Deep Down, a Tale of the Cornish Mines

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

  DESCRIBES SETTING-DAY AT THE MINE, ETCETERA.

  That very evening, while Maggot was smoking his pipe by the fireside,his son Zackey referred to the bunch of copper which Penrose haddiscovered in the mine. After a short conversation, Maggot senior wentto the wounded man to talk about it.

  "'Twas a keenly lode, did 'ee say?" asked Maggot, after he had inquiredas to the health of his friend.

  "Yes, and as I shall not be able to work there again," said Penrosesadly, "I would advise you to try it. Zackey is entitled to get thebenefit of the discovery, for he was with me at the time, and, but forhis aid, dear boy, I should have been suffocated."

  Maggot said no more on that occasion about the mine, being a man of fewwords, but, after conversing a short time with the wounded man, andascertaining that no hope was held out to him of the recovery of hissight, he went his way to the forge to work and meditate.

  Setting-day came--being the first Saturday in the month, and no work wasdone on that day in Botallack, for the men were all above ground to havetheir "pitches" for the next month fixed, and to receive their wages--setting-day being also pay day.

  Some time before the business of the day commenced, the miners began toassemble in considerable numbers in the neighbourhood of theaccount-house. Very different was their appearance on that occasionfrom the rusty-red fellows who were wont to toil in the dark chambersfar down in the depths below the spot where they stood. Theirunderground dresses were laid aside, and they now appeared in thecostume of well-off tradesmen. There was a free-and-easy swing aboutthe movements of most of these men that must have been the result oftheir occupation, which brings every muscle of the body into play, anddoes not--as is too much the case in some trades--over-tax the powers ofa certain set of muscles to the detriment of others.

  Some there were, however, even among the young men, whose hollow cheeksand bloodless lips, accompanied with a short cough, told of evilresulting from bad air and frequent chills; while, on the other hand, afew old men were to be seen with bright eyes and ruddy cheeks whichindicated constitutions of iron. Not a few were mere lads, whose broadshoulders and deep chests and resolute wills enabled them to claim thetitle, and do the work, of men.

  There were some among them, both young and old, who showed traces ofhaving suffered in their dangerous employment. Several were minus aneye, and one or two were nearly blind, owing to blast-holes exploding intheir faces. One man in particular, a tall and very powerful fellow,had a visage which was quite blue, and one of his eyes was closed--theblue colour resulting from unburnt grains of powder having been blowninto his flesh. He had been tattooed, in fact, by a summary andeffective process. This man's family history was peculiar. His father,also a miner, had lived in a lonely cottage on a moor near St. Just, andworked in Balaswidden Mine. One night he was carried home and laid athis wife's feet, dead--almost dashed to pieces by a fall. Not longafterwards the son was carried to the same cottage with his right eyedestroyed. Some time later a brother dislocated his foot twice withinthe year in the mine; and a few months after that another brother fellfrom a beam, descended about twenty-four feet perpendicularly, where hestruck the side of the mine with his head, and had six or seven of histeeth knocked out; glancing off to one side, he fell twenty feet more onthe hard rock, where he was picked up insensible. This man recovered,however, under the careful nursing of his oft and sorely tried mother.

  Maggot was present on this setting-day, with a new cap and a new bluecloth coat, looking altogether a surprisingly respectable character. Agood deal of undertoned chaffing commenced when he appeared.

  "Hallo!" exclaimed one, "goin' to become an honest man, Maggot?"

  "Thinkin' 'bout it," replied the smith, with a good-humoured smile.

  "Why, if I didn't knaw that the old wuman's alive," said another, "I'dsay he was agoin' to get married again!"

  "Never fear," exclaimed a third, "Maggot's far too 'cute a cunger to becaught twice."

  "I say, my dear man," asked another, "have 'ee bin takin' a waalk 'ponthe clifts lately?"

  "Iss, aw iss," replied the smith with much gravity.

  "Did 'ee find any more daws 'pon clift?" asked the other, with a leer.

  There was a general laugh at this, but Maggot replied withgood-humour,--"No, Billy, no--took 'em all away last time. But I'mtowld there's some more eggs in the nest, so thee'll have a chance someday, booy."

  "I hope the daws ain't the worse of their ducking?" asked Billy, with anexpression of anxious interest.

  "Aw, my dear," said Maggot, looking very sad, and shaking his headslowly, "didn't 'ee hear the noos?"

  "No, not I."

  "They did catch the noo complaint the doctor do spaik of--bronkeetis Ithink it is--and although I did tie 'em up wi' flannel round theirnecks, an' water-gruel, besides 'ot bottles to their feet, they're allgone dead. I mean to have 'em buried on Monday. Will 'ee come to theberryin, Billy?"

