The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-25

Il
coal interests in this city The writer of
the article in question has previously writ
ten up the other side of the same subject
in which the system in operation at Gable
has been lauded to the skies as being equit-
able and just both to the miners and con
is highly amusing and is subjoined;
THE FIRST ARTICLE.
appeared in so-called paper of recent
issue, and is as follows:
Crock Island has suffered greatly in past
years from the vampire coal and transpor-
tation monopoly which has exacted extra
ordinary tribute from the cook stove, the
heating stove. the blacksmith's forge and
the steam boiler And this vampire mo-
| nopoly seeks to maintain It's grip upon the
industries of this city, as-well as the private
dwellings of the people, by keeping out all
competition in transportation. 1t is our
| firm belief that Rock Island would, to-day
| have 25, 900 population if the Gable mo-
nopely had never cooled its baleful infiu5
ence around the town, sucked up the earn
| ings of the people, and deferred others
from coming here to engage in manufac-
turing. What is it but competition that
lays down coal in Peoria for cents. and
in Moline for cents, while Rock Island
pays II to IS cents? Is there any other
answer than that the people of this town
are quieted by plausible pretexts and honied
| words, while the vampire monopoly alb
serbs their earnings and prevents the town
| from growing? The way out OF the trouble
is to break up this monopoly by encourag-
ing competition in transportation, and by
enforcing stringent state laws to prevent
extortionate rates, rebates, ETC. VIII the
people awake to the situation?-or will
they continue to be lulled to apathy and
indifference by the plausible pretexts of
designing monopolists2
A CHANGE.
The same writer in 1857 was connected
with THE ARGUS. During that year, the
Peoria line was agitated and its construc-
ton urged by the various papers of Rock
Island and Davenport. 1t appears that the
Gazette copied an item concerning the
road, from THE ARGUS, and commented
upon it in an unfriendly manner to Mr.. Ca
BILE. The writer, who now assails the coal
monopoly, on the Goth of September. 1867,
penned the following reply:
seThe Davenport Gazette copied the item,
and then proceeded to indulge in some
very ungenerous insinuations in regard to
Mr. Cable, and his business operations.
| The article was based upon ignorance and
prejudice, as q great many other things
said about the same man and his business.
| ANY man who will divest himself of pref
udice, and acquire moderate amount Of
reliable information upon the matter will
perceive that Cables monopoly is an insti-
/ II Ill ,I1 81 h.
community, rich and poor, and is an injury
to-none that every business transaction,
! in which he is engaged is based upon exact
| Justice to all parties interested-even to
sharing of profits with the miners who dig
his coal"
PRAIsTNG THE SYSTEM.
In noting the coal business Of Rock ISL
and in an article published on the 9th Of
November 1867. the same writer says:
s'In 1868, P. L. Cable, the present pro-
prietor purchased the road and mine. At
about that time the Carbon Cliff and
Henry County companies curtailed their
! operations, and the new proprietor found
| himself enabled to increase his sales to
! fifty thousand bushels per annum. Much
| of his success can be:attributed to the equit-
| able system of labor which he introduced
and which time only proved to be the effica-
| cious The old mining company, during
| the period of its operations, as we have
| mentioned above, had been constantly
troubled with combinations Of The work
men for the demand of extortionate prices,
| which were sometimes entirely beyond its
ability to pay. When these demands were
not acceded TO- the men not only refused
to work but resorted to force to prevent
Others from working
The result was that, a constant Ill feeling
existed between employers and employed,
and the coal trade was SO frequently inter
rupted that no dependence whatever could
be placed on the regularity of the supply.
On assuming possession of his property,
Mr.. Cable adopted a plan intended to
ameliorate the previous state OF affairs.
He virtually made the miners, partners in
his enterprise-that is, he gave them one
third of the price OF coal in this city for
all mined in the rooms, and forty per cent,
additional for that mined in the entries
AS owner of the mines, for furnishing
props and railroad track, for hauling out.
screening, preparing for market and dis
posing, he claimed one third AS owner
of the road, for keeping it in repair, and
transporting the coal to market, he claimed
the remaining third In fact, his system
Ia simply cooperative one, in which cap
ital is placed against labor, and their inter
ests rendered identical When submitted
to the miners it was cheerfully accepted,
and from that day to this, not the slightest
difficulty has occurred while the most
amicable relations have existed between
the parties, Notwithstanding the fact that
coal advanced from twelve to twenty cents
per bushel shortly afterwards, and then
declined to fourteen cents"
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