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

52 cations, keeping that vile imp (Envy) out of the way. He would pro- bably say, I cannot see any difference between your time of service and my own—if I was not down the pit daily, I have my plan, and was in direct communication and correspondence with the mine through my subordinates, men in whom I could confide; I had my under-viewer, my overman, and master wasteman, all men of tried talent, tested by expe- rience, on whose vigilance I could risk my life.” “And so could I,” said the noble earl, “and must conclude that in future government will select and choose from that class of miners, for the inspection of the mines in general; as it is evident to me, and must be admitted by all concerned in the welfare of mines and miners, that from the position, adaptation, and general practice of these men, they must be the most fit and proper persons for the work; indeed, they are admitted to be so by the chief engineer himself in. his defence, which is a reasonable conclusion, without he can show, and prove a wonderful superiority of intellect; and even practice must stand before theory, and I vouch for the skill and judgment he discovered in going through the inspection and examination, he appeared as a masterpiece of mechanism in the system of mining, with a host of knowledge applicable only in the right place when he became the right man.” “I thank you, my lord; those are, and have always been my opinions, founded on the principles here expounded, which leads to the conclusion, that the mines never will nor can be inspected (according to the true meaning of the term) until the government condescend to accept of in- spectors selected from that class of miners (now rejected) who have had the best opportunity of gaining the indispensable knowledge, and have devoted their time and attention to practical observations and experiments on the varied and important indications on the mine. There are viewers whose disposition of practice are to watch carefully every occurrence, and to be first on the spot, to examine effects, and search out the causes, so as to enable them in the future to avert approaching evils. Those who follow this line of conduct acquire a practical knowledge, which, when added to their superior education, gives them an ascendency over every difficulty in the system, and clearly develops to their view the operations of nature in the mine. But these are not the men who go to seek em- ployment elsewhere; their sterling qualities command respect, and pro- cure forthem ample engagements in the trade; their energy and skill cause them to be looked up to as ornaments of the profession. None, however, know better than they do that there is a class of men who have passed through the forms, and are designated viewers, but who from their dila- tory carelessness, or perhaps from a natural defect in their intellectual organisation, bring little credit to the profession, and are ever ready to accept any situation which to them must be a sinecure. Yet these' are the men who look with a supercilious, eye on the intelligent practical miner, and even ridicule his pretensions, if perchance he has merited the favour, and received the patronage of some worthy viewer, as the just reward of varied practical learning acquired in a life of labour and reflec- tion, as if they forgot that practice is second nature, and leads to perfec- tion in all things. Let the man of theory read his works, tho elements