  "P'raps I will," replied Billy, "but see that the gravedigger do berry'em deep, else he'll catch a blowin' up like the gravedigger did inCambourne last week."

  "What was that, booy? Let us hear about it, Billy," exclaimed severalvoices.

  "Well, this is the way of it," said Billy: "the owld gravedigger inCambourne was standin' about, after mittin' was over, a-readin' of thetombstones, for he'd got a good edjication, had owld Tom. His name wasTom--the same man as put a straw rope to the bell which the cows did eataway, so that he cudn't ring the people to mittin'. Well, when he wasstuddyin' the morials on the stones out comes Captain Rowe. He was wano' the churchwardens, or somethin' o' that sort, but I don't knawnothin' 'bout the church, so I ain't sure--an' he calls owld Tom intothe vestry.

  "`Now look here, Tom,' says the captain, very stern, `they tell me thee'rt gettin' lazy, Tom, an' that thee do dig the graves only four futdeep. Now, Tom, I was over to St. Just t'other day to a berryin', and Isee that they do dig their graves six fut or more deeper than you do.That won't do, Tom, I tell 'ee. What's the meanin' of it?'

  "This came somewhat suddent on owld Tom, but he wor noways put out.

  "`Well, you do see, Cap'n Rowe,' says he, `I do it apurpose, for I dolook at the thing in two lights.'"

  "`How so?' asked the captain.

  "`Why, the people of St. Just only think of the berryin', but _I_ dothink of the resurrection; the consekince is that they do dig too deep,an' afore the St. Just folk are well out of their graves, _ours_ will bea braave way up to heaven!'"

  The laugh with which this anecdote was received had scarcely subsidedwhen the upper half of one of the account-house windows opened, and thefine-looking head and shoulders of old Mr Cornish appeared.

  The manager laid an open book on the window-sill, and from this elevatedposition, as from a pulpit, he read out the names, positions, etcetera,of the various "pitches" that were to be "sett" for the following month.One of the mine captains stood at his elbow to give any requiredinformation--he and his three brother captains being the men who hadgone all over the mine during the previous month, examined the work,measured what had been done by each man or "pare" of men, knew thecapabilities of all the miners, and fixed the portion that ought to beoffered to each for acceptance or refusal.

  The men assembled in a cluster round the window, and looked up while MrCornish read off as follows:--

  "John Thomas's pitch at back of the hundred and five. By two men. Toextend from the end of tram-hole, four fathom west, and from back oflevel, five fathom above."

  For the enlightenment of the reader, we may paraphrase the abovesentence thus:--

  "The pitch or portion of rock wrought last month by John Thomas is nowoffered anew--in the first place, to John Thomas himself if he choosesto continue working it at our rate of pay, or, if he declines, to anyother man who pleases to offer for it. The pitch is in the back (orroof) of the level, which lies one hundred and five fathoms deep. Itmust be wrought by two men, and must be excavated lengthwise to anextent of four fa
thoms in a westerly direction from a spot called thetram-hole. In an upward direction, it may be excavated from the roof ofthe level to an extent of five fathoms."

  John Thomas, being present, at once offered "ten shillings," by which hemeant that, knowing the labour to be undergone, and the probable valueof the ore that would have to be excavated, he thought it worth while tocontinue at that piece of work, or that "pitch," if the manager wouldgive him ten shillings for every twenty shillings' worth of mineral sentto the surface by him; but the captain also knew the ground and thelabour that would be required, and his estimate was that eight shillingswould be quite sufficient remuneration, a fact which was announced byMr Cornish simply uttering the words, "At eight shillings."

  "Put her down, s'pose," said John Thomas after a moment's consideration.

  Perhaps John knew that eight shillings was really sufficient, althoughhe wanted ten. At all events he knew that it was against the rules todispute the point at that time, as it delayed business; that if he didnot accept the offer, another man might do so; and that he might not getso good a pitch if he were to change.

  The pitch was therefore sett to John Thomas, and another read off:--"JimHocking's pitch at back of the hundred and ten. By one man. Toextend," etcetera.

  "Won't have nothin' to do with her," said Jim Hocking.

  Jim had evidently found the work too hard, and was dissatisfied with theremuneration, so he declined, resolving to try his chance in a morepromising part of the mine.

  "Will any one offer for this pitch?" inquired Mr Cornish.

  Eight and six shillings were sums immediately named by men who thoughtthe pitch looked more promising than Jim did.

  "Any one offer more for this pitch?" asked the manager, taking up apebble from a little pile that lay at his elbow, and casting it into theair.

