and in charge of different men, and for all practical purposes might be termed two mines from the same opening. I. Ward, foreman.

Mine No. 2.-Martin Coleman, foreman. This mine is located two miles east of depot. It is a shaft 63 feet deep, and equipped with first-class machinery for hoisting. This is comparatively a new mine, having been in operation about two years. It has been opened out very extensively, is practically operated, and has a large output for a new mine. The ventilation is furnished at present by a furnace, which is only temporary, as the mine will soon outgrow the capacity of the furnace and a fan will be erected in its place. I made two inspections of the mine during the past year, and found it well ventilated and in good condition. At date of second inspection, June 29, I found the mine in better condition than on any former visit. Headers had been driven from the east off the north to connect with the face of the work on the straight east, thus shortening the distance the air had to travel and introducing a fresher air for the miners to inhale. The same method had been used on the west side of the shaft, and on careful examination I found plenty of fresh air circulating all through the mine. The air-ways are large and clean, and all the doors found in good condition. All entries were high, wide, dry and clean, and the mine in good condition. There were 104 men employed.

Mine No. 4.-Ed. McCallum, foreman. This mine is located 1 mile north of depot. It is a drift opening, but a slope is being made in order to elevate the tipple-house above the railroad track, so as to dump the coal. This mine was closed down in February, owing to the depression in its coal trade, and had not resumed operations up to date of this writing, hence only one inspection was made during the past year, and at that date (September 13) I found the mine in good condition with the ventilation above the requirements of the law. All coal from these mines is shipped over the C. B. & K. C. R. R., and consumed in Missouri, Nebraska and Minnesota.

UNIONVILLE POSTOFFICE.

Emporia Coal Company.-F. H. Lewis, president, and George Evans, superintendent. Mine located one and one-half mile north of Unionville. Shaft 125 feet deep, and hoisting done at present by horse, but the company contemplates equipping the mine with machinery at once. Ventilation is furnished by a small grate situated at the foot of the air-shaft. This is a new mine opened up last spring, and is oper. ated by a co-operative company from Emporia, Kansas. The coal is of he same vein as that so extensively worked in other parts of this and throughout Southern Iowa. It is about 32 inches thick

and worked on the room and pillar plan, paying 60 cents per ton for mining unscreened coal. The mine is dry, has been opened up in a very practical way, and will make a good mine if better machinery is furnished and the underground work continues in good hands, as the present owners have not the required push. About 20 men employed, and the product is shipped to St. Joseph over the C. B. & K. C. R. R. Following are names of parties operating mines east and southeast of Unionville in the fall and winter to supply the home trade: Anderson & Son, James Carter, the Henckle mine, Ed. Norton, John Moore and James Smith. The product is consumed at Unionville.

RALLS COUNTY.
Production, 8489 tons.

PERRY POSTOFFICE.

Ralls County Coal Company.-Mine located one and one-half mile northeast of Perry, and connected with the Perry & New London branch of the St. Louis & Hannibal railroad. Shaft 40 feet deep; horse power. Coal 26 inches thick and worked on the long-wall plan. The roof is a mixture of slate and soapstone, very friable and requiring great care to keep it up, but it seems to stand better under the longwall method of mining than the room and pillar plan. The coal is underlaid by a soft fire-clay and is easily mined. The price paid for mining is 80 cents per ton, and the output is shipped to Hannibal.

John Ellis is operating a drift mine one-half mile northeast of Perry. The coal is 26 inches thick and worked on the long wall plan, paying 90 cents per ton for mining and wheeling. Most of the output is consumed at Perry, but some is hauled in wagons and loaded on railroad cars and shipped to market over the St. Louis & Hannibal railroad.

John Whitmore operates a mine north of Perry; drift opening. Mine only run in the fall and winter, and the product is consumed at Perry and vicinity.

RANDOLPH COUNTY.

Production, 217,958 tons.

Randolph county, for the year ending June 30, 1895, shows a slight increase in her output of coal, as compared with the previous year. The county produced this year 217,958 tons, which was sold at the mines for $213,259, or an average of $1.11 per ton. There are 27 mines now in operation in this county, of which 11 are shafts, 4 are slopes and 12 are drifts. There are six mines employing steam-power, 12 horse-power and 9 hand-power. There are 15 furnaces and 5 fans used

for ventilation. The mines, on an average, employ 663 miners in winter and 456 in summer, with an average of 80 other employes. Forty-six mules were used in the mines during the winter and 30 during the summer. The system upon which the mines of this county are operated is confined almost exclusively to the pillar and room method, for out of a total of 27 mines only 3 are worked on the long-wall plan. The Chicago & Alton, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and the Wabash railroads, passing through the center of the coal field, furnish good shipping facilities for the product. Following is a description of each mine, as found at date of inspection:

ELLIOTT POSTOFFICE.

Fleming Coal Company.-J. C. Fleming, superintendent; James Davies, foreman. Mine located at Elliott, a mining camp situated five miles south of Moberly and connected with the M., K. & T. railroad. Shaft 145 feet deep and equipped with good machinery for hoisting. I made three inspections of this mine during the past year. First inspection was made August 14 and mine found in very good condition. with the ventilation up to the requirements of the law. The air is first taken to the north side, returning through an air-course to the south side, where it splits into two currents-one current ventilating the west side, while the other furnished the air for the east entries, uniting at the south entry, from which point it returns to the upcast. Three tests of the air were taken, and 14.180 cubic feet found in circulation and well distributed to the working places. I observed the north and the south entries had been timbered and made secure, as suggested by me on a former inspection.

