The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-15

Representatives of Thirty. eight Mineo
at the Conference mt Hotel Roanoke
Ycsterday-A Sumptuous Banquet
rendered by the General Eastern
Agents, at Which Mine Host Winner
Spreads Himself-Those Who Were
Present.
The Association of Coal Operators of
the section tributary to Roanoke con-
vened at Hotel Roanoke at 3 O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. The majority OF
the coal magnates, who are a Inc look.
ing body of men, arrived in the city on
train No. 4, which pulled into the Roa-
noke station few minutes after noon,
and at once went to Hotel Roanoke and
prepared for lunch, which was served
them at o'clock.
After assem- bling in the hotel parlor
at o'clock the following operators were
found to be present:
John Cooper, Cooper's w. Va, Mill
Creek Co.; L. j Morgan, klkhorn, Grocer
Co.; w. G. Brooke, Bramwell, Gillian
Co.; j. j. Tierney, Elkhorn, Powhattan
Co.; T. T. Lineweaver, Mcdowell, Nc
Dowell Co.; 1. A. Welsh, Bramwell,
Shawnee Co; FL. c. Iacharias, Vivian,
Bottom Creek Co S. F. Ord, Landgraff,
Empire Co; Stewart M. Buck. Bran
we'll, Norfolk Co.; It. T.. Henri,zer,
Vivian, Tidewater Co.. b. Moore, Bran.
we'll, Buckeye Co.; Philip Goodwill,
Bramweli, Goodwill Co Il. johnson,
Bramwell, Greenb riar Co; Justus Col
Inns, Goodwill, Louisville Coal and Coke
Co.; G. b. Bell, Roanoke, Pocahontas
Coal Co; II. ID. Lafferty, Roanoke,
Hull Coal and Coke Co; j. w. and
r. II. Watts, Lynchburg. Louisville Co :;
e. B. Wilson, Elkhorn, Upland Co A.
d. Rober tson, Shamokin, Pa, Elkhorn
Co e. Barlow, Mahoney City, Pa, Elk
horn Co A. ID. Wolfe, Powhatan, Pow
hatan Coal Co c. p Houston, Chester,
Pa, Houston Coal Co.; II. E. Houston,
Elkhorn, Houston Co Frank p. Har-
man. Bluefield, Turkey Gap Co.; l.. T..
Tierney, Powhatan, Lynchburg Co.: j.
X L. Steele, Keystone, keystone Co. ;
John d. Hewitt, Bramwell keystone
Co.; John Hunter, Maybury. Shamokin
CO.; G. A. Shirley, Bluefield, Pocahontas
Co.; Nj. +. Goodwill, Goodwill Good will
Co.; John Bilby, Jones, w. Va, Rolfe
Co.; &. w. Freeman, Freeman, Tazewell
Creek CO.. Jenkins Jones, Freeman,
Tazewell Creek Co.. Harry Bowen, Free
man, Booth-Bowen Co.; C. Botsford,
Pocahontas, AshlaI Co.; w. R. Graham,
Elkhorn, Shawnee Co.; w. II. Thomas,
Algoma. Algoma Co; VIM. Bullitt,
vice president Norfolk and Western
railroad; G. Graham Anderson, chief
clerk of Vice President Bullitt
The meeting was organized by the
election of John Cooper as chairman
and Frank p. Hartman ecretary.
The operators were in session two
hours and held an interesting discus
sion of the methods of coal mining and
plans OF coal shipments. The questions
discussed related wholly to the inside
workings of the coal companies and are
of interest only to the operators them
selves.
The operators, sixty. three in number,
joined in magnificent banquet at 6
O'Clock which was given the association
by Messrs. Cashier and Curran, of
Philadelphia, who are tho seaboard
agents Of the Pocahontas Coal Company.
The feast was spread in the elegant
ballroom of Hotel Roanoke, which was
profuse-y decorated with plants and
flowers.
The menu, arranged by Mine Host
Winner, was one of tho most elaborate
ever gotten up in Roanoke and kept the
magnates around the festal board for
three hours.
After the banquet was over the asso-
citation again assembled and held a
brief conference at which tho following
preamble and resolutions were unani-
mously adopted after some discussion
by various gentlemen present:
Whereas it is proposed by the Wilson
bill about to be reported by the com.
mittee Of ways and means of the House
of Representatives at Washington to
remove the duty on bituminous coal
and place 1t on the free list; and
Whereas upon the successful mining
and shipping of bituminous coal de
ponds the living of thousands of people
In Southwest Virginia and West Vir.
ginia, the security of many millions of
dollars OF invested capital and the de-
velopment of the richest coal erea in
the world; and
Whereas the present duty on soft coal
is only sufficient to guarantee to the
operators, handlers and shippers a
narrow margin Of profit after allowing
fair wages to the miner and laborer, and
Whereas the effect, IL not the express
purpose of the removal of duties on
b1tuminous coal, would be to admit
foreign coal, especially the coal of Nova
Scotia, into the New England and sea
board States and thereby injuriously
affect the shipments of this field into
that market, sacrificing the interests OF
Virginia and West Virginia for the
benefit of the New England States;
therefore be it
Resolved, That we. operators and
miners OF thirty eight mines, represent
ing the Pocahontas coal district OF Vir.
GINA and West Virginia, at present pro.
ducing 1000 tons Of coal per day. with
largo OrOmiRa of incraaoo IN +ba o,.Ix.