packer No. 4 Lost Creek
was had his arm cut off he left the switch misplaced and coming on to the turn
out the loaded car ran into an empty truck.
§ There were 855 drivers and runners in the 7 anthracite
district in 1895.
§ 8th district of Schuylkill county had 433 drivers and
runners employed.
§ They also had 1,258 mules and horses in the mine.
§ William Dunlap 17 working at the Eagle Hill colliery died
from the effects of being caught between two mine cars at the bottom of the
slope.
§ Thomas Gauntlett a driver at Blackwood colliery was in
jured by being crushed up against a prop by his mule collarbone broken.
§ John Roberts a driver at Morea colliery was injured when
his hand was crushed while unhooking his mule.
§ Harmony Richardson
at the St. Clair Colliery had three ribs broken when his mule turned and
crushed him between the cars.
1896
§ Patrick Hughes a driver 18, was injured in the jaw when a
mule kicked him. Hyde Park Colliery.
§ John Ratchford was injured when a mule kicked him in the
face, he was 17 at the Manville Mine.
§ James McAndrew was injured at the Archablad mine he was 15
years old, his leg was fractured while riding a mule and drove up against the
mine car.
§ Ben Morgan was injured when a mule kicked him in the head
his scalp was cut this happened at the he was 16 at the Mt. Pleasant
colliery.
§ August Speyler a 20-year-old driver was driving a team and
they ran away and in trying to catch them he became in tangled in the harness
and fell under the car giving him severe bruises.
§ Max peel 23-year-old runner was injured at the Dickson
Shaft when he was caught by a moving car while trying to hitch a team of mules.
§ The 3 district had 2,270 mules and horses during the year.
§ Joe Macusky 20 at the Maple Hill colliery was fatally injured
by being kicked from the mule he was driving.
§ Matthew Brennan a driver was severely injured at the Eagle
Hill Colliery on May 5th and died from the effects on May 17. He was engaged as
a driver at the bottom of the slope and side hitched two empty cars into the
back switch, while he was taking some coupling chains from the front end of the
empty cars, another driver ran three loaded cars into the back switch, which
bumped against the empty ones and caught Brennan between the ends of the empty
cars and the face of the back switch.
§ John Harrison, 17 a driver was killed at Eagle Hill
colliery on August 12. He was employed as a driver at the bottom of the slope
and commenced work only the day before. In pulling the empty cars into the back
switch at the bottom of the fifth lift he hitched a mule to the back end of the
second car, the front end of which was filled with short timber. The light end
of the car swung off the track and caught his head between the end of the car
and the timber.
§ August Dunhammer 20-year-old driver at York Farm Colliery
had his leg broken by the mules falling and throwing him under cars.1897
§ William Wolf a driver was killed at The Good Spring
colliery. He was employed on the bank, and while bringin’ an empty car his mule
took fright at cars running on overhead trestle and ran away. While trying to
unhitch the mule from the car, he fell in front of the car, which ran over him.
Injuring him so severely that he died on the way home.
The Mule and Driver Boys in Song and Verse
The mule and the driver are well known in both song and
verse, the traditional song of “My Sweethearts the Mule in the Mine,” listed on
the first page is probably the most famous of the songs and known for many
years. But, there are other versus related to the driver boy’s and the mules.
In the sad old song entitled Old Miners Refrain, the old
miner sings about his life in the mines and in one verse relates about his time
while driving mules:
I next became a driver
and thought myself a man
The boss, he raised my
pay as I advanced
In going through the
gangway with the mules at my command.
I was prouder than the
President of France.
But now my pride is
weakened and I am weakened too.
I tremble till I’m scarcely fit to stand
If I were taught book
learning instead of driving teams
Today kind friends I’d be a richer man.
On Wednesday,
April 23, 1879, at the No. 10 slope of the Lehigh And Wilkes-Barre
Coal company at Sugar Notch a gang of men were driving a gangway into a seam of
coal when the roof caved in and blocked their only means of escape. Trapped inside this tomb were five miners and
a 13-year-old door boy and a young mule driver by the name William Kenney. After five days, the miners were forced to
kill the mule for its meat. Using a
hammer the driver hit the mule on the head and killed him. They then checked for any gas left in the
mine, and finding it clear, they cooked the meat on the top of a dinner pail.
The seven men were finally rescued at 9
o’clock on Monday morning. Following
is a couple of stances from this song about their ordeal.
The Sugar Notch Entombment
It was in the month of April in 1879,
When seven men from Sugar Notch came to work down in the
mine,
The night shift was before them and honest they began;
The driver came and told them that the mine was cavin’ in
Pricey held the safety lamp and Harper he was last,
Mackkie he put up his hand and shut off the gas,
The rocks stood on their edges up against the roof
and here we stand for proof.
