MINES AND MINING.·

Prominent and careful consideration is given by this Bureau to the mining interests of the State. No other industry offers so great an opportunity to observe the relations between employer and employe, and, considering the extensive and inexhaustible mineral deposits within the State, it may well be said that the mining interest will soon attain the most significant position among all our industries.

It is much to be regretted that our present mining laws only refer to coal mines, and while they provide for annual reports to be made to this Bureau by the Mine Inspectors, the appointment of mine inspectors is entirely subject to the voluntary action of the various county courts, and the consequence is, that very few mine Inspectors are appointed. Mine inspectors ought to be appointed in every county in which any class of mining is carried on, and the appointment should only be made after a careful examination before a board of examiners, and the appointees should be subject to removal for malfeasance in office or neglect of duty.

In order to guard more effectually against premature explosions, the use of iron needles or iron tamping bars used for tamping blasts should be declared unlawful, and only copper needles, and coppertipped, tamping bars permitted to be used. The owners or operators of every mine should be required to report annually to this Bureau the condition of their mine.or mines, number of men employed, amount of wages paid, sanitary condition of employes, total amount of product of mine, amount of capital invested, and accidents and their cause, and such other matters as may aid in developing the mining interests of the State. To the many letters asking for information on the above subjects only a few replies have been received, all of which will be included in this report. If our mining laws were amended, as above suggested, very valuable information regarding the mineral resources of the State could be presented. Following are the reports of the

mine inspectors of Randolph, Macon, Ray, Bates and Barton counties, the only counties from which reports have been received.

The total output of coal in Missouri during the year 1885, reported and estimated, will amount to fully 1,500,000 tons.

RANDOLPH COUNTY REPORT.

MOBERLY, MISSOURI, DEC. 31, 1885.

HON. OSCAR KOCHTITZKY, Commissioner of Labor Statistics:

SIR-As required by "section 11 of the mining laws," I have the honor to submit to you my annual report as mine inspector of Randolph county, ending December 31, 1885. I was appointed Inspector for this county the fourth Monday in July last, but did not enter in discharge of duty until a month later.

acres.

It would be a hard matter for me to state the number of acres of workable coal land in this county even approximately, but from the best information I can obtain on the question, there are about 160,000 And from personal observations of the coal fields of this county I would say that the future and rising generations will find plenty of coal in this county. The amount of capital employed in mining in this county is not far from $100,000. The amount paid to employes about $230,000. The number of mines in operation thirty-seven; a large majority of them are operated in cold weather only, and a few of them only get out coal enough for their own use.

The Huntsville Coal and Mining Co. is the principal company doing business in the county. They employ in and about the mines 100 hands and have hoisted about 51,000 tons of coal. The capital of this company is $50,000. The amount paid to employes is $10,000. These mines are situated on the St. Louis, Wabash and Pacific railroad about four miles west of Moberly, and are furnished with all the modern improvements including railroad scales and screens, and is the only shaft in the county that has bonnets and safety catches on their cages. The underground connection with old "No. 1" renders means of escape in case of danger. The mines are free from water and are aired by means of a furnace. There is the amount of air required by law passing in the downcast but is not well distributed to the working faces, but this will be all right in a few days as the company is making improvements in that direction. The principal office of the company is at Huntsville. Wm. T. Rutherford is president, H. T. Rutherford is

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