Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-12-08
THAT COAL STEAL.
Forty Thousand Tons Filched. and
More Developments to Follow.

Forty Thousand Tons Filched. and
More Developments to Follow.
Just what may be the outcome of the
discovery at Leavenworth of the theft
of 40. 900 tons of state coal is as yet a
matter of more or less speculation, but
it is safe to predict that it will assume
greater proportions than mere charges
and countercharges. The inspection
made has developed an actual exist
ing fact-not a "puff-ball''-and Re
publican journals fall into serious
error when they assume that this steal
can be buried in Oblivion by mis-
information and charges of bad faith
against the gentlemen. who brought
it to light.
State Mine Inspector McGrath, with
a skillful engineer, has been making
careful surveys for weeks, and it is due
principally to his labors that the
whole gigantic fraud was discovered.
When the penitentiary at Lansing
was located, tract comprising 500
acres of coal land was purchased by a
Republican legislature, at Republi-
can price, for the stated purpose of
furnishing employment for Republi-
that all the coal under the Missouri
river, at point where it skirts this
tract, also belongs to the state.
For number of years it has period
ically been charged by some rural
Republican law-maker, who was new
at the business and had not yet be-
come acquainted with the why's and
wherefores of Republican statesman
ship and greatness, that this tract was
being gradually undermined by one,
or more, of the various coal combines
In close proximity to it, and a survey
was demanded. But such efforts have
always proved fruitless, and have
always been stif1ed, almost in their
inception, by mysterious power suf-
ticiently strong to excite comment.
But, later, it coming to the knowledge
of some Leavenworth spectators and
the Santa Fe railroad company that
increased with remarkable rapidity,
the state was induced to purchase
another tract, comprising 636 acres,
lying just east and south of the oripi-
nal purchase. But the vendors were
careful to attach string to this trans
fer, providing that they should receive
5 cents per ton for all coal mined from
this tract. 1t can readily, therefore,
be seen why it was, when the original
drifts were changed at the mines, they
should be directed under this 636 acre
tract, on which royalty was to be
paid, instead of into the coal belong
ing to the state, which was there in
abundance. The royalties paid on
this account have amounted to thou
sands of dollars; but the worst of it
all is that while the state was paving
these royalties for the privilege of
mining its own coal, other parties
have, under circumstantia1 Republican
connivance and under Republican re-
fusal to investigate, and in company
with the most innocent and lamb-like
coal company in Leavenworth, filched
10000 tons of state coal from the
original tract.
Is it any wonder then that our Re-
publican brethren had more coal than
they knew what to do with, when of
this leased coal they had 1O0, 900 tons,
or more, according to their report, and
from 1000 to 10000 car loads which
they did not report. Possibly we can
now understand how they could ar
range to furnish the state house for
nothing; while, whereas, the Populist
administration, before the cold wealth
er and before the state house was
furnished with coal, was compelled to
go on the open market and purchase
an entire ton.
Viewing all the evidence from the
stand point of court of equity, and
considering the source of supply,
would it be improper to assume that
the purchase price of nothing" in
cluded the freight?
The only wonder is that more of the
prosperity breeders" did not, as sew
era1 of them did, furnish coal for
nothing to their residences, and to all
their relatives to the third and fourth
generation.
Inspector McGrath is to make
further surveys, which will very likely
develop still another steal.