The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-03
Meu Leased to Sl0SS-Sheffield
 Company.
Under Terms of Agreement Prisoners VIII Be Worked Oh Sams Basis
 as Free Miners-CompSny
 Gave $25.o00 Bond.

A three year contract for the lease of State convicts was signed yesterdiy by Judge J. M. Carmichael, President ,f the Board of Convict Inspectors and oficials of the Sloss-Shefield Steel and Iron Company. ~
 The State will receive 8 cents a ton for each ton of coal mined by the con- victs to be leased to the Sloss-Sheneld Steel and Iron Company January 1. The coal is to be delivered at the mouti of the room. The contract, like that mlde with the Tennessee Company. runs for three years.
 Under this contract, which was signen late yesterday afternoon, the Sloss-Shef field Company will work in its mines not exceeding $50 and not less than 200 con- victs. All convicts who will go to Sloss- 1 Sheffield Company twill be worked in the mine at Flat Top. The coal seam at Flat | Top is very large and the coal Is easily | mined. It is estimated that first-class miner at Flat Top can mine one-fifth more coal than in the average mines of the mineral district.
 The ease with which coal is gotten out In the Flat Top mines is recognized by | the scale of prices of the Union Miners, | by which a miner in certain other mines gets 55 cents a ton for mining coal while | he receives H 1-2 cents ton at Flat Top. I Different from Tennessee Contract. | The contract signed Monday by the l State officials and the representatives of | the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company, l fixed the price per ton for coal mined Hby the convicts at 73 cents. but the coal mined for the Tennessee Company is to ! be delivered at the railroad cars. By delivering the coal at the cars the com pany is saved the large expense of em- | l..I- of 1oL fn tal lyO | charge of the coal at the mouth of the l room and move it to the cars. For this | reason the Tennessee Company was able I to make a much larger bid than that sub
 mitted by the Sloss- Sheffield Company ir | whose mine the coal is to be placed at the l mouth of the room.
 The Tennessee Company, by the terms | of its contract Is to have at least ma jority and not less than 400 of the State 1 convicts. It is estimated that there wil
 be zoo convicts for the mines each year
 The contract with the Tennessee Com
 pany was signed by Walker Percy. at
 torney for the company, and by President
 J. M. Carmichael of the Convict Board
 with the approval of Governor Jelks.
 For the Sloss- Sheffield Company tho
 contract was signed by President J. C
 Maben for the company and Judge Car
 michael for the State.
 The contractors had the right to make
 their contracts. for three, four or hVt
 years. In both instances the operators | chose to make the contract for thre' years They were a little apprehensiV'
 of a longer term contract.
 The market price for coal is hlgh present and the operators felt that they
 could afford to give a better price fol
 mining coal at the prevailing figures thar in A market as low as it was a few year: lago. They chose the minimum term d
 a. precaution against a possible decline
 in the coal market.
 Messrs J, c. Maben. J. P. Tillman ant
 J. c. Hillhouse of the Sheffield Company
 remained in Montgomery yesterday t.
 complete the contract. They were II
 conference with Governor and the mem
 bers of the Convict Board practically al of yesterday. They left for Birmingham
 last night.
 The details of the Tennessee and tho
 Sheffield contracts are practically the same, differing only in one feature, th'
 delivery of the coal. Both contracts place
 the conyicts on the same basis with Ire
 miners as regards their labor.
 Terms of the Lease.
 The full contract with the Sloss-Shef'
 field Steel and Iron Company reneVeo ol
 it's legal phraseology is as follows;
 "First-That the party of the first part
 under and by virtue of the power anc
 authority in him vested by the laws or the
 State of Alabama, as President or tht
 Board of Inspectors of ConVlcts III ahC
 for the State of Alabama, and upon tho terms and for the consideration herein
 after expressed, hereby agrees, for tho
 period hereinafter named, to employ ant
 work in the coal mines of the party o t.,a second part at or near Flat Top II ,n, county of Jefferson, in the State O { Alabama, now opened and being operated or which may hereafter be opened an(
 operated, by the party of the second part
 not exceeding three hundred ana h1t!
 (35M and not less than two hundred t2VO
 male State convicts now, or hereafter during said period convicted and sentenc
 ed as required by law, and who may b
 assigned to work in coal mines, as here after. from time to time, declared by tn 5 said Board of Inspectors and now O
 hereafter classed by the said Board ; Insnector as first second and third cias , men, according to the basis or classlnca ton as now fixed and settled; the sai l conyicts to be hereafter, from time | time. selected by the President of tn Board of Inspectors, to be so employe
 and worked in said mines. and Tn sue , selection the party of the second part sha l l tween it and other persons, or corpora { tions, owning coal mines, to be worked in part or in whole. by State convicts 5 to it's proportion of each class of convicts and it's proportion of colored convict , assigned to work in coal mines; and tha if the number of convicts is insuffclen to supply the full number of convicts t each party owning mines in which sal : convicts are employed, the party of tn , second part shall have its fair proportion . of such Convicts.
 { Convicts to Mine Coal. :, "Second-That the said convicts shal mine the coal in said mines, and delive
 the same as clear and free from slat
 and other foreign substances as may b necessary to make the coal so mine'
 merchantable run of the mines coal, a
 that term is used in the Birmingham
 district, in said State. to the party O
 the second part, at the mouths of tn ! rooms in said mines in which said coa 3 is mined the said convicts to be so em 5 ployed and worked under mine foremen
 or pit bosses to be selected, controlle' ! and paid by the State of Alabama; sai . mines however, to be worked according 1 to plans and specifications of the mininI t engineer of the party of the second part t and under and subject to his direction and supervision, who shall have the pow . CT and authority to direct the dimension : and location of all entries. narrow work $ rooms pillars. or supports, and all dea
 work to be done therein and all othe matters of every character pertaining t l the development of said mines, and t. } their conservation and well being; am