Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-30
A WORKINGMAN'S MINE
FRANCE THE SCENE OF A STRIK-
ING EXPERIMENT.
An Association Organized by the Aid
Of Socialistic and Co-opera-
tive Groups.

Paris Corr. Boston Transcript.
The chance reading in Paris newspaper
Of a brief paragraph headed, La Mine aux
Mineurs," followed up by inquiries among
the people who know about the French
labor agitation in the provinces. led to a
correspondence with the general secretary
Of the Cooperative Society Of the Miners
Of Saone-et-Loire, and this correspondence
to visit to the Mine Ouvriere des Petlts-
Chateaux. By this visit (Which included
descent into the coal mine, an interview
with the director over an aperftif, dinner
with the miners in their mess, and a long
and intimate talk with number Of miners
at the village tavern after dinner, a fund Of
Information was cleaned Of a sort likely
to appeal to all persons who are Interested
and who. these days, is not?-in the di-
versified phases Of the labor movement.
The Mine des -Petits-Chateaux Is sit
uated in the department Of Saone-et-Loire,
dozen miles or so from the famous min
ing center Of Montceau-les-Mines and about
the same distance from the manufacturing
and mining center Of LIE Creuzot 1t was
operated successfully by capitalist pro
prietor as late as 1860, when it was aban-
doned, not by reason Of its exhaustion, but
by reason Of the death Of said proprietor
whose heir and successor, preferring the
proverbial bird In the hand to two in the
BUSH" skipped to parts unknown with the
mining funds.
Men Gain Control.
Toward 1890 1t began to be eyed long
ingiy by bundl> of intelligent miners Of
Montceau and Perrecy, who believed It
could be utilized by the labor cause A
strenuous effort was made by this bundle
Of miners to get the cooperative societies
and trade unions. on the one hand, to COM
NIT themselves to the purchase of the mine,
and to get the government, on the other
hand, to bring the mine into the market by
extricating it from the legal entangements
in which it was-by reason of the peculiar
fashion Of its Observation-Disclosures
Soon after the termination of the great
strike Of 1899 at Montceau-les-Mines this
twofold effort was successful A company
was organized under the name of La
Societe en- Cooperation des Ouvriers Min
ours ct Similaires du Department de Saone-
et-Loire,' with a capital of $4,000 francs
subscribed Gin capital actions of so francs
cialistic groups in all parts Of France
The mine freed at last from the letters of
legal procedure, was ad1udged to this COM
pany for $4,000 francs. The national gov
eminent dhanks to the influence of the
socialist ministers Millerand and Baudin)
allotted the company subsidy of 1900
francs for machinery ard equipments and
twenty-five miners Of Montceau and Per-
recy. who had been turned away on account
Of their active connection with the strike
set to work reopening and operating the
mine. Later the company issued 100, 900
francs Of bons de participation go francs
EACH payable, II desired In ten monthly
installments), which carry about the same
privileges as the capital actions, barring
the right to vote. Il being deemed of i'm
perative importance. to keep tho control of
the mines policy rigidly within the hands
OF the proletariat As soon as the law per-
mits. the capital will be raised to 10a.o00
francs and the bons de participation eerrc-
spondingly augmented.
Prospective Profits.
In mining nnatters the element of uncer-
tainty Ii always considerable one but
the present Indications are that the pro-
dactiveness of the mine will soon warrant
the cr-templated expansion. Without go
Ing into details regarding the position and