The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-01-16
THE BODY OF JOHN OMAN.
It Is the Subject Of a Rather
m Discussion.
A WATERX T..
The Union Guard Offer q Very Fair
Proposition, Which Is
Accepted.

Accepted.
During the past few days the members of
the Union Guard Military Company, Of
which organization James Oman. the un'
fortunate miner who lost his life in the Ger
mania mine a few days ago, wasa member,
have been loud in their expressions OF dis
content over the slow progress made in
draining the Germania mine OF water and
in the recovering of the body Of their dead
comrade. Yesterday afternoon a meeting
OF the company was held, and a
committee, consisting OF Leiuts, Blake,
Trevail and Doble and Messrs.
w. j.. Barker and W.. j.. Penrose,
were appointed 60 visit the Germania mine
and interview Superintendent Sheer in re-
gard to the matter. The committee re-
paired to the min, and found that within
the past twenty-four hours the manage
ment had experienced considerable diff
Guilty with the pump and that b 1T little
progress was being made in getting the shaft
clear of water. The following conversation
then tool place between the members OF
the committee and Supt. Sheer:
How is the water in the shaft ?" said the
committee.
.'PIenty of it." replied Mr.. Sheer.
"How far are you below the 15O-foot lev
ELF" was next asked.
After avoiding this question for a consid-
cradle length OF time, Mr.. Sheer at last re-
piled: About eight feet"
The Committee then stated their mission
and informed Mr.. Sheer that, although the
friends of Mr.. Oman were not disposed to
give credence to all the stories aaoat in re-
gard to the negligence of the management
of the Germania mine in their mode OF get
ting the water out of the shaft, yet they
had come to the conclusion that it would
give greater satisfaction if the Germania
people would consent to hire a pumpman,
who shall be selected by the friends of the
unfortunate miner.
Mr.. Sheer said: II am as good a pump
man as any man in Butte City, and l shall
refuse to let any man down my shaft other
than those at present at work there"
The following item, that appeared in the
Walkerville News of yesterday, was then
shown Mr.. Sheer:
oxNAM's BODY.
John Oxnam's body is still in the Germania
shaft. The management is being severely cen
sured by all mining men for the dilatory. man
ner in which they have been trying to drain the
mine. 1t looks as though they were in no hurry
to recover the body. The immediate friends of
the unfortunate man seem to be equally slow eX-
eept by talking al 1ag.rd IN &c conversation nv ma1ts1 WITH WI ax MI: w;
himself very plainly, and denounced the whole
affair as inexcusable delay. Said he: '!f any of
the unfortunate mans friends had asked my as
sistance, if it took the whole Alice mines force,
the corpse would have been brought to the sur
face long before this. But fearing / should
tread on the toes of others, whose duty it was to
take the lead in the work, 1 refrained from Offer
ing assistance. 1t is not too late yet, and If OK.
MANS relatives will take the necessary steps, I
am at their service, for I feel, as all men should
feel who follow mining as a vocation. d deep In.
terest in the care and welfare ofthe underground
workers, and l am not alone in my desire to as
sist In this case. Several mining men of the
camp entertain the same feeling as myself. of
course we understand that the management of
the Germans are not in Il position to handle the
work rs promptly MS could the larger and richer
companies. but | sincerely trust that this thing
supt. Hall. and is an evidence Of The considera-
ton he has for the miners. Now, let some one
take this matter in hand before another pump is
lost and the water again raises
MIR. SHEER INDIGNANT.
After reading the above. Mr.. Sheer ap-
peared TO be verv indignant, and claimed
that he had been grossly misrepresented
by the newspapers, Mr.. Hall and others.
eff" said Mr.. Sheer, 1.-THE parties who are
now interesting themselves in this matter |
had come forward ten days ago and offered
their help | would have had the body out
o. the mine and saved a considerable sum
of money. Several days ago / had the
clear of water to withia a few feet Of
where the body is lying, but at that time 1
lost the new pump that had been sent to
the mine by A. j. Davis, and since that
time we have had nothing but trouble will
our old pump"
at is reported" said the Committee,
shat, although there might have been a
on your part to reach the body
few days ago, you have no intention OF
doing SO now, but that the Arlington Com
pany is paying you company a certain
amount of money each day the body is
kept under water; that the Germania mine
was flooded on account OF the %encroach-
ments of the Mountain Boy people on
ground, and that the Arlington Com
pany are afraid OF having that matter
ventilated"
A FAIR PROPOSITION.
11Mr. Sheer" said one Of the committee,
|iwili you or will you not allow a man, ap-
pointed by us, to go down into your shaft,
and confer with you and your men in the
of clearing this mine of water?"
THAT depends IN who the man is" said
Mr.. Sheer.
"The man whom we will send here" said
the C..mmittee. ''shall be a competent
pumpman, who will do what is right, and
who will nave he confidence Of the Union
Guards and the friends of OMAN. You are
hiring a certain number Of men in the work
clearing the mine of water. Now dis
charge one of those men and hire our man
in his place. We will trust him. If he says
that you are doing all in your power to
find the body OF our dead comrade, we will
by his decision. Will you agree to
this7"
"No." promptly replied Mr.. Sheer.
"'Then," said the Committee, Twill you
leave the mine to us. We will erect suita-
BILE machinery for the purpose of pumping
out the water. We are determined that
this nan body shall be recovered,
and that it shall have a decent
burial. If you will not agree to
law of the United States, and will spare no
expense in seeing that the body is recovered.
Now. you have either to comply with our
request or we shall see what can be lone in
a court OF law"
Mr.. Sheer then said that if the Mountain
Boy people would allow q pump to be put
to work on their shaft for the purpose OF
assisting in the work of draining the Ger
~ ania mine OF water. that the work of
the body would be an easy task,
but, said he, ''they will not allow that
TO DC uOne.' |
AFTER CONSIDERABLE PARLEYING,
Mr.. Sheer agreed to the first proposition
Of the committee, namely, the Union
Guards could choose Il man to assist
and confer with him in the work of Kidding
tie mine OF water. and the Germania people
would pay him his wages. The committee
then came to Butte and secured the services
Of VIM. HoaF, a competent pumpman, and
fh q 4 npf1ap,o ~ vunpf -, fho Na~-,nS, 1o-% |
night and joined the employees of that mine
their search for the body OF the unfortu-
OMAN. Mr.. Hoar was accompanied
BY Lieut.. VIM. Doble and Private John
Spur, OF the Union Guards.
Our Amateur Operatic League.
There will pe a special meeting OF the
association at R.nshaw Hall next Satur-