  While that pebble was in its flight, any one might offer for the pitch,but the instant it touched the ground, the bargain was held to beconcluded with the last bidder.

  A man named Oats, who had been in a hesitating state of mind, hereexclaimed "Five shillings" (that is, offered to work the pitch for fiveshillings on every twenty shillings' worth sent to grass); next instantthe stone fell, and the pitch was sett to Oats.

  Poor James Penrose's pitch was the next sett.

  "James Penrose's _late_ pitch," read the manager, giving the details ofit in terms somewhat similar to those already sett, and stating that therequired "pare," or force to be put on it, was two men and a boy.

  "Put me down for it," said Maggot.

  "Have you got your pare?" asked Mr Cornish.

  "Iss, sur."

  "Their names?"

  "David Trevarrow and my son Zackey."

  The pitch was allocated in due form at the rate of fifteen shillings pertwenty shillings' worth of mineral sent up--this large sum being givenbecause it was not known to be an unusually good pitch--Penrose havingbeen too ill to speak of his discovery since his accident, and thecaptain having failed to notice it. When a place is poor looking, ahigher sum is given to the miner to induce him to work it. When it isrich, a lower sum is given, because he can make more out of it.

  Thus the work went on, the sums named varying according to the nature ofthe ground, and each man saying "Naw," or "Put me down," or "That won'tdo," or "I won't have her," according to circumstances.

  While this was going on at the window, another and perhaps moreinteresting scene was taking place in the office. This apartmentpresented a singular appearances. There was a large table in the centreof it, which, with every available inch of surface on a side-table, andon a board at the window, was completely covered with banknotes andpiles of gold, silver, and copper. Each pile was placed on a littlesquare piece of paper containing the account-current for the month ofthe man or men to whom it belonged. Very few men laboured singly. Manyworked in couples, and some in bands of three, five, or more. So muchhard cash gave the place a wealthy appearance, and in truth there was agoodly sum spread out, amounting to several hundreds of pounds.

  The piles varied very much in size, and conveyed a rough outline of thefinancial history of the men they belonged to. Some large heaps ofsilver, with a few coppers and a pile of sovereigns more than an inchhigh, lying on two or more five-pound notes indicated successful labour.Nevertheless, the evidence was not absolutely conclusive, because thelarge piles had in most cases to be divided between several men who hadbanded together; but the little square account-papers, with a couple ofcrowns on them, told of hard work and little pay, while yonder squarewith two shillings in the centre of it betokened utter failure, only tobe excelled by another square, on which lay _nothing_.

  You will probably exclaim in your heart, reader, "What! do minerssometimes work for a month, and receive only two shillings, or _nothing_as wages?"

  Ay, sometimes; but it is their own seeking if they do; it is not forcedupon them.

  There are three classes of miners--those who work on the surface,dressing ore, etcetera, who are paid a weekly wage; those who work on"tribute," and those who work at "tut-work." Of the first we saynothing, except that they consist chiefly of balmaidens and children--the former receiving about 18 shillings a month, and the latter from 8shillings to 20 shillings, according to age and capacity.

  In regard to "tributers" and "tut-workers," we may remark that the workof both is identical in one respect--namely, that of hewing, picking,boring, and blasting the hard rock. In this matter they share equaltoils and dangers, but they are not subjected to the same remunerativevicissitudes.

  When a man works on "tribute" he receives so many shillings for everytwenty shillings' worth of ore that he raises during the month, asalready explained. If his "pitch" turns out to be rich in ore, hisearnings are proportionably high; if it be poor, he remains poor also.Sometimes a part of the mineral lode becomes so poor that it will notpay for working, and has to be abandoned. So little as a shilling maybe the result of a "tributer's" work for a month at one time, while atanother time he may get a good pitch, and make 100 pounds or 200 poundsin the same period.

  The "tutman" (or piecework man), on the other hand, cuts out the rock atso much per fathom, and obtains wages at the rate of from 2 pounds, 10shillings to 3 pounds a month. He can never hope to make a fortune, butso long as health and strength last, he may count on steady work andwages. Of course there is a great deal of the work in a mine which isnot directly remunerative, such as "sinking" shafts, opening up and"driving" (or lengthening) levels, and sinking "winzes." On such worktutmen are employed.

  The man who works on "tribute" is a speculator; he who chooses"tut-work" is a steady labourer. The tributer experiences all theexcitement of uncertainty, and enjoys the pleasures of hope. He knowssomething, too, about "hope deferred;" also can tell of hopedisappointed; has his wits sharpened, and, generally, is a smart fellow.The tut-worker knows nothing of this, his pay being safe and regular,though small. Many quiet-going, plodding men prefer and stick totut-work.

