Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1895-02-15
THE MINERS COMPLIMENTS
To State Mine Inspector Shoemaker
Whose Report Gives Their
Snap Away.
Sand COulee Miners Are Pleased to
Learn that They Have Expert
enced Horrible Nightmares.

The TRIBUNE is in receipt of a com
munication from a Sand Coulee miner
who acknowledges the receipt from
Representative Glasscock of the stat
mining inspectors report. 1t reads al
follows:
To the Editor of The Tribune:
In order that the public may know
more of this valuable document, thai
has inspired the miners of Sand CouIee
with feelings of gratitude and admira.
ton, I will cite a few valuable bits OF
information gathered by a hasty glance
over it's pages, not emitting one i'm
portant fact, that through this report
the greater number of us first learaed
the name of the state mine inspector.
There are scarcely more than one out of
a hundred coal miners in Cascade county
who have ever saw the mine inspector,
and but few more we're aware that We
had a Shoemaker for inspector.
Another very important bit of infor-
nation was also observed in turning
through its pages, that is, that during
the period covered by the inspectors
report, there we're only two accidents IN
or around the mines at Sand Coulee,
both of which were fatal. The boys
here were all overjoyed when they
learned that they had all this time been
laboring under some mild form of lnsan-
ity or delusion; they have not, as they
supposed, been paying out hundreds of
dollars annually for the support of
their manned and crippled brothers, and
the families of those who
sacrificed their lives for bread for their
babes; it is a horrible dream. The in
spector says there were just two killed
and none crippled, and the inspector
knows. The law makes it his business
to know. One question is continually
recurring to our minds, how this shoe
maker, became so well Informed on all
the daily affairs of our lives land deaths)
when scarcely any Of us have ever seen
him and but few are aware that he ever
our camp.
There is n item in our inspectors
that has brought out a great deal
of criticism from the Miners union here.
and it is a question yet whether or not
they will place a rigid boycott on all
state and deputy mine inspectors and
put a stop to their meddling and
into the private affairs of honest |
The inspector has proclaimed to
whole world the fact that 133 Of us
here are mining $500 tons per day, aud
everybody knows we get 81 a ton for
mining. which makes our daily wages
about $3.50. We had intended to keep
our daily earnings a profound secret
among ourselves, and We hardly think it
Fair for the inspector to give the snap
away.
Still another item has set US all guess
ng. We can't imagine who could have
.old him that it required about four
the number of men to haul out
dump the coal that it does to mine
t. The only n in possession OF accu-
ate knowledge on the subject is our
able and efficient manager, and we are
prepared to accuse him of giving
away such information as contained
n the figures. However, we must not
our state officials to favor either
tide in their reports. They are a just
md conscientious set of men, especially
'ur own Mr.. Shoemaker, whose motto
eems to be to "Hew to the line, let the
hips fall where they may" The truth
must be told regardless Of how it may
effect upon the ability of mine-managers
n discredit the assertions of ignorant
vorkingmen.
Mr.. Editor, we miners have become
interested in this valuable docu-
nent, and if not asking too much in
lulgence on your part. we will try to
leep you informed as to our progress in
into this i~rexhaustable fund of
knowledge. There are some i'm.
subjects that we have not yet
We will endeavor to keep
advised. Yours.
OLE.