The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-16

of six. Mr.. wilson said the miners were
liberal and were honest, but have no
money now to support the church.
Bell Brothers, owners of the Bellville
shaft, have reduced the rent on their
houses from So to $3.50 a month, for the
benefit of the miners who work for
them.
About the General Situation.
There are in the Scranton coal camp
at this time eight shafts which are open
for work when there is any demand for
coal.
Six of these shafts are operated by the
small operators who depend entirely on
the commercial trade for a market. and
for the purpose of marketing their coal
they last fall formed a mbination
known as the Northern Usage Coal COM
pany.
The members of the Northern Usage
Coal company are the Chappell Coal
company, the Isaacs Coal company, the
Ryan Coal company, and the Ingham
Coal company.
The other two shafts known as Nos. 10
and 10, are owned by the Santa Fe and
operated under the name of the O5age
Carbon company. Shafts 10 and II are
the largest mines in the camp. When the
mines are open from 65 to rs men are
employed in No. 10, and from 100 to 110
in No r.
The other miners in the camp are
divided among the smaller shafts.
When there is big demand for COM
mercial coal the miners who work in the
smaller shafts can make the most money,
but in times like these the smaller shafts
are doing practically nothing while the
men in the larger shafts get to work
from two to three parts of days each
week.
The miner gets 81 ton for mining
coal, out of which one cent is deducted
for pick sharpening. and he must pay
for his oil and any extra work on his
tools before he can count anything for
himself and family.
What the Best Miner Can Do.
The best miner can get out but trife
! more than a ton day when he is allowed
to put in full time, but now he is limited
in the number of boxes he can fill Each
! box of coal filed by miner will, if
| full weight weigh 800 pounds and he
| gets 40 cents for each box, so that the
miner who gets out three full boxes
| day does big days work.
| One of the best miners employed in
| the shaft of the Chappell Coal company
during the last twelve months up to May
earned $241.1 This was during the
| big year. The mans wages was for the
months during the year as follows: May,
1894, $2792; June, $27.58; July, So. 35;
August, $26.14; September, $2770; Oc-
tober, $22.91; November, $16O6; De-
cember, $15.71; January, 1895, $17.98;
February, 5000; March, $1251; April,
$445.
The month of February was one of
the best the commercial miners have had
| for years. On account of the extreme
| cold weather then coal was in demand,
and many of them worked night and
day.
The pay roll for forty-one men en-
| ployed in one shaft for the first two
weeks in May was seen by the JOURNAL
reporter yesterday, and for all the 81
men it amounted to but $59, and part
of that was for royalty and not for coal
mined.
$5S For Al Men to Live On.
| This $58 is all the Il men and their
| families have to live on at this time.
| Manager Chappell of the Chappell
! Coal company, in talking about the stu
| alton said: There is just one thing that
will bring relief to our people, and that
| is an adjustment of freight rates. We
are Disseminated against in that we
have no joint rates as other coal fields
have, but must pay the local rates, and
/ if our coal goes to points on any other
road we must pay the cost Of transf er
and pay the two local rates.
"We ought to be able to ship our coal
| to any of these surrounding towns on
other roads, but we can't do it on account
| of the unfair rates. Our coal can be
teamed across to points along the NJ, a.
& B. cheaper than we can ship it on the
! railroad.
."If the railroads did not discrimi-
nate against US we could control the
| Topeka market for domestic coal
| If the state board of railroad
! hot
! honest joint rate and the Santa Fe will
use a little more coal from this point, our
people will be enabled to get along all
right, but unless something of this kind
| is done l don't see what is to become of
our people"
Miners Have Lived There for Years.
John Allen the township trustee, who
! is also miner and who is distributing
| the aid which the county commissioners
have given out, said to the JOURNAL re-
porter that his total earnings for the last
year were $271, and of that amount he
earned 81 for posting books for the com
pany when the shaft was not open
while several other dollars in the
amount were earned at other
odd jobs. He said 81 am
more fortunate than most of the miners
but l support family of seven by my
earnings"
NJ OSt OF the scranton miners nave
lived there from eight to fourteen years
and majority of them own their homes.
The reporter visited Santa Fe shaft
No 10 and went down in the shaft.
While under ground he met an aged
miner, Mr.. J. B. Jarvis. Mr.. Jarvis is a
| preacher for the church of Latter Day
Saints, but is in his 68th year. He works
in the mines every day the shaft is open.
Mr.. Jarvis is not able to support him
self and wife, and few weeks ago the
county commissioners purchased shingles
to cover his cottage on the condition that
the members of his church would see
that he does not become a charge to the
county. As the members of the church
are about to fall back on the county Mr..
Jarvis will likely have to ask for aid
| from the same source,