  In and about the counting-room the men who had settled the matter oftheir next month's work were assembled. These--the cashier havingpreviously made all ready--were paid in a prompt and businesslikemanner.

  First, there came forward a middle-aged man. It was scarcely necessaryfor him to speak, for the cashier knew every man on the mine by name,and also how much was due to him, and the hundreds of little squareaccounts-current were so arranged that he could lay his hands on any onein an instant. Nevertheless, being a hearty and amiable man, hegenerally had a word to say to every one.

  "How's your son, Matthew?" he inquired of the middle-aged man, puttingthe square paper with its contents into his hand.

  "He's braave, sir. The doctor do say he'll be about again in a week."

  Matthew crumpled up his account-current--notes, gold, silver, copper andall--in his huge brown hand, and, thrusting the whole into his breechespocket, said "Thank 'ee," and walked away.

  Next, there came forward a young man with one eye, an explosion havingshut up
the other one for ever. He received his money along with thatof the three men who worked in the same "pare" with him. He crumpled itup in the same reckless way as Matthew had done, also thrust it into hispocket, and walked off with an independent swagger. Truly, in thesweat, not only of his brow, but, of every pore in his body, had heearned it, and he was entitled to swagger a little just then. There waslittle enough room or inducement to do so down in the mine! After thisyoung man a little boy came forward saying that his "faither" had senthim for his money.

  It was observable that the boys and lads among those who presentedthemselves in the counting-room, were, as a rule, hearty and hopeful.With them it was as with the young in all walks of life. Everythinglooked bright and promising. The young men were stern, yetfree-and-easy--as though they had already found life a pretty toughbattle, but felt quite equal to it. And so they were, every one ofthem! With tough sinews, hard muscles, and indomitable energy, theywere assuredly equal to any work that man could undertake; and many ofthem, having the fear of God in their hearts, were fitted to enduremanfully the trials of life as well. The elderly men were sedate, andhad careworn faces; they knew what it was to suffer. Many of them hadcarried little ones to the grave; they had often seen strong men likethemselves go forth in the morning hale and hearty, and be carried totheir homes at evening with blinded eyes or shattered limbs. Life hadlost its gloss to them, but it had not lost its charms. There wereloving hearts to work for, and a glorious end for which to live, or, ifneed be, to die--so, although their countenances were sedate they werenot sad. The old men--of whom there were but two or three--were jollyold souls. They seemed to have successfully defied the tear and wear oflife, to have outlived its sorrows, and renewed their youth. Certainlythey had not reached their second childhood, for they stepped forth andheld out their hands for their pay as steadily as the best of the youngones.

  When about one-half of the number had been paid, a woman in widow'sweeds came forward to take up the pay due to her son--her "wretchedHarry," as she styled him. All that was due was seven-and-sixpence. Itwas inexpressibly sad to see her retire with this small sum--the lastthat her unsettled boy was entitled to draw from the mines. He hadworked previously in the neighbouring mine, Wheal Owles, and had gone toBotallack the month before. He was now off to sea, leaving his mother,who to some extent depended on him, to look out for herself.

  The next who came forward was a blind man. He had worked long in themine--so long that he could find his way through the labyrinth of levelsas easily in his blind state as he did formerly with his eyesight. Whenhis eyes were destroyed (in the usual way, by the explosion of a hole),he was only off work during the period of convalescence. Afterwards hereturned to his familiar haunts underground; and although he could nolonger labour in the old way, he was quite able to work a windlass, anddraw up the bucket at a winze. For this he now pocketed two poundssterling, and walked off as vigorously as if he had possessed both hiseyes!

  Among others, a wife appeared to claim her husband's pay, and she wasfollowed by Zackey Maggot, who came to receive his own and Penrose'smoney.

  "How does Penrose get on?" inquired the cashier, as he handed over thesum due.

  "Slowly, sur," said Zackey.

  "It is a bad case," said one of the captains, who sat close by; "thedoctor thinks there is little or no chance for his eyesight."

  Poor Zackey received his pay and retired without any demonstration ofhis wonted buoyancy of spirit, for he was fond of Penrose, almost asmuch so as he was of uncle David Trevarrow.

  The varied fortune experienced in the mine was exhibited in one or twoinstances on this occasion. One man and a boy, working together, had,in their own phraseology, "got a sturt"--they had come unexpectedly on apiece of rich ground, which yielded so much tin that at the end of themonth they received 25 pounds between them. The man had been receiving"subsist," that is, drawing advances monthly for nearly a year, and,having a wife and children to support, had almost lost heart. It wassaid that he had even contemplated suicide, but this little piece ofgood fortune enabled him to pay off his debt and left something over.Another man and boy had 20 pounds to receive. On the other hand, oneman had only 2 shillings due to him, while a couple of men who hadworked in poor ground found themselves 2 shillings in debt, and had toask for "subsist."

