Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-08
THAT COAL CONTRACT.
A SrATExENr FROM ONE OF THE GAS TRUS-
fEES REGARDING IT.
The HOsrshGm Contract is Just the Same as That
Signed for Years Back-What Mr.. FlosrShsin
Eas to Say-Ihs Strike Settled.

Trustees was asked last evening II II
was true, as alleged by Enquirer" in
this paper yesterday, that the Board
had a bid from the Monongah Coal
Company of s1.3O per ton, at the time
the late contract was signed with
Henry Floersheim.
eyes, sir, there was such bid"
"Why was it not accepted"
THAT we decline to say until we
know who we are answering; then, if a
reply is necessary, we will make it as
body. We don't think the coal COM
pany desire US to go into the matter. ="
"Is there anything peculiar about the
Floersheim contract? Is the miners
clause an unusual featured"
mot at all. Here is the old contract
between the Gas Trustees and Mr..
Floersheim. II was made in 1855, and
was signed, on behalf Of the city, in that
wear, by Thomas II. Logan and the other
then members OF the Board. Here you
will see that there is clause regarding
the rates for mining, and in addition
a similar proviso regarding railroad
frelghtS. As you will observe, this con-
tract was renewed in 1886, and likewise
in all the following years, up to and In
GLIDING the year 1891. That doesn't
look as if it was unusual, does it? We
have been looking after the interests OF
the city of Wheeling in this matter, az
we do in all matters coming under our
range of duties. and the result, as l I'M
derStand the strike has been settled at
an advance of three and one-halt cents
a ton, is that we will get coal, of first
class quality, at Sl.37 this year, as
against Sl.45H last year"
The Pittsburg Dispatch OF yesterday
contained the following Of interest to
Wheeling people, regarding the strike
in general and the Floersheim contract
in particular:
"a sensational feature developed in the
miners strike yesterday, which involves
the contract Of The Wheeling City Gas
Board. As previously stated in the
Dispatch, Henry Floersheim, of Findley-
vile, granted the advance to his men.
This put the operators on the run after
him. He was taken into meeting OF
the operators the latter part Of the
week, where an agreement was made
with him to the effect that if he with
drew his consent TO pay the 10 cents ad-
ditional for mining, the remaining oper
ators who were working under the 49,
cent arrangement would see that he did
not get stuck on his big Wheeling con-
tract.
''Mr. Floersheim agreed to this at
first and notified his men that on Mon
day Of this week they might expect TO
90 back at 20 cents. In the meantime
the number of mines that were in oper-
alton grew woefully small in the eyes OF
Mr.. FloerSheim and he grew fearful
that the other operators could not keep
their pledge with him. He had about
made up his mind to continue paying
90 cents and run the chance OF losing
little money on the Wheeling contract
when he received letter from the Sec
rotary Of the Wheeling City Gas Board,
which read;
"'We want your coal and will have no
other. If you are compelled to pay the
advance, pay it by all means and we
will reimburse you
"This settled it so far as the agree
ment between Mr.. FlOersheim and the
other local operators was concerned,
and his mines have been in continuous
operation ever since the strike COM
menced.
''Mr. Floersheim is in good spirits and
does not seem to care how long the
strike continues because he says he is
repaying some OF the operators who en-
deSvored to take the Wheeling contract
away from him this year. This, he
says, was done in this manner: When
the Gas Board of Wheeling awarded the
contract there was a combination
formed among the operators to have the
price on this as well as. on similar con-
tracts fixed at about the same as last
year, or perhaps a shade higher.
"Mr. Fioersheim refused to go into the
compact, and succeeded in carrying off
the prize at Lis bid Of S1.34, as against
S1.45 per ton last year. There was
naturally a good deal Of disgust, he
says, among those who were trying to
manipulate the market so as to take the
large contract lEOlu ulm. Dub TIC pIO-
poses to run his mines and pay the adj
vanceS, because, he says, they can pay
% cents without losing very much
money, and future contracts can be
made accordingly.
-. Morton Hall was asked about the
alleged combination of operators, and
he denied that any compact had ever
been entered into. He said: That
Floersheim matter is entirely foreign
TO the present case. / take notice that
Mr.. Floersheim has not told how he got
the Wheeling contract; and if the Gas
Board of that city is to pay the advance
for him cannot see how they are ahead
on having a lower contract than last
year. 1t has only been made about
three weeks. Besides, Mr.. FloerSheim
has done the same kind Of business him
self. There is no change in the Situa-
ton, and the operators are still willing