general superintendent and James Howe is mine forman, who is admitted to be the most experienced coal mine manager in the State. E. L. Baker is the engineer and is the right man in the right place; a better man for the responsible position could not be found. This company pays twice a month in cash; keeps no "pluck me" store and was the first company in the State to start work under the new law. The Star Coal and Mining Co. operates one shaft located at Renick, seven miles east of Moberly on the St. Louis railroad, with a capital of $110,000, and has produced 30,680 tons this year; paid to employes about $42,000, and employs at present 125 men. This mine is supplied with good machinery and everything about the top is in first class order. The ventilation is obtained by means of fans, but is not up to the requirements of the law; Mr. Prince assured me he will have it so in a short time; J. R. Willis is the engineer and handles the lever like an old veteran. Elliot coal mine, located at Elliot on the M., K. & T. railroad, is operated by the Osage Coal and Mining Company, capital stock $70,000; employs 112 men, and has produced this year 20,000 tons; paid to employes $29,254.26; depth of shaft 145 feet from surface. The machinery is in splendid order, and the mine is ventilated with large fans. Thomas Fleming is superintendent. Higbee coal mine is located one half mile west of depot on the Chicago and Alton railroad, and is operated by the Higbee Coal and Mining Company, Thomas Fleming superintendent. This mine has only been in operation since July, 1884. Number of men employed, eighty; capital invested, $25,000; paid to employes, $50,000, and has produced 32,000 tons this year; depth of shaft, 170 feet. The machinery is all new and in good running order. The ventilation is effected by the use of fans. This company is sinking a new air shaft, the same is nearly completed. The capacity of this mine is 200 tons per day. The Renick coal mine is three fourths of a mile southeast of Renick, and is operated by the Renick Coal and Mining company; capital, $5,000; paid to employes $15,850, and has produced 11,850 tons this year; depth of shaft eighty-five feet, and the hoisting is done by horse power. E. S. Hubbard is superintendent and is a young man of fine ability as coal mine manager. This company is going to sink a new air shaft in the spring for the better ventilation of their mine. They would have done so last fall had their works been driven to the desired place. The air is not up to the requirements of the law, but Mr. Hubbard and Mr. Logan, the mine foreman, are doing all they can in that direction to bring the air up to the requirement. Number of men employed at present, fifty. The Woodward Coal and Mining Company is running No. 3 at Huntsville; Mr. Breckenridge, superintendent; capital, $120,000; paid to employes $41,000; hoisted this year 40,000 tons; number of men eighty. This mine is ventilated by the use of large fans, and plenty of fresh air is supplied to every working place in the mine. These mines have a total capital of $380,000 and have produced this year 188,530 tons of coal; paid to employes, $218,104; number of men employed, 547. I have spent much time and attention to see that the law is complied with in these mines and must say that the persons in charge of mines are watchful for the care and safety of their men. As to the air, there are places in these mines where men have to work where the air is not fit to work in. But when the air is measured at the foot of down. cast the amount required by law is found, but to distribute it, so as to give every man, or to give every room or part of mine its proper part, is almost impossible; take it for instance, some coal mines are worked on what is called the double road system; in this case the air goes to the face of workings on one road and returns on the other, hence the men are generally well supplied with sufficient air by this system. But the coal companies claim they cannot afford to keep up two roads to one room where the roofing is so poor. Hence, most of the mines are worked on the single road system, so that the rooms in most cases have not sufficient amount of air for the men to work in. Take the county all through, I can say the air is not what it ought to be. Number 3, Huntsville track, is the best aired shaft in the county, fully up to the requirements of the law. The roofing of all the mines is soap stone and black slate. Thickness of veins, first 18 to 20 inches, worked but very little; second vein, 3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet; this vein is the one principally worked. PRICE OF MINING. Price of mining is 94 cents per ton unto the first of April, 1886, all coal to be weighed before screening according to the law passed last winter. Day men are paid from $1.25 to $2.00 per day, engineers $45 to $60 per month. COAL MINES FILLING LOCAL TRADE. It would occupy too much space to give a detailed account of all the mines of that character in the county; there are about thirty in number working from two to fifteen men. Capital invested in all about 20,000 dollars, including value of leases, some of them running from ten to twenty years. Number of men employed, 126; paid to employes $30,840.60, and have produced 29,546 tons of coal. The principal mine of this character is operated by Thomas Rylance two and one-fourth miles northwest of Moberly. Capital, $2,000; amount paid to employes, $14,000. The coal of this mine all goes to Moberly for local use. This mine is fully up to all the requirements of the law. Mr. Rylance spends a large part of his time in looking after the welfare and safety of his men. The men are lowered and