Introduction
Once coal had reached the surface, it was the practice to pass it over screens to sieve it into different grades, ranging from large lumps to dust.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were three main grades, namely, Coal, Burgy (spelling variations, Borgy and Burgie) and Slack.
Material that passed over the first screen, with the largest mesh size, was sold
as Coal, also known as Round Coal, Household Coal, &c. This was the best coal and it was the most expensive. Material that passed over the second screen, with the
smallest mesh size, was sold as Burgy, which was small coal mainly used to fire furnaces and kilns. This coal was sold at a lower price. Material that passed through the second screen was
sold as Slack and this was a mixture of small pieces of coal, coal dust and dirt. This was the cheapest coal and it was typically used to fire boilers for steam raising purposes to drive steam engines.
Cotton mills would be the principal consumers of slack.
A load of coal was equivalent to 4 tons 16 hundredweight or 4.8 tons.
BIG MINE
Round Coal per load, 6s 8d or 1s 4¾d per ton.
Burgy Coal per load, 5s 8d or 1s 2⅙d per ton.
Driving Levels, per yard, Bottom Coal 3s 0d, Tops 10d.
Driving Brows, 9ft to 10ft wide, 5s 0d per yard, laying rails in brow,
1s 0d per yard.
Driving Back Brows, 4s 0d per yard.
Driving Down Hill, 6d per yard extra
ROGER MINE
Round Coal per load, 7s 9d or 1s 7¾d per ton.
Burgy Coal per load, 5s 3d or 1s 1⅛d per ton.
Driving Levels per yard, 3s 6d.
Driving Brows, 9ft to 10ft wide, 5s 0d per yard, laying rails in brow,
1s 0d per yard.
Driving Back Brows, 4s 0d per yard.
Driving Down Hill, 6d per yard extra.
list PAID IN BOTH MINES
Jigging, 3d per load.
Jigging and Taking-off, 6d per load for first length, and 3d per load
extra per every length afterwards, in Levels beyond Back Brow.
Backening 3d per load for a pillar over 14 yards, and 6d per load over
21 yards, and 6d per load if one pillar is backened through another.
Jenneying, 6d per load for first length and 3d per load extra for
every length afterwards.
Winching up brow 1d per load per yard.
Pulling up rails 1d per yard as pillars are brought back to be paid for every
50 yards and in other places when finished pulled up by the day.
Setting brow couples or bars, 2s 0d per pair.
Setting round couples, 1s 0d per pair.
Waggoning over length, 6d per load extra 250yds, and 6d extra for every
100 yards afterwards.
Cutting one fast side, half-price.
Lurking proper, half-price, but as per agreement (when only taking loose
coal) between the workmen affected and the underlooker; and in case of
difference, the matter to be referred to the manager and a representative of
the Federation.
Setting props under 5ft in length, 2d each; over 5ft, 3d each
Filling ordinary tubs of dirt 3d per tub. Emptying, 2d per tub.
Setting chocks, 1s 0d each.
Drawing chocks, 1s 0d each.
Repairing roads, &c, paid by the day.
Walling in Levels, 1s 0d per yard.
Drawing props, 1d each.
Stone chocks to be paid by day wage.
District percentage to be added to the above list.
Signed on behalf of the Colliery Co. by
Wm. Ollerenshaw, Manager.
On behalf of the Miners' Federation and workmen by
Thomas Ashton,
Jesse Butler,
John Lloyd,
Richard Cowcill.
November 1899.
