Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-07-23
ArbitratorS at Work.
investigating the Trouble in the
Illinois Coal Mines.
TESTIMONY OF MINE OPERATORS.

| What 1t Costs to Get Out the Black Dia-
monds and What They Sell fora Col
Iier Figures Up the Reward of His Toll
Congressman LAWYERS Narrowing Story
of the sufferings OF the People-Notice
of Evictions.
SIREAToR, Ills, July 23.-The first formal
| session of the board of arbitration between
the Coal Run Coal company and its miners
was held yesterday morning, and the board
will doubtless continue in session during the
greater portion of the week.
The two arbitrators, Col Rend, of Chicago,
| and j. f. Williams, of this city, were present,
as also was Fred H. Wines, Of Springfield,
secretary of the state board of charities, and
| one of the board that has just been investi-
eating the matter on the request of Governor
Fifer. stenographic report Of the evidence
was taken, all witnesses being sworn. The
miners committee was also present Lyman
j. Gage, OF Chicago, has finally consented to
| act as arbitrator
The Cost of Production.
Fawcett Plumb was the first witness on
| behalf of the company aud his examination
| was conducted by Col Rend Mr. Plumb
| said that the value of their plant Sll 5,
900, with a capacity of 400 tons of coal per
day. The average selling price of their coal
for the last year was Sl.3l11 at the mine.
| The slack was sold to the coke works for 40
| cents per ton, and after deducting the re-
| ceipts from this source the cost % lump coal
| to the company for dead work" etc ex-
elusive of mining wages, was 80 cents per
ton. They had been unable to renew their
contracts with the railroad companies, even
at prices II cents less than last year.
What Coal Sells For.
The Burlington and the Santa Fe are now
| getting their coal from Peoria, the Burlng-
| ton paying Sl.05 per ton, and before the
strike low - cents. The Santa Fe
offers to carry coal 10 Chicago for ~ cents
per ton. But even at this rate the Streator
coal must I've put ON the cars at 81. 10 to compete
with Mount Olive coal in Chicago at 81 to.
At this point Col Rend said that he was
now paying 81 81 for Mount Olive coal,
whereupon Mr.. Plumb Immediately offered
him all the Streator coal he wanted at that
price. But MIR. Rend did not want any. Mr..
Plumb said that southern Illinois coal was
being put on the cars at sen cents per ton:
that IT had driven his coal ont of the market
| at Freeport, Dubuque and other places, and
that be believed the depressionsn the north
ern Illinois coal trade was permanent.
Ihe Fixed Expense Account.
T. :. kempton, bookkeeper for the COM
pany, was the next witness He testified
that the fixed expense account was about
5000 per month, whether the mine was rum
| ming or NOT, or about IL cents per ton on the
output from Jan / 10 Nav /; the general
expenses were p cents per ton and the props
cents additional, making a total of 40 cents
per ton expenses outside of miners wages
He corroborated Mr.. Plumb as 10 the general
decrease IN the selling Of coal and the losing
of the railroad contracts
A Miner Tells His Story.
Patrick Rutterfield, an old and respected
citizen, has been for twenty years a miner
in this coal field He swore that the deduc-
tons for powder, oil and other expenses
would reduce the price actually paid for
mining about cents per ton. His wages
during January, March and April of this
year were S;650, S27lS AMI S22 The
average miner can dig about two and a half
tons per day in Plumb's shaft but the work
Is Tar from Regular, and at many times the
mine is overcrowdei with men Mr. But
terrified owns his own home and his son ard
daughter ara self-snpPorting. He could not
live II he had a family to SnDport