The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-18
TR-P 20 HAMPTON.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE RAPIDS
Work on the St. Louis
Chain of Rocks.
Happy Hollow Coal Mines.

Happy Hollow. Arrived iD Hampton the
offer of Mr.. s. Heagy, of his horse and
buggy,to visit the Rapids, was accepted, and
with Mr.. s, S, Crompton for driver, we
rode up the river until opposite the fiat
boat, when we hailed the party on board
and we're taken over in a skiff.
The work of removing the st. Louis
chain of rocks in the Mississippi river,
about two miles above Hampton, is pro-
crossing The chain consists of a strip or
ridge of rocks about 100 feet wide, and at
low water mark there is less than foot of
water covering them, and being in the
centre Of the channel they are dangerous
obstacle to navigation, Four feet of this |
ridge will be removed. A gang of about
II men, under charge of Mr.. J. F. Wal
lace, of this city, has been at work for
the last four weeks, with fat boat fully
equipped with derricks, chisels, battery for
exploding the submarine, blasts. ETC., etc.,
excavating the rocks. This work is being
done directly by the L. S. authorities, and
not by contract, as is usual. The usual
contract price is not less than $16 per Gu
bic yard, and this work, by careful esti
mates, has not cost more than $40 per Gu |
bic yard, as yet, and it is thought there
will be saving Of considerable money by
the operation.
Mr.. Wallace kindly explained the use
of the various machinery on the boat, ex-
IoI Ice b,y - L
messed the removal of several rocks weigh
ing between 1000 and 5000 pounds. 1t
being noon, MIR. Wallace insisted on our
going to his camp, on beautiful island
near the Iowa shore, and taking dinner with
him, and IN few minutes we were seated
at dinner, prepared by his excellent wife,
the style and variety Of which is not often
found in camp After dinner we were
taken to the Illinois shore and jumping
into our wagon were soon in town again.
| After an hours sUjourn here, in COM
pany with Mr.. Heagy, We drove out to the
coal mines at
| HAPPY HOLLOW,
about % miles from Hampton village.
| The first shaft you arrive at belongs to
the Hampton Coal Mining Co. K. H.
Baker, OF Racine, president; A. r. Stod-
dard superintendent; and Samuel Heagy,
agent. There are two shafts here belong
ing to this company, but only one of them
is now being worked. About I25 men find
employment in this shaft, and the capa-
city Of the two shafts is not less than 60
railroad cars per day, but owing to the
dulncss of the market only about 25 cars
are shipped at present. The thickness Of
the vein is "A inches The miners re-
ceive four cents per bushel for mining the
coal.
On Monday the miners were notified
that the company could not afford to pay
mere than 3! cents per bushel for mining;
if this was not satisfactory the mines would
be closed. There is considerable rrraling
on the subject among the miners and it is
doubtful which course they will pursue.
} This company now furnishes all the coal
used Oh thew Western Union and the MilWau-
kee Il St. Paul roads.
The Davenport Coal Co. J. 3. Cox su,
perintendent has about Is men employed
and gets out between 3 and / cars of coal
per day. Not working to its full capac-
! ity.
Etna Coal Co., R. Fl. Pease, president
is working about 40 men its mines. and
loading between and cars day. Thi;
company has a small store in connection
2 with the mines.
Durfee & Adams, W. A. Durfee, supt.
employ % men and get cut about ca
loads daily.
r All the coal mined by the above name,
/ companies is sold directly to the Hampton
Coal Mining CO., and shipped over tn
Western Union road. 4 switch engin
does the work between Watertown an
1t Happy Hollow.
/. Lowery, Wightman 4 Co.'S are nc
running at present, but expect to resum
& work sometime this fall Last winter owe
u 60 men found employment in this com
t, pany's shaft.
lie V. W. Emmert, the postmaster at Hap
r ~ Hollow, is absent on business in low;
! and VIM. G. Sheppard is attending to tn
j. duties of the office until his return. Tn
Office is in the dry goods and grocery stor
II. of Lowery, Wightman & Co.
Mr.. l.. G. Lewis, the station agent, te',
graph operator, and weigher Of all tn
coal mined at the Hollow, is kept busy u
% tending to his numerous duties.
Or After spending about an hour at tn
Hollow we returned to Hampton.
The new hall, lately built by S. S
Crompton, is something to be proud g
here a club has been formed here b
IN the fun loving people and once every tw
weeks they assemble in the hall and,
d the music Of Biehls band, have som
IL pleasant dances. The club numbers :
Or members, with II. G. Twinng, president
10 j. Ii. Thomas, secretary; S. S. Cromptor
l., treasurer; and John Sutton, floor manage
~ 1t is known as the Hampton Dancing Clul
H. and so far has been success. The hall
es situated ahoye the blacksmith shop of VI
,e CromptOn. The next dance given by I'll
ar club will He Gu Thursday, the 20 lust.
:. Old citizens are passing away rapidly
IL On Tuesday Mr. Peter Edelman was COL
III signed to his grave, having died on SUI
ID day morning OF old age. He was "A veal
a Of age; had lived here for nearly % veal
- and was well known in the upper end (
OF The county.
ce On Monday, a most cstiuable young lad
of Margaret Earhardt-died of typhoi
10 fever, aged about l6 years, and was burie
:" on Tuesday from the Catholic church here
She was sick but few days. Her deaf
or is much regretted,
- The saw and grist mill Of II. o. Norto
continues to run with regularity. Fin
oak lumb Der and first class -four are the pr,
l. ducts.
The Office Of justice of the peace don
nj seem to pay very well up here, as Mr..
:. I. Baker, elected July 9th, has had b.
one case since his election-and that didn
IL come to trial--ap evidence that the peopI
is get along peaeably and that lawyers al
n not needed.
70 l.. f, Baker, sunday school superintel
VI dent, says his school now numbers ov'