hoisted at this mine by horse power and coal is hoisted by the same means. Roofing is of hard soapstone, capacity is 1,500 bushels per day. Harry Ward operates a coal mine a half mile west of Thomas Rylance. Capital, $1,000; amount paid to employes, $3,000. The coal from this mine goes to Moberly for local use. Employs nine men. There is no escapement shaft at this mine; not well ventilated, but Mr. Ward is doing all he can under the circumstances for the welfare of his men; capacity, 1,000 bushels per day. There are six small drifts in and about Huntsville, all doing some business-not so much this winter as last, owing to the warm weather. Most all the coal produced from these mines is hauled in wagons from the mines and loaded on railroad cars at the side track and sold to consumers between Huntsville and Kansas City and between Brunswick and Council Bluffs. The 1ailroad rates are so high that it does not pay; it leaves a very small margin to the operator. The railroad gets. the lion's share. The balance of these mines are worked but very little, only in the flush season of cold weather, doing nothing when the roads are bad or in the summer time. I have visited most of the mines of this character and recommended to the operators such improvements as would be beneficial to the men employed. The law is not complied with in a great many cases in the county. I have been very slow in enforcing the same as I thought it would be best for operators and men to give ample time for the operators to make such changes as the law demands, but from the beginning of the new year I expect all mine owners to strictly comply with the law without fear or favor. THE EFFECTS OF THE NEW LAW. All the mines are running in compliance with the same, the oper ators and men being benefitted thereby. The former knowing their men are satisfied, hence strikes are avoided; the latter knowing they are paid for all clean coal sent to the surface. OTHER NEEDED LEGISLATION. I hope the next legislature will pass a bill to make it compulsory for all coal companies and others working men to pay twice a month in the lawful money of the country. This would in a great measure do away with "pluck me" stores and the paper scrip that is paid to men by some operators in the county. TAMPING RODS OR BARS. I think a clause should be inserted in our mining laws requiring the heads of all tamping rods or bars to be made of copper. I have no accidents to record by premature discharges caused by the use of iron heads, yet I do know men are killed every year by premature dis charges caused by the use of the tamping rod now in use. It is the law in many of the Eastern States, also in many mining districts in Europe. MINE INSPECTORS. I am of the same opinion as your predecessor, Hon. Henry A. Newman, that the law should be so changed that instead of local inspectors there should be one mine inspector for the State, appointed by the State Commissioner of Labor. There should be two inspections a year. The inspector should be a practical miner, who should have been min ing coal ten years prior to his appointment and should be examined by the Commisioner as to his qualifications. As to his salary, I leave that to wiser heads to determine. I am of the opinion that the next legislature will do well to consider the subject. I believe it would result in much benefit to both operator and men employed. MINERS AS A CLASS. It has been said that the coal miners as a class were an ignorant class of men, dull of comprehension, and made very poor citizens, as a 1 rule. Such is not the case. They are well posted on all the general topics, and as a reading people they stand second to no class of workmen. The great dailies and weekly newspapers are found in every house, and no few in number have classical attainments that need no mention from me. They know that it is the cardinal principle of a free republican government to ennoble toil and honor the toiler. They know too well that most of the laws passed by our Congress and State legislatures are passed in the interest of foreign capital and bloodless. corporations. They watch our law-makers in both State and nation with an eye of criticism, and know by past experience that their interest is not so well guarded as the interest of capital. They know too well that if our flag was insulted and war declared that no other class of people would rush quicker to the defense of our flag and country than the so called ignorant coal miners. They know too well that in case. of an emergency this Government has the right to take them from. their happy homes and firesides and rush them into battle in defense of our flag, and they do know and feel too well that a Government that can deprive them of home and the happy surroundings of their families, and then not ptotect them in their interests, is not a Goyernment of the people and by the people, as Washington wrote; her name would be meaningless, her glory a dream and her institutions a mockery, and her proud flag, the stars and stripes, would contaminate the very air in which it floats. Mr. Commissioner, let me say that the coal miners are looking for. ward to the dawn of better times for both operators and themselves. They know that capital and labor must go hand in hand as two brothers. No advantage should be taken by either party. The interests of one side should be guarded by the other, and when this view of the facts is considered by both parties then peace and quietness will reign throughout the mining camps of our country, and then Pinkerton's hirelings would have to make an honest living, as far as the coal miners. are concerned. Respectfully, WILLIAM B. WATTS, Mine Inspector Randolph Co., Mo. |