Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-21

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east of the Mississippi river. In
Pennsylvania the price is 70 cents
per ton; in Illinois, 81 cents; in Leaven-
worth, Kas, i cents in summer and
81 in winter; at the McAllister mines
Indian Territory, about 30 cents. IN
Pennsylvania. with steady employment,
the miners make from S25 to $50 per
month: the books of the johnson coal
company show that its miners averaged
about 81 Is per day Not only are the
wages much higher here under the new
schedule than in the Eastern coal fields,
but the employment IS continuous all the
year round This is a great adj
vantage, which miners in the East who
are often thrown out of work from five to
seven months in the year by the closing
down Of mines because of over supply,
know how to appreciate. Working regu-
larly a miner can make from
5000 TO $500 \ YEAR
at these mines, while the wages of the
Pennsylvania miners average less than
$500
In the effort to solve the labor problem
with which it is confronted, the company
employed seventy Mexicans without pre-
vious experience, who are now at work
under the protection of the rangers.
They are rapidly acquiring a knowledge
of the labor, and promise TO become COM
petent workmen. 1t is probable that
larger force of inexperienced men viii
be brought from various localities in and
outside the United States. Having been
successfully opposed in its efforts to Sc
cure professional miners, the company is
compelled to seek men from another
quarter. Wherever its agents have gone
they have been followed by
bitter publications and attacks
from the old employees, who
persist in the claim that they are on
strike, that none but ''scabs can ac-
cept employment under the new company
and disseminate such reports concerning
It's methods, its provision for the comfort
of its employees, etc. that men ut a dis
tance, not knowing
WHICH STATEMENT TO BELIEVE
usually regard it as safer to stay away.
The company has already ex-
pended large amount of money
for transportation of miners, who
after arriving on the ground were,
through persuasion or intimidation, in
duced to return to their homes. Nine of
these who left at the time of Mr. Rennie's
presence at the mines gave him written
statement to the effect that they found
by the agents of the company who had
employed and furnished them transpor-
tation, but that they would not go to
work $50 long as McLauchlan's men
were there for fear of bodily harm
The Texas and Pacific coal company
was organized under the laws Of the
state Of Texas, and chartered
the 9th day of October, 1888. 1t is
capitalized at 81 900 900 and its officers
are: president, r. d. Hunter Of st.
Louis: vice president, Edgar L. Marston.
In the directory are such men as H. K.
Thurber, John j. Knox and John j.
GTeenaugh of New York. The local di-
rectOrs are Il. c.. Ellington, J. Y. Hog
sett and S. z. Greene of Fort Worth
The company owns about % 900 acres of
coal lands situated in the southern part
of Palo Pinto county and in
the northern part of Erath
county. Three shafts have been
opened upon these, and with a full COM
plement of labor the product of the mines
could easily be increased to 1000 tons
per day. The ambition of the company
was to build upon its property
TEXAS BIRMINGHAM,
and to realize this it has been liberal in
its investments and expenditures One
Of its first moves was to build large
number of comfortable houses for en-
ployes, and the material Is on hand to
erect as many more.
To sum up the situation, mining
plant representing large investment
and capable of n daily product of 1000
tons of coal, has been kept virtually |
closed for three months because 200 !
men, who worked for the former
rl.rsS Of fItn
hat it shall not be utilized |
unless a certain scale of prices is
adopted. The company furnishes proof |
that to adopt that scale would !
De to run a heavy loss daily.
This enterprise represents the heaviest |
Investment of an industrial nature ever
made by eastern capitalists in Texas.
Many of the stockholders are prominent |
Ind wealthy men of New York and
,ther eastern cities. 1t has
)een represented to them |
hat Texas gives equal protection
o property and personal rights that New
Cork and Pennsylvania extend and that
'apital could find profitable employment
II furnishing Texas with
CHEAP COAL MINED IN TEXAS.
'he company has been negotiating with
lumber of manufacturing enterprises,
established and projected in the state,
ooking to a cheap coal supply Hereto
ore the Indian Territory mines, being the
learest to the state, have been able
o dictate the prices it has been paying
or coal. These mines in successful OPP
ration would be able to
COMPETITION FOR MONOPOLY,
nd so far it has shown a fair, and even
LIBERAL, disposition. Its interests would,
f course, favor the establishment of
manufactures to become consumers of its
rOduct. AS the case now stands, it
ffers the strongest hope of cheaper coal
0 such enterprises III North and West
exas. To completely dissipate any idea
hat THE GAZETTE's statements may be
I any measure of an ex parte character,
he following editorial of the National
abor Tribune is given in full as supple
lentary "union' testimony to that of
[r. Rennie:
THE TEXAS SITUATION.
Our apology for giving the Texas and
acific coal mine matter additional space
simply the Importance that attaches to
ecuring the present and prospective coal
egion of Texas to the union workmen