Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-10-31
NEWCASTLE NOTES.

town as il does az this time.
NEWCASTLE NOTES.
The new bunkers at Coal creek, one
and one half miles from Newcastle, on
which Mr.. Coppin. with q force OF men,
has been at work ever since the 18th OF
May last, are nov nearing completion.
and will be ready for use within two
weeks. These bunkers are q model OF
strength and durability, and 20 arranged
that the coal can be chsapiy and conven-
iently handled. These bunkers are d.
recsly over the slope, one and bali mica
from the mouth Of the big tunnel, and
on their completion three-fourths of the
coal now brought out by way OF New
castle will come TO the surface at Coal
creek, dumped into the new bankers
and from there into the cars, ready for
shipment to this city. Mr.. Coiman Is
getting up an apparatus something like
a sawdust elevator in mill, 10 convey
the fine coal into bunkers at ono side OF
the big ones, where IL will be run over
finer screens, and all the coal that Ia 1T
for use will thereby be saved.
One of the most useful contrivauoes
at Newcastle, for simple ooal-saving
device, Is an ingeniously constructed
wheel of fortune. The history of the
affair Ia something like this: In mining
the coal a great deal Of il is what
was formerly known as waste,
and consisted of the dust, and
coal ono grade finer than mt coal.
This stuff was necessarily all taken from
the mine, and dumped into ths bunken,
where up 70 two years ago several men
were employed in casting this stuff of
and dumping il in various places about
the camp, where il would take fire and
shoulder and smoke for months. Fin
ally fume was constructed TO carry
this fine coal, or waste of. the water
being brought from Coal Creek. After
while it was discovered that q great
deal Of coal was carried down the dume,
that would be valuable IL there could be
some way discovered TO separate it from
the dirt and trash. The matter was
talked over, and between Mr.. Williams,
the superintendent at the mine. and Mr..
Colman, the boss mechanic on this up
per coast, the desired invention was per-
fected. 1t consists simply Of a wheel,
covered with wire netting. This wheel
is set ON q slant so that the force of the
coal and water in the hume passing
over it will keep it constantly revolving.
The dust and dirt pass through the wire
netting, and the clean fine coal il thrown
from theswheel into q bunker built to
receive il. One Chinaman is employed
at the wheel to keep it from choking it
self up. BY this device from thirty
FIVE to fifty tons of clean coal is saved
to the company, that formerly was a
source of much expense to them in get
ting rid of it.
During the past summer work at tho
mines has been rather slack, but from
this on the miners will probably have
all the work they can do.
The road from Newcastle mp to Coal
creek, though only one and q half miles
in length, runs through q remarkably
rough section Of country, and there are
nine trestles to cross, varying from
eight to sixty feet in hight. Mr.. C0ppin
is now engaged in putting braces on all
these treatles. He has also Just com,
pleted his inspection of tho trestles be,
tween Newcastle and Renton, and pro-
nounces them safe and sound. The
Newcastle mines belong virtually to the
Oregan Improvement Company, of
which j. n. 4. Atkinson, Esq, il agent,
and 7. j. Hay bookkeeper. j. A. Viii
liams Is superintendent of the mine,
and James Fairbairn il outside boss.
The company has q sawmill, . black
smith shop in charge of Mr.. McAuley. a
boarding house in charge Of II. Downs;
n hAov hal usn~s1~A n~~v -. Ne -
Hughes; a splendidly stocked general
Mr.. Atkinson, assisted by Messrs. p.
Radden and !. Calhoun; well stocked
livery stable, etc.
No spirituous liquor is sold in the
company's saloon, but Messrs. p. Flynn
and Duffy 4 Collins have Attachments
near the camp, whore everything in the
drinking line Ii to be found.
Two public schools are in progress at
Newcastle, with an average attendance
Of about thirty pupils each.
Politics Ia the principal theme Of con-
versation now at both kentOn and New
castle, and the miners are determined to
stand by the One-armed Union soldier
for Treasurer, and Mr.. McGraw for
Sheriff. Harris, Hall and others ON the
regular ticket will also get big vote at
the mines. The miners AZ a rule read
and think for themselves, and when
they once mako up their minds to go for
or against a man. il 10 almost impossi-
BILE to change them.
Many of the miners have taken up
land, and while they work in the mines,
their families live on their places.
Thos. Donald, Justice Of tho Peace for
Newcastle precinct, belongs to this
class, and ID new building . now house
on his place at Eta Courtnay Lake,
about one mile this aide Of the mines.
10 person Who has never visited .
GOAL mine, a trip 70 Newcastle would
prove quito treat.