The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-06

After one OF the most exciting meetings
in the history of the organization, the
Renton Cooperative Coal Company, own
ing and operating extensive mines at Rem
ton, this county, yesterday accepted the
designations of three members of the
board of trustees, expelled two others, and
declared in favor of selling the mines.
The meeting was one mass of confusion
from the time the shareholders got togeth-
er yesterday afternoon. until they adj
journed last night This morning they
will go at it again, yesterdays meeting
having failed TO bring about the election
of new officers.
Trouble has been fomenting ever since
the last annual election. At that time an
offer from Griffith Davies to buy the mine
at s125 a share was turned down. All
sorts of charges were made, 1t being al
legged by many of the shareholders that an
attempt on the part of some of the Of
ficers to rob them of their property had
been made. A new board of trustees was
elected, but II evidently did not give any
more satisfaction than the old board.
Some time ago it was charged that the
new board was permitting the mine to
run down, and that 1t was in no way con-
Quoting the affairs of the company for the
interests of the stockholders. :.
1t is said that one-third of the share
holders requested the trustees to call
meeting of the shareholders for specific
purposes. The call was made. but IL is
alleged that the trustees did not specify
in fun the reasons for meeting. Conse-
quently the shareholders got together and
called a meeting for the same hour and
at the same place as specified in the call
by the trustees 1t was question when
the meeting convened whether 1t was the
one called by the trustees or that called
by the shareholders. The shareholders
quickly disposed of this question by yot-
Ing that the trustees call was irregular.
and deciding that the meeting then in ses
sion was the one called by the sharehold-
ers.
Then II is said the designations OF the
FIVE men constituting the board of trus-
tees were demanded. Three of them. David
Mitchell, Joseph Jones and Morgan Davis.
complied with the request. The other two,
j. D. Jones, the president and J. III. Da-
vies. were removed from office. Later
a vote on the question of whether OF not
the mines should be sold was taken and IL
is said that only twenty-four of the go
present voted against selling.
Before all this work was accomplished
the hall at the Collins block, where the
meeting took place, presented a lively
scene. There were many warm discus
sions and parliamentary usages were ig-
nored. The resulting confusion was great
ly intensified by the clan Joneses and the
clan Morgans These were out In large
numbers. There were Jones of Carbon
ado, Jones of Renton, Jones of Gilman.
Jones of Seattle and Jones Of Columbia
and many others. In some instances there
were divisions in the same family. the
father I'm one instance voting for propo-
sition and the son against il.
Again, the meeting looked like a reunion
OF the Jones family. One time eight
speakers took possession of the floor
Mr.. Jones has the floor" yelled the
chairman. Immediately four Others
jumped up, making an even dozen, each
trying to speak and insisting that his
name was Jones and that he had been
recognized by the chair. Then arose a
man who gave his name as Joseph Jones
He cried, Take it easy, take it
easyr'
But confusion continued. Mr. Jones in
attempting to straighten out matters got
into an alteration with Mr.. Jones at the
other side OF the room
The speakers grew tired and sat down,
and the chairman listened to speeches by
the Morgan end OF the family. Toward
evening balloting for new board of truss
tees began, but darkness compelled an adj
iournment until this morning, when II Is
expected the battle will be renewed
Several persons seen last night stated
that they did not know that any new offer
had been made TO bury the mines The
company's property was purchased several
years ago for 5000 The output is $50
tons day. Much of the coal is sold in
this city