The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-23
THE COAL BUSINESS IN ROCK IsLAN1
COUNTY.
Inspector Gordon's Report.

Daniel Gordon, inspector of coal mines
in this county, has made his annual report
to the Governor, as required by law. From
the report it appears that the Hampton
Coal Mining Company produced the larges
amount of coal in 1878 of any company in
the cOunty,viz: 50, 500 tons the Coal Val
ley Mining Co, 1899 tons; Taylor Will
Jams H. los tons Black Diamond CO. 49,
600; Baker, Lowry, Weightman 4 Co o.
600; -Etna 7,480; Cable & Wilson 1000 !;
Porter Bros, 6,l4O; Samuel Bowles g.
600 Kay & Wilson's, Robert Kay WV.
Corcoran, Heirs of F. Flagg, S. Glaspy,
Donald & Brown, Moses Garland, Wither-
spoon & Lewis, Park & Hitler, Beardsley
K Leas, G.. j. Brown, John Pratt, Joseph
Sackfeld, Bailey Davenport, Durfee &
Adams, Davenport Coal Co, l.. D. Ed
wards, Eggleston 4 Russells, Henry Frohl
and Apologize &iWilliams, lesser amounts,
in all, in the county, 49, tons, the val
ue Of which is estimated at 1854, GIG.
Amount of capital employed $l1 $50.
Highest number of men employed Ga
average number employed 40. The num-
Der of acres of coal is set down at 3,0024,
and the number Of acres worked out 3342
The value of coal per ton at the mines va
ries from So, the lowest, to So 50 the high
est, which is Bailey Bavenport's Blachawk
mine The number of mines examined is
80, but the inspector adds Coal mines and
coal lands in the western part of the coun-
ty not inspected and but little worked
The report closes as follows:
The estimated number Of acres of work
able coal was set down at the amount which
has been ascertained with reasonable GER
tainty, and is not more than one-third of
the area which probably exists in the coun-
ty. The number Of tons of coal actually
mined during the year could not in all
cases be definitely ascertained; or the
amount of capital invested in machinery
and appliances used in mining; in such
cases the months set down were ascertain
ed by comparison with other mines where
account of the same was kept. The coal
mining operations in this county during
lllC Stdl IOt % udNt pCCu CUuuuCJCu Will
out serious injury to any person engaged
therein. The undersigned found a cOnsid-
cradle number of boys FROM IL to l6 years
of age engaged in the mines, and in all
cases where boys under II years of age
were employed, warned their parents or
the proprietor of the mine to have them
desist; but 1t is too much to expect that a
visit of the Inspector once a year will
wholly stop the practice. 1t is a deplora-
Die fact that so many young persons should
be growing up inignorance where the means
of education are provided for them at pub
! lie expense. The undersigned finds that
many neglect to comply with the mining
law onSaccount of their ignorance of its
provisions and believes that the publica-
ton of the mining law of the State in
pamphlet form, for gratuituous distribu-
ton, by the Inspectors of the several ceun-
ties or otherwise, among those engaged in
this industry would be justified by the
magnitude of the coal mining interest in
the state, and the benefit which would re-
suit therefronT. Dated this sixteenth day
of January, A. d. 1874 Respectfully
submitted. DANIEL GORDON,
County Surveyor and ex-Officio Inspector
of Coal Mines, Rock Island County Ills
Ii. l.. HUNTER, Practical Miner and
sworn Assistant Inspector of Coal Mines