Scenes And Incidents From The Life Of A Practical Miner
With A Treatise On The Ventilation Of Coal Mines

41 face, this little drift was set off from the face of a south-east cross cut, with the compass and two plumb lines to guide the men. in their course which, was adjusted every day by my father, then, overman. As it was for no other purpose beyond what is now seen, namely, as a vent for the water, it was driven in as little area as the men could possibly work in, say two feet in width, and was arched over at tlie top. The coal was conveyed out from the workmen with coi'ves made of the small rods in an oval or oblong shape, which held eight pecks. The work was kept going night and day by three men, stopping eight hours each, and two boys, stopping twelve hours, to fill up the process for the week. It was my lot to be one of these boys; we had to plod through water, to and fro tlie whole of the twelve hours, which scalded our feet to a serious degree, so much so that when we got home, in the short time of eating our victuals they became swollen to a painful size. Well I remember the washing of them, with its acute pain and suffering—my mother dressing my feet, and my fatliei' carrying me away to bed, until three o’clock came again. The same weary routine followed day- after day, and week after week. This was the school of my learning in the days of my youth. The present spring is on tlie spot destined and pricked off by the owner and his agent; when the drift got the required distance, they put down a bore hole, and hence the apparent spring. In this digression relating to other years I have a double purpose to serve; first, to remind the rising youth of the present day of the wonder- ful improvement in the system of mining, as well as in the manners and customs, and of their easy access to education compared with fifty years ago. Again, to show them that although their education in youth may be neglected from various and unavoidable causes, yet if, after they arrive at manhood, the mind becomes bent to its proper course, there is no one can tell to what extent of knowledge even the miners themselves may attain in your own time, as “no height of daring is so high, but higher still the earnest soul may yet find grace to climb.” As a stimulant to your exertions, and with your permission, I may hold forth myself as an example. Many of tlie seniors among you knew me when I literally knew nothing, being led astray by tlie follies of youth ; they know that fourteen years in the best time of my life, i.e., from 19 to 33, was devoted to the science of music. Yet, even after that age, I set to work in right earnest to acquire a knowledge of the higher branches of mathematics, and my practical working in the mine will tell its own tale. I soon discovered, and have often proved, the suprising extent to which labour may be economised. Consequently, I demonstrated every species of work (let it be arching, walling, drifting, ridding, or timbering &c.,) mathematically before ever I began the process, so that there was nothing done unneces- sary, nor without its profit. I will here show you a specimen of the principle I pursued in all things. I had long urged the necessity of making a new additional return drift, on the high, or north side of the main horseway, which could be easy done, as there was coal to drive it in for about three-quarters of tlie distance. I had pointed out on several occasions the heavy friction the air was sub- F