I made another inspection January 16 and found the south side in good condition, with plenty of fresh air circulating around the workings. On the north side a deficiency was discovered in some places, due to the want of doors set, and the management was requested to remedy this at once. May 22nd I made another careful examination of the mine, and found considerable improvement had been made in the underground workings since my former visit. New entries had been opened on the southeast side, which were high, wide and clean, and the air was found traveling in abundant quantity. The meter registered 8220 cubic feet on the west side, with 45 men at work; on the east side, where 71 men were at work, it registered 11,130 cubic feet, and 4500 cubic feet of air was passing along the north side, where about 40 men were at work. The current was weaker on the north side than at any other part of the mine, and deficiency found in some places. Preparations were being made, however, to enlarge the air

On

ways on this side, so as to admit a larger volume of air to pass. the whole, the mine is well ventilated and in very good condition. Coal 3 feet 10 inches thick and worked on the long-wall plan, paying 80 cents per ton for mining screened coal. The product of the mine is consumed by the railway company, as ten coal chutes have been erected at the mine for the purpose of coaling engines. From 150 to 175 men employed.

HIGBEE POSTOFFICE.

Higbee Coal and Mining Company.-William Walton, superintendent; Hiram Hyde, foreman. Mine located west of Higbee and connected with the Chicago & Alton railroad. Shaft 170 feet deep, operated by the use of good machinery for hoisting and draining. Ventilation is produced by a 10-foot fan, which maintains a speed of about 80 revolutions per minute with good results. Three inspections have been made of this mine during the past year. First inspection was made on August 16 and it was found in good condition, with the ventilation above the demands of the law, as 9380 cubic feet of air was found passing and 52 men at work. The volume splits to the east and west entries and reunites again at the face of the south entry, from which point it returns to the upcast. While the ventilation at this mine, at this date, measured double the amount required by law, yet there is always a deficiency found in some part of a mine, owing to unavoidable obstructions caused by creeps and squeezes at the face of the work, where the air is required to travel. All the work at this date was confined to the south side of the shaft.

Second inspection was made December 24th. Fan was making 77 revolutions per minute and 9600 cubic feet of air found passing, which volume was proportionately divided to the respective working places. I found the air-courses had been cleaned and retimbered, and the mine in very good condition, with the single exception of setting a door on the west entry, which was promptly attended to. I inspected the mine again on the 27th of May, and found all the men working on the west side of the south entry, owing to obstructions on the east side caused by water breaking in. The ventilation was found up to the demands of the law, and the mine otherwise in very fair condition. The repairs are made to keep pace with the advancement of the mine, and considerable retimbering has been done on the south entry during the past year. Cages, ropes, safety catches and all safety appliances were found in good working order. Coal from 3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet thick, and worked on the long-wall plan. The roof immediately over the coal is a mixture of slate and soapstone. It is soft and friable, and requires

great care and a large amount of timber to keep it secure. It can be worked, however, with greater economy on the long wall plan than by the room and pillar method. The product of the mine is consumed by the railroad company, and a large portion is used by the engines, which is taken out of the chutes erected at the mine for that purpose. From 60 to 70 men and boys are employed.

Interstate Coal Co.-William Walton, superintendent; Thomas Bain, foreman. Mine located one and one-half miles south of Higbee, and connected with the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad. Shaft 110 feet deep, equipped with first-class machinery for hoisting. This mine has been opened out very extensively and practically operated. It is considered one of the best equipped mines in the State. The engines were built by the Rankin & Fitch Iron Works to Louis, cylinders 12x20 inches, and connection made direct to a 6-foot drum. The enginehouse, boiler-room, pit-head, weigh and tipple-house are well arranged for every convenience and economy of working. Ten coal chutes have also been erected at the mine to coal engines. A 12-foot fan is used to ventilate the mine, and the same is set about 200 feet from the main shaft, exhausting and forcing alternately summer and winter.

I made two inspections of the mine during the past year; first inspection was made August 18th, and found it in good condition; all the work at this date was confined to the east side of the shaft, where there were about 40 men at work.

On the 18th of January, I visited the mine again. The fan was making 60 revolutions per minute, and the meter registered 12,200 cubic feet of air passing in same length of time. This volume was circulating around the mine in two currents, to the north and south entries respectively, and reunited again at the face of the east entry, from which point it returns to the up cast, over an air-crossing erected over the last entry. The ventilation was found to be double the amount required by law. The output of the mine has been rather limited the past year, owing to loss of contract to supply the railroad company, causing a suspension of work for nearly two years in the mine. It is now only operating to supply the local demand. At the time this mine closed down, it had an output of 600 tons per day, and was only fairly opened at the time. Had it remained in operation without interruption, it would now be one of the most productive mines in the State, and would double the output of any mine in Randolph county. Coal 44 inches thick, and worked on the long-wall plan. The mine is dry, roadways high, wide, clean, and in good condition generally. The coal is shipped over the M., K. & T. R. R. to local towns along the line. From 40 to 50 men employed.