The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-30
PROBING into GAS MATTERS.
Proceedings Of The First Session Of The
Special JJint Committee.
GREAT QUANTITIES o. COKE SOLD.
Cart Drivers and Other Attaches Of the
Lower Gas Works Testify Zen
Townes and Others Take Coke
and Coal Ashes Away.

" NO. |ht"A s''A"tNttAF tAAfl ttb'N ~ '''N
Lower Gas-Works at o'clock for the
purpose of examining some OK the em-
pioyes Of tho Cas-Works. The following
members were present: Mcssrs Gunst
chairman. cottren. snead. Woody, Al
len. and King. city Attorney Meredith
superintendent Knowles. OF the city Cas-
MONKS, Colonel smith. the 'Npe-t ~--
countant. and MIR Winston. he ste
nosuphcr. we're also on hand
The tIst witness called was Allen lnfis-
tian lie stated the following. II drive
Tor Mr. James Sharp ana do other haui-
ing. 1 have done some mailing Tor Zen
Townes. / hauled coke Tor him soon after
the selling of coke commenced I'D me
Gds-Worhs. We hired "a yard outside OF
the works. ana hired men 90 roll the
ashes out from the works. the men were
hired from the day and night shift. Inc
hauling was afterwards taken from me
and given go Mr.. Walsh's cart. several
others were also stopped from rolllnS out
Cluders after the selling OF the COKE stop
PED. / was driving for IO"hes every
day until ] was stopped. ana W alsh S
cart was employed. Only when Walsh's
driver hauled shells ] was again cm-
ployed. lie would always make more
loads than j did, because he got all the
short distances. lie carried a LOAD OF
coke and brought back load OF smells.
] hauled from October 10 March last
year and the year before. / would haul
about four or five loads "a day. The coke
was OF good size. and some of st was
fresh 1 got mtg cents FOR hauling
load Each load cost S.. Al~ Walsh was
the boss OF the Cas-W orks. and my broth
or. Fleming Christian, was his driver
roanes was 10 get tho ashes from the
holders but there was some good coke
b. Hs.I f4ffr
coke and d.oVe him away. but Mr.. Walsh
fixed 30 all right and few minutes later
ToRuts was back there again. have seen
some of the rollers get out good coke
from under the shed. ! have been hauling
coke for Mr Burio0t. on Second street,
Tor about TWO or three weeks, on the
average about three or four loads a day.
My brother also hauled for Mr.. Burfoot
ana 4 think Mr.. Crimes cart was also
used. Is good many men. boys. and wo-
men. picked the coke for I0wnes. / never
oil haul any Shells Mr. Walshs cart
and the carts Of Mir. Adams. Mr. Grimes,
AND lr Montgomery. hauled shells, Mr..
Walsh had one cart. but Mr.. Adams had
Two or three carts ] carried coke 70
Alr. adams. The baker; Nh Williams. of
Fifteenth street; 10 Mr. Hardesty, and
also TO private residences
The witness then withdrew, and. on mo
ton Of Major Allen. DO was decided that
10 member Of the committee should ask
questions until Mr. Meredith had COM
pleted nis examination.
t. Jackson was the next witness. lie
aa'a. 1 drive for Nit Ford. and have
hauled FOR Towncs. / hauled as many as
seven or eight loads of coke per day. until
the coke became slack. when Townes said
hc had TO save the coke for Mr. Walsh's
cart. The coke was Of pretty good size
some or u was fresh ana some was burn
ei. bought coke myself after / stopped
hanfng. Some was western coke. and
some couli Doe burned here. / aid NOT
sec the coke rolled out / heard one Of
Inc rollers say that rownes told him not
10 let Mr. Adams see the coke: he need
not mind Nj Walsh. The small coke IS
peter Tor selling purpos than large
sized coke
AFRAID OF Nh. ADAMS.
Ransom Clements said that ne also
worked for Ben. Townes but Mr. Grimes
stopped me from WORKING for Tou,nrs
This was after rownes haI sent orf me
antFruslne cards. lp 20 that tine I
rolled coke for ToWnes off and Oh ever
since nave Deen mere. shifted like the
men. and rolled in day time as wei as at
night time. TOOK the coke from the
generator as soon as lt got cold. the men
Wpuli very seldom fork il mp and slft it,
some Of The coke was of large size. and
while IL had been burned. 10 could Doe
burned over. Sometimes / cot the coke
from ine shed, where I forkcd up tho
coke from the big pile of ashes There
were some C0Od-sized lumps In il Deu
IoWnes also would get out the coke 1
always was scared OF Sir. Adams. Townes
loi4 me 10 watch him; but ! was not
afraid o. Mr. Walsh / did not nut coke
on tn bottom OF the wheel5arr0w and
rht on top. u would not have been any
dement, 10 me. J was paid five cents for
three hairows. ! would make from four
dollars 10 four dollars and seventy-fv
C-htS ger week. There We're three more
boys besides zoe rolling coke and ashes
Mf Ndlsls cart also hauled coke 30
one Do authority saw me haul coke from
under The shed. My. Walsh would neve.
aty any thine 10 me, but DC would cell
Zen when he wanted me 20 stop rolling
put the dirt 4 only rolled out what Ben.
Aal piled hlt J nave not seen Ben. since
D, ~as DO The yard Ben. told me what
time Mt Adams would come round and
cautioned me, bat MIR Walsh never told
me anything. Ben. told me 10 carry out
what he always called ashes and l should
not mind Mr.. Walsh. but look ont for
Nr. Adams Ben cid the fOridng alone.
and al that would go through ne would
take Tho wheclharroWs used for rolling
The coke belonged to the city. I would
get about two bushels OF coke out Of each
whelioarrow or ashes carried from the
generator Mr. Walshs cart would carry
out the hne coal that had been forked
out by Ben. The city carts would often
carry away the ashes.
Mr. Knowles stated that the wheelbar-
rows held four bushels OF coke.
OTHER WITNESSES.
Fleming Christian was next sworn who
made the following statement j have
been driving n cart FOR Air Walsh for
tour or five years have done hauling
flr Towncs AFTER they stopped selling
coke. / hauled then every day until the
summer. he would always give me the
short hauls. ] had daily customers. about
four or five per d1N ] hauled one dav
what had been rolled out the previous
Day ] lost no time; 1 would haul coal
ana bring shells hack Mr. Walsh would
gct nifty cents per load. TOwnes would
SCH also TO other people if they came az
ter coke he would sell by The bushel or
whcclbarroW about as much per day as /
hauled. / could not tell how much money
/ made fJr TOWncs per week. The biggest
amount I ever hauled for TOWnes was
twelve loads on Wednesdays. ! hauled
coke TO Nr. Buriord on Second street Tor
about three weeks, and on the average
about three loads a day We filled a shed
and also pat coke in Mr. Burfords yard
across Tho street. | also had private GUS
tomors and merchants. where l hauled
regularly. ! hauled shells from every
where from restaurants or oyster stands.
! would ~ ON my own account where /
could nud shells After I learned the
ropes / gave tickets Tor the shells. each
Nekot read Tor twenty-five bushels. As
fAr as 4 know they were sold al the rate
81 81 II cents for twenty-five bushels. 1
Rave hauled FOR Mr Williams on Fifteenth
street. and put iu "a good deal OF coke
there. TIVE - three others were hauling
raerc. too. = got so FOR my share After
4nfa M r,lsa effstst4.fI p.a could NOT