We walked in the gangway and there we sat down,
We held a conversation and it went all around,
Some were very hungry and some were very weak,
Says Johnny Glynn, “We’ll kill our mule and have a jolly
feast.”
The driver went and got his mule and tied him to a prop,
The tears came rolling from his eyes, saying
“Harry you must drop.”
On picking up the hammer he found the hammer to be dull-
He hit the poor mule ten times on the head before he broke
his skull.
“Harry, you’re dead and gone, your life is gone astray.
But many a hundred wagons you’ve pulled out of this gangway.
Many a driver’s drove you but now you’re drivin’s at an
end.”
And then the mine began to cave in around the seven men.
The Driver Boys of Wadesville Shaft written by Bill Keating
the famous Schuylkill
County poet and balladeer
, is the best of the songs written about the boys and their mules and is a fine
tribute to the boys who drove the mules.
The Driver Boys of Wadesville Shaft
Now, boys I’ll sing you a little song,
And I think that when I’m through
Yu’ll say this song is well composed,
And the words are very true.
It’s about a bunch of driver boy’s,
They worked in Wadesville shaft,
And when I tell you how they toiled
I think ‘twill make you laugh.
Well, now to start this little song,
I’ll begin with Henry Flynn,
For when it comes to driving mules
He thinks he’s the real thing.
He’s the first driver from the barn,
With Collie-mule in lead,
But when he gets back, at quitting time,
he hasn’t earned their feed
He leaves the seven foot turnout,
With six or seven cars,
They’ll run out to the spragging place,
And there he’ll be stuck for hours!
He’ll drag them then by ones and twos
to the bottom of the shaft;
Then he’ll catch his lead mule by the head,
and go for another draft.
Well, then he’ll start from the spraggin place,
And run right through an open switch!
With two stiff cars and a jammer in,
And his lead mule in the ditch.
Well, then he’ll drive them up the grade,
Collie runs on the high side,
Johnny Loftus with an armful of sprags
Is what saves the breechin’ mule’s hide.
Then Henry’ll say that Collie-mule
And Charley ain’t worth a bit;
I hate to call the man a liar,
But they’re the best two mules in the pit.
It takes us door boys all our time,
To keep Henry Flynn in hemp,
And with weaving lashes for his whip
Our fingernails are bent.
So that’s the way he’ll run all day,
He’ll tally about fourteen cars;
For the longest shift he ever works
In six or seven hours.
Well, then there’s Oweny Loftus,
With a team of mules he’s slick;
And when he chirrups for the signal light,
Then look out for a big trip.
When Oweny’s team leaves the Primrose bend,
Their shoes begin to pound,
And until he hits the top of the grade,
He’ll never utter a sound.
‘Twould do you good to stand upon
The crossroads at the bend;
And watch the curb boy count Oweny’s trip-
Twenty cars often mark the end.
He has Fox and Dick and Paddy and Mike;
Lively Lark- Mule
leads the way,
If all the teams pulled trips like Oweny’s
Wadesville colliery would surely pay.
Well, here comes Jack McNulty,
Out along west Skidmore line;
With his feet stretched out on the tail chain,
Old John Garrity nippin’ behind.
When Jack’s team nears the terminal,
Jack hopes he’ll get a through light,
But when he rounds the Skidmore bend
Then there’s no curb-boy in sight!
Then Jack jumps off sprags up his trip,
At dumb door boys he’ll rage and swear;
And if the nipper opens his lip,
Jack hauls him around by the hair.
You see, nearly every trip Jack brings,
He has tunnel-rock cars mixed in,
So. of course, we have to red light Jack,
So’s to white light Henry Flynn.
Jack drives Punch mule, Pete, Pet, Prince,
Lazy Mary Mule leads the way.
If Jack would haul more coal, less rock,
Then the breaker could work a full day.
Well then there’s Johnny Baltsis,
He drives the shifting team;
He pulls the cars from the tender shaft,
and keeps the bottom turn out clean.
Johnny Baltsis’ the busiest boy about,
The way he slaves is a sin!
Pullin Jack McNulty’s rock cars out,
And side hitchin’ Henry Flynn.
They talk about the Altoona Yards,
But Altoona
yards are tame,
You should see John Baltsis shifting cars!
With Jerry mule and Jane.
Some other time, I’ll sing some more,
“Bout the busy driver boys.
At present, I’ll page the stable “Maids”
Stable bosses are mostly noise.
Willie Brennan is quiet, seldom gets in fight,
Bossy Donnagan, he’s a darn crank!
They worry me from morn till night,
With there rollin’ feed cars and water tank.
