The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-31
THE MINE QUESTION.
ArbitratOrs Personally Investigate
the Heart of Coal Region.

Scranton, Pa. Oct. 20.-The seven
commissioners appointed by President
Roosevelt to adjust the differences ex-
listing between the anthracite mine
workers and their employers. to-day
made a tour of the extreme upper coal
field and saw every step taken in the
production of coal from the time it is
blasted from the ground. hundreds OF
feet below the surface, up to the point
the use of the consumer.
The arbitrators had an interesting
day and returned to their hotel at $50
o'clock tonight, grimy from coal dust
and tired after eight hours of obserVa-
ton and investigation. The trip was
quite a novelty to most of those in the
commissioners party, some of whom
had never been in the hard coal re-
gions. The commissioners displayed
the greatest interest in every feature
of coal mining. The seven arbitrator
had to endure many discomforts, make
their way through wet places in the
mines, almost crawl along some of the
gang'Ways in the workings and pass
through clouds of coal dust in the
breakers. Notwithstanding this, their
eagerness for information was not di-
minished and they expect to put in
another hard days work tomorrow in
this vicinity.
1t would be unfair to say that one
commissioner displayed more interest
than another, but it can be truly said
that Bishop Spalding asked more ques-
tons than any one of the others. He
was usually in the center of a group of
commissioners, and asked many ques-
tons of those who are employed in and
about the mines.
To-day's tour consisted of an iuspec-
ton of No. 2 mine of the Hillside Coal
and Iron Company, operated by the
Erie Company, and the Coalbrook
breaker, of the Delaware and Hudson
Company. The former is located at
Forest City, twenty-five miles north of
this city, and the breaker at Carbon
dale, four miles south of Forest City.
On the run up the Lackawanna Valley
the commissioners viewed with interest
the several mining towns situated along
the Delaware and Hudson Railroad.
When the party arrived at Forest
City a crowd of persons. among whom
were some mine workers. were gath
cred There was no demonstration of
any kind, the workers standing silently
by watching the men who had the diff
ferences existing between them and the
operators in their hands. A short drive
was taken through the town to give
the commissioners an opportunity to
view the homes of the mine workers
| and then the entire party descended
into No. 2 mine. AS the mine was wet
and dirty, the company officials pro-
Vlded rubber OVershOeS, oVerallS, jump
! ers and miners caps. Judge Gray and
| Bishop Spalding were the first to don
| the uniform of the miner and good
naturally took the remarks thrust at
| them by their colleagues as to whether
| or not they belonged to the union.
| In the Clifford, adjoining No. Q mine,
a few hours before the commissioners
arrived, a Hungarian was killed almost
| instantly by the falling of portion of
| the roof of the mine. He was doubled
up and his lamp falling to go out, set
| fire to his clothes, almost roasting him
| alive. The arbitrators We're not in
| formed of the accident.
On the return journey to the foot
of the shaft Bishop Spalding came
across a Lithuanian boy who was en-
| ployed as a doortender. His face was
| black from coal dirt, but in the dim
| light of the lamp on his cap, the Bishop
! noticed his handsome features. He
| asked the boy many questions as to
| his age, the character of his work and
| the wages he received.
Near the Shalt Oh LHe return journey
the car in which Judge Gray, Gen. Will
son and Messrs. Clarke and Parker
were seated jumped the track and the
four occupants were slightly shaken
up. Miners quickly placed the car on
the track again, and started them off
with a hearty goodbye. The party
reached the surface at 2:10 o'clock,
after being underground two hours and
ten minutes.
NIo nrINtf fo,.c haI TT IT,.
time at the Coalbrook breaker at Car
bondale. They went to the top of the
great black building, and inspected all
the machinery down to the ground
The commissioners watched the work
of the boss closely and saw him dock
several miners because in his judgment
there was too much foreign matter in
the car of coal. A few feet away is
the place where the cars of coal are
weighed After the seven arbitrators
had watched the weighing of coal for
a while, Mr.. Clark inquired how many
pounds constituted a ton at this col
liery. Supt. Dryden of the Ontario and
Western thought it was about $500
pounds, but District President Mich
oils said it was little over 3100
pounds. The two began to discuss this,
each maintaining he was right. Mr..
Nichols said that granting that $500
was correct, these figures are too high.
He said when the companies fixed $500
pounds to constitute a ton so as to get
out of it 1000 pounds of pure coal, the
operators did not sell pea coal in the
market. Now they have a market for
pea coal, and about three other si.es
| below it, and the miners ton of $500
pounds has not been decreased
The party after this incident return
ed to Scranton.
President Mitchell of the miners
union came up from Wilkesbarre to-
night. He was accompanied by Clar-
ence c. barrow of Chicago, who has
been appointed by Mr.. Mitchell as at
torney to represent the miners before
the arbitration commission. The two
had a conference with several members
of the commission tonight regarding
the submission Of testimony.