  Some time previous to this, two men had discovered a "bunch of copper,"and in the course of two months they cleared 260 pounds. At a laterperiod a man in Levant Mine, who was one of the Wesleyan localpreachers, cleared 200 pounds within a year. He gave a hundred poundsto his mother, and with the other hundred went off to seek his fortunein Australia!

  After all the men had been paid, those who wished for "subsist," oradvances, were desired to come forward. About a dozen of them did so,and among these were representatives of all classes--the diligent andstrong, the old and feeble, and the young. Of course, in miningoperations as in other work, the weak, lazy, and idle will ever be up tothe lips in trouble, and in need of help. But in mining the best of menmay be obliged to demand assistance, because, when tributers work onhopefully day after day and week after week on bad ground, they musthave advances to enable them to persevere--not being able to subsist onair! This is no hardship, the mine being at all times open to theirinspection, and they are allowed to select their own ground. Hence thedemand for "subsist" is not necessarily a sign of absolute but only oftemporary poverty. The managers make large or small advances accordingto their knowledge of the men.

  There was a good deal of chaffing at this point in the proceedings--thelazy men giving occasion for a slight administration of rebuke, and theable men affording scope for good-humoured pleasantry and badinage.

  In Botallack, at the present time, about forty or fifty men per monthfind it necessary to ask for "subsist."

  Before the wages were paid, several small deductions had to be made.First, there was sixpence to be deducted from each man for "the club."This club consisted of those who chose to pay sixpence a month to a fundfor the temporary support of those who were damaged by accidents in themine. A similar sum per month was deducted from each man for "thedoctor," who was bound, in consideration of this, to attend the minersfree of charge. In addition to this a shilling was deducted from eachman, to be given to the widow and family of a comrade who had died thatmonth. At the present time from 18 pounds to 20 pounds are raised inthis way when a death occurs, to be given to the friends of thedeceased. It should be remarked that these deductions are made with theconsent of the men. Any one may refuse to give to those objects, but,if he do so, he or his will lose the benefit in the event of hisdisablement or death.

  Men who are totally disabled receive a pension from the club fund. Notlong ago a miner, blind of one eye, left another mine and engaged inBotallack. Before his first month was out he exploded a blast-hole inhis face, which destroyed the other eye. From that day he received apension of 1 pound a month, which will continue till his death--or, atleast as long as Botallack shall flourish--and that miner may be seendaily going through the streets of St. Just with his little daughter, ina cart, shouting "Pilchards, fresh pilcha-a-rds, breem, pullock, freshpullock, _pil-cha-a-rds_"--at the top of his stentorian voice--a livingexample of the value of "the club," and of the principle of insurance!

  At length the business of the day came to a close. The wages were paid,the men's work for another month was fixed, the cases of difficulty anddistress were heard and alleviated, and then the managers and agentswound up the day by dining together in the account-house, the mostnoteworthy point in the event being the fact that the dinner was eatenoff plates made of pure Botallack tin.

  Once a quarter this dinner, styled the "account-dinner," is partaken ofby any of the shareholders who may wish to be present, on which occasionthe manager and agents lay before the company the condition andprospects of the mine, and a quarterly dividend (if any) is paid. Thereis a matter-of-fact and Spartan-like air about this feast which commandsrespect. The room in which i
t is held is uncarpeted, and its walls aregraced by no higher works of art than the plans and sections of themine. The food is excellent and substantial, but simple. There isabundance of it, but there are no courses--either preliminary orsuccessive--no soup or fish to annoy one who wants meat; no ridiculous_entremets_ to tantalise one who wants something solid; no puddings,pies, or tarts to tempt men to gluttony. All set to work at the sametime, and enjoy their meal _together_, which is more than can be said ofmost dinners. All is grandly simple, like the celebrated mine on whichthe whole is founded.

  But there is one luxury at this feast which it would be unpardonable notto mention--namely the punch. Whoever tastes this beverage can neverforget it! Description were useless to convey an idea of it.Imagination were impotent to form a conception of it. Taste alone willavail, so that our readers must either go to Cornwall to drink it, orfor ever remain unsatisfied. We can only remark, in reference to it,that it is potent as well as pleasant, and that it is also dangerous,being of an insinuating nature, so that those who partake freely have atendency to wish for more, and are apt to dream (not unreasonably, buttoo wildly) of Botallack tin being transformed into silver and gold.