Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-06
THE MINING TROUBLES.
No Change in the Status. of Affairs
at Cable.
n visit 10 the Scene, snd Both side =
of the Cont Oversy Presented
Assurances from Supr.
SudlOw

"rhe outlook is good. said Supt. Sud-
low this morning, when seen by an AR
CTS representative in relation to the
troubles st the mines of the Coal Valley
Mining company st Cable. And you
can say, if You chocsa," he superintend>
ent continued, THAT there will be 10 coal
fsmiue here or snywlere. We have
plenty of coal on hard ind are getting
in more right along, Some of our MI
ners are stil 1T work, and will continue
50, aud v have resources in other direc-
tions that will not be exhausted no matter
what comes. Furthermo re, you can say,
that the price of coal will not be adj
advanced, sud that Rock Island cons
sumers will have all they want st the
usual price"
There is nothing new from Gable to-
! day. Advices are that everything is
quiet. and that the same number of men
at work yesterday are still in the mines.
In order to get better understanding
of the trouble now existing at Cable, an
ARGUS reporter visited that mining town
yesterday. and was surprised TO find the
| place entirely different from Whist he had
pictured it. Iastead of the squaior and
poverty which are usually visible in coal
mining towns. which too often abound
with hungry, half clot he'd children, the
man of news found clean, well built
town, which gave appearances on every
hand of u thrifty, weIl.to-do community.
The miners are as class well dressed
and intelligent, and stranger would
hardly realize that he was in the midst of
what. until few days ago, was one of
| the busiest mining umunities in this
| section.
The reporter first called on Robert
/ Lee. general superinttI dent OF the mines
| from whom it was learned that the first
] indication of dissatisfaction among the
| men was received few weeks ago when
! they complained of the new gross weight
| law which had been put into effect last
summer. "Esrly in July" said Mr. Lee,
1--WE a-ked the men if they wanted us to
| comply with the new lsw, or il they were
satisfied under the old system of weigh
| ing. They he'd a meeting and decided
to adopt the new gross weight system,
which provides that coal shall be weighed
in the cars Just as ii is mined. Under the
/ old system the coal was first passed
through screens. ard the miners paid at
| the rate Of So cents per ton for the lump
! coal. We now pay tie men So cents per
ton for the coal in the bottom of the
mine just as it is shovcled up, and taking
! from this the ! ! cents per ton which we
| charge for sharpening their to OILS, and
| cent per ton fer tn eXtrs or check
weigher provided by the men themselves
| to guard their interests IN the weighing.
it leaves the men So cents per ton for the
coal, which is higher price than is paid
| by most other mines" 1t was their own
proposition" continued Mr.. Lee, 80
which we asseuted, and now if they are
not satisfied, we cannot help it"
What have you to say in regard to
the dischsrging of the 4 men-3 of whom
were members of the miners committee
asked the reporter.
AT the time I discharged them I did
not know that they were members OF that
committee" sand NJ. Lee, "but had
known they were it would have made no
difference. as / discharged them for per-
! soLal reasons. and the fact that they we're
| appointed On such committee cOuId ccr-
! taIuiy ~ no way interfere with my jldg-
: meut Of them as fl. men to be in our en-
| p'oy." He further explained that they
| hsd sold Their men powder at = 50 per
keg, whereas other operators charged
81 % per keg. The reporter also learned
from reliable sources that out of 1S5
miners employed there, 1876 owned their
own homes, which accounts for the eviN
dences of thrift that are everywhere to be
found.
Not wishing to take only one side
of the case, the scribe next
found w. G. Miller, one OF the strikers,
who acted as check weigher at the shaft
for the men. When asked as to what
cause the men had for striking. he re-
piled that it was the result of 4 men be-
ing discharged-3 of whom belonged to
the miners committee, and that unless
the company would reinstste the men.
namely Lawrence Joyce. John Miller,
Henry Evans and Thomas Blenkinsopp.
they would not return to work.
Have the m ners any grievance except
thisS" asked the reporter.
There are some other grievances, be
replied, pertaining to the sharpening CT