The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-08
THE REAL HISTORY
or Horny Floorsheim's Goal Con-
tract nnd his Action
IN GRANTING THE ADVANCE asked
III the Wages ofhis NIcn...An Attempt
to Mako u Sensation out OF a Very
Plain business Arrangcmcnt...Thc
Gus Boards Contract has not Varied
In ten Years except as to Rates.

- va Atoto cACcpt ~ " Nutcb' ".. Ill.
yesterdays Pittsburgh Dispatch ap-
peared a story which is OF SO much local
interest in Wheeling TINT it is repub-
lishcd in full. The Dispatch says:
A sensational feature developed in
the miners strike yesterday, which In
wolves tho contract OF tho Wheeling
City Gas Board. As previously stated
n i. the Dispatch, Henry Floersheim, OF
Findleyville, granted the advance to
his men. This put tho operators on
the run aftcr him. lie was taken into
meeting OF operators tho lnttcr part OF
the week, where IN agreement was
made with him to tho effect that If he
withdrew his consent to pay the Is
cents additional for mining, tho re-
naming operators who were working
under tho 74-ccnt arrangement would
SEQ that he did not "got stuck" on his
big Wheeling contract.
MIR. Floershcim agreed 10 this Mt first
and notified his men that on Monday OF
this wook thoy might expect to go
back at 70 cents. In the meantime
the number Of mines that were in
operation grew woetully small in the
eyes Of Mr.. Flocrshcim and he grew
fearful that the other operators could
not keep their pledge with him. Ilo
had about made up his mind to con.
Time paying % cents and run the
chance of losing a little money on the
Wheeling contract when ho received Il
letter from the Secretary OF the Wheel
ing City Gas Board, which read:
I'VE 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 agreement
between Mr.. Floersheim and tho other
local operators were concerned, and his
mines have been in continuous opera
ton ever since the strike commenced
MIR. Flocrsheim is In good spirits, and
does not seem to care much how long
tho strike continues, because he says
he is repaying some Of the operators
who endeavorcd to take the Wheeling
contract away from him this year. This,
he says, was done in the following man
ner: When the Gas Board OF Wheeling
awarded'the contract there was a COM
|-bination formed among the operators
to have tho price on this as we'll as on
similar contracts fixed at about the
same MS last year, or perhaps q shade
higher.
Mr.. FloersheIm refused to 70 into The
compact, and succeeded in carrying off
the prize at his bid OF 81 81, rs against
81 IS per ton last year. There is natur-
ally good deal OF disgust, he says,
among those who were trying tomanip-
ulate the market 30 as to take the large
contract from him. But he proposes
to run his mines and pay the advances,
because, he says, they can pay 90 cents
without losing very much money, and
future contracts can be made accord
ingly.
J. Morton Hall was asked about the
alleged combination Of operators, and
he denied that any compact had ever
been entered into. He said: "That
Flocrsheim matter is entirely foreign to
the present case. l 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 lower contract than last year.
1t has only been made about three
weeks. Jl..aides, Mr.. Focrsheim has
done the same kind OF business himself.
There is no change in the situation, and
the operators are still willing to stand
by the agreement"
Stories appeared in other Pittsburgh
papers so similar to this that it was
evident the inspiration of all came from
the same source. In the Register yester-
day also appeared card from Fairmont
asking why the Wheeling gas board
had let the contract to Florsheim when
another company had offered to furnish
as good coal at less price, and init
mating that the provision allowing for
an increase OF wages was something I'M
heard OF.
An 1STELLIGENCER reporter yesterday
called at the gas Office and asked Secrc-
tary Franzheim: evil you tell me
about the coal contract with Henry
Floersheim?"
~ prefer TO let the documents tell
it," said Mr.. Franzheim. He Showed,
first, three bids. Henry Floershcim
offered to furnish coal Mt 81 81 ton on
the terms and conditions of last years
contract. Lewis & Hazlett, represent
ing five mines adjoining Flocrsheim's,
offered to furnish coal at 81 3d. subject
to changes in freight rates or wages.
The Monongah Coal Company bid 81 80,
with the same conditions.
The contract made with Flocrsheim is
a mere renewal at 4 lower rate of one
made ten years ago, which has re-
manned in force by renewals ever since.
When asked why the Monongah
Company's bid was turned down, Mr..
Franzheim said the board had tested
the coal and preferred Floershcim's.
Last year tho contract price was
Sl.454 ton. Tho increase OF wages
will not make the price a cent higher
than that this year. Tho works use in
year about 10000 tons.