The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04

although the capital was increased $500, 900.
There was a boom then and a strike. In
those days operators made a great deal or
money. For the year OF 1889 the output
was 3.6f6 600 tons, with a capital OF 81, ,0Sl,-
600. From that year on the business did
not progress, although many mines
were opened. TIE largest output of any one
year was in 1892, when the total was T.,
4S4,Sl1 tons, The next year it was 10000
tons less and in 1894, the year or the big
strike it was 3,44O 1853 tons. In 1895 it went
10 1872. .0S4 and last year was 4.06S, l24. Last
year there was prolonged strike in part
of the bituminous field, which caused a
falling off greater than the 243,960 tons diff
ference from the previous year, the eX-
ceeding output Of the block field in Clay
the figures. The capital now invested is ST.
$50. 900, of which a considerable proportion
comes from Chicago and has come into the
State in the past ten years. The capacity is
much greater than ten years ago, chiefly
by reason of the fact that there are num-
Der of machine mines with the most i'm
proved mining machinery.
During last year twenty-one new mines
were opened and fourteen abandoned, leav-
ing a total of 12l. These gave employment
when there was any employment TO Sab
men inside the mines and 6S9 on the out
side. Clay county, with its block field,
had 2,2l6 miners and tWenty-nine mines;
Parke came next. with SIC men and four
teen mines; Sullivan next with 6lS men
and twelve mines Greene GA men and
seven mines; Nermillion, 412 men and four
mines; DaVieSs, 316 men and ten mines;
Vigo. 34S men and seventeen mines; Pike,
b0Z men ana nNe mines. Inc OtnHr COQn-
ties in which coal is mined had less than
two hundred men TO a county. These coun-
ties are: Fountain, Gibson Knox, Martin,
Owen, Perry, Spencer Vanderburg and
Warrick.
In January of last year 1859 men were
employed inside the mines. There have
been as many as 5000 miners in the State.
The figures for the State by counties are
for the first of the present calendar year.
Probably there are not now 5000 miners
in the State. In estimating the number of
borne mind
trade is not what it used to be in the re-
spect of there being distinct class Of men
engaged in digging coal In the earlier
days of coal mining in the State the miner
was trained coal digger, usually for
eigner, whose father before him, and if
from some parts of England, his mother
too, were coal diggers. Now it is almost
the rule that the man who works in a coal
mine has taken to the work because of
idfeness in his own occupation. 1t is this
fact which largely contributes to the sur
plus mining labor and makes 1t possible
for men to get only a day or two of work
even when the mines are running a good
capacity. Taking the whole number of men
employed at all the mines last year the
average wages was less than So a week.
Operators and miners say that If all the
Indiana mines were operated at full capac-
ity they could furnish the years supply of
coal in three months.
While there is no display OF bad feeling
a present, the miners believing that a sus-
pension will exhaust the supply and per-
haps bring about better condition, yet it
is well enough to consider the fact that if
the strike is prolonged there will be out
breaks. The melting cause of the troubles
in 1894 was the passage through the min
ing districts of trains of coal from outside
the strike territory. principally from Ken
lucky, in this State This aggravated the
men because they understood that this coal
would help defeat their object. At Shell
burn, in Sullivan county, the strikers un-
coupled a train of Kentucky coal coming
over the Evansville & Terre Haute road
and bound for Chicago, and at another time
of the militia.