They chase me to get the water turned on,
Then they race me to get it turned off
But when drivers take their teams for a drink,
There’s never a drop in the water trough!
They haven’t the nerve for stable work,
If a mule shakes his tail they are scared!
And in case of an emergency,
They never are prepared.
If a hame strap or a tail chain happens to break,
That a team driver’s tally will sink,
There’s no harness parts in the barn,
Not even an open link.
Poor mules must stand knee deep in dung!
So the company’s greatest loss,
Is payin’ sixty dollars a month
To a lazy stable boss.
The fire bosses, foremen and driver boss,
Took a seashore vacation trip;
Willie Brennan carried the bootblack box,
Jim Donnagan juggled the grips.
The driver boys and the stable boss,
from my song should learn a lesson,
And now I’ll begin with the bottom men,
For some of them need a dressin’.
There easy going fat Jack Betzs,
Jack jokes and loafs all day,
While old “Dutch” Hen is humpty backed
Pushin cars from the cage away.
Matt Reddington, a butty to Betzs,
And though Matt’s a first cousin of mine
Matt goes to dances and balls every night;
In the mines he’s
asleep most of the time.
Mike McNulty gets stuck with an empty trip,
Jack Betzs bawls all hands out
Matt Reddington lets a coupling slip
Onto Dutch Hen’s left foot gout!
“The breaker is waitin’; this won’t pay.
Move those empties, “Betzs will say
Then Dutch Hen will say in his Dutchy’ied way,
“Be der lawd Kyist der twack is blocked out!”
In insane asylums madmen rave,
But where sensible men go daft,
You’d go nutty too with that bug house crew,
On the bottom of Wadesville shaft.
Bunker John Kelly and Joe Morley,
They’ve the meanest job in the mine;
Double oil cloth suits and high gum boots,
Yet they’re drowned wet all the time.
No moon, no stars, no sun ever gleams
Through the gloom of the underground;
Here danger death, and darkness reign,
Yet humor here is found.
It’s quittin’ time, I’ll close my door,
Just one request, I pray:
My supper will be crust, no more,
Please boost a poor door boy’s pay.
The driver boys are long gone, their mischievous behavior,
their tobacco chewing, their swearing and wild antics are all just memories
now. We should honor the boys who worked
in the dark of the mines, bent and stooped, damp and wet, inhaling mine gases
and coal dirt and sometimes giving up there young lives for the coal companies.
Today, there are no mules working in the mines of the anthracite region. They no longer bear the burden of pulling cars
loaded with coal through the wet and muddy gang- ways, in the endless darkness
of the mines. They no longer are subject
to being crushed in a cave-in or being burned in a gas explosion, or drowning
in an outburst of water. Although there
are sad stories concerning the boys and their mules, there are also many good
stories about their lives. Driver boy
and mule spent many years together and what they sacrificed for our comfort
should never be forgotten. Finally, it
took an act of Legislature in December, 1965, to make it illegal, in keeping
mules in underground stables.
Bibliography
1. Pottsville
Miners Journal Newspaper
October
11, 1911.
January 1,
1913.
December
3, 1919.
October
25, 1898.
2. Pottsville
Daily Republican
March 8,
1915.
March26, 1914.
3. Shamokin Times,
May 14, 1880.
4. Mahanoy
City Newspaper, March 4, 1890.
5. McClures Magazine
1894 “The Depths of a Coal Mine” Stephen Crane.
6. Mine Haualge Systems Manual 1927.
7. “Songs and Ballads of the Coal Miner,” George Korson. United Mine Workers Journal
November,
15, 1926
8. “Anthracite Mine Ballads and Legends Recalled” Shenandoah
Evening Herald May 8, 1924.
Tom Barrett.
9. Inspector Reports of the Mines.
1872
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1890
1895
1898
1900
1902
1905
1915
11. When Coal was King,
Louis Poliniak.
12. “The Mules in the Mines,” Article by John Butz Bowman,
Held in the Schuylkill
County Historical
Society.
Why does Anthracite History matter?
It is very hard to make a young person understand why
history matters. After all, they have their whole lives ahead of them. There is
only the future. The young still feel invincible, immortal, and in charge. It
is not until we come to grips with our mortality that we begin to care about
who we are and what we have done.
Will it matter that we were here at all?
We have not cared about history, so who will care about us?
Once faced with these questions, it becomes important for us
to know where we came from. To search out our past and discover what made us
the way we are. This is why Anthracite his tory is so important. We have coal
in our blood and thus the collective history of producing that coal becomes
important. We get a burning de sire to remember those who worked so hard to
give us what we have today.
For all we have, we remember them and thank them.
For all we want, we record it for the time when our children
are ready to hear it.