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Sundry Costs
Transportation Costs
The main carrier of heavy
materials was George Sara with his wagons and horses. His largest load
for Wheal Agar was the delivery of the 60 inch engine from Penhale mine for
which he charged £77. During most months he was carrying timber from
Perran and Gweek, but he also had a few competitors such as Josiah Paull,
Malachi Martin, John Thomas and Andrew Craze. Sadly it seemed that George
Sara died in April 1859 because an entry the following month for carriage of
timber was made payable to his estate.
The carriage on the mine was
undertaken by James Williams and occasionally helped by Thomas Sweet. The
cost of carriage on the mine ranged from £0.20 to £5.20 per month.
The West Cornwall Railway was
used for carrying brick, slates and lime from Portreath, and steel from Bristol.
Thomas Tabb seemed to run the
local 'taxi' service and his coaches were used by the Captains on ticketing days,
sales and other meetings.
The total cost of carriage and
transport amounted to £365 for the 50 months of the Cost Book.
Sawing Timber
Another regular job itemised in the Cost Book was 'sawing timber'
and this was paid per 100 feet (30.5 metres). The price ranged between 2/3
and 2/6 with a higher price for oak and other hard wood. The cost of
sawing for 50 months was £250.
Rates of Pay for other Work
|
Type of Work |
Paid per Month £ |
Paid per Day £ |
Total Pay over 50 Months £ |
| Carpenter |
2.93 - 5.0 |
|
270 |
| Assistant Carpenter |
1.25 |
0.12 |
|
| Smith |
4.00 |
|
390 |
| Assistant Smith / Boy |
1.00 - 2.25 |
|
|
| Mason |
|
0.18 |
30 |
| Engineman |
3.0 - 3.50 |
0.13 |
142 |
| Sundry Workers |
|
0.08+ |
166 |
Miscellaneous Costs
Each month there were miscellaneous costs such as
the West Briton newspaper, gratuity for a Redruth policeman, underground shoes,
Captains' hats, underground clothes for timberman, plan of the mine,
leaches, repairs to smith's bellows, dial (for surveying), clock, lanthorne, kieves,
sawing rings for waterwheel, building hedge, filling carts, etc. I have
listed all these items if anyone is interested, and under
Supplies you will find more information on articles purchased.
Environmental Costs
It is apparent that mine
management had some environmental problems even in the 1850's! There were
four incidents where farmers were compensated and a typical example is in April
1859 which reads 'Samuel Serpill. Allowance for crop of mangolds
destroyed 10/-'.
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