The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-11-04

Scranton. October Gothic seven COM
nissisners appointed by President
Roosevelt to adjust the differences ex-
listing between the anthracite mine
workers. and their employers. today
made tour of the extreme upper coal
feld. 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
where it 8 sent to market ready for the
use OF the
The arbitrators had an interesting day
n returned TO their hotel at $50 o'clock
tonight grimy from coal dust and tired
after eight hours Of observation and
investigation. The trip was quite a
novelty to most Of those III the commits
Sioners party, some of whom had never
been In the hard coal regions. The
commissioners displayed the greatest
interest in every feature of coal mining.
The ssven arbitrators had to endure
many disComforts, make their wav
through wet places in the mines, almost
crawl along some of the in
the workings and pass through clouds
OF coal dust in the breaker NOtwith-
standing this, their eagerness for infor-
nation was not diminished. and they
expect to put in another hard days
work tomorrow in this vicinity.
1t would be unfair to say that one
commissions displayed more interest
than another, but it can be truly said
that Bishop Spalding asked more ques-
tons than any n Of the others. He
was usually in the center Of a group
OF commissioners and asked many queS-
-Il0nR of those who are lmDlOVp6 in and
about the mines.
Today's tour consisted of an inspec-
ton OF No. z mine of the Hillside Coal
and Iron Company, operated by the
Erie Company and the Coal Brook
Breaker, of the Delaware and Hudson
Company. The former is located at
Forest City. twenty-five miles north of
this city. and the break at C~arbondale,
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
also catered. There was no demon
stration OF any kind, the workers stand
i'm: silently ov watching the men who
had the differences existing between
them and the operators in their hands.
A short drive was taken through the
town to rive the commissioners an op-
Dortunity to view the homes of the mine
workers and hen the entire party de-
scended into No. , mine. AS the mine
vas wet and dirty, the company eff
Gals provided rubber overshoeS, over
alls jumpers and miners caps, Judge
ray and Bishop Spalding were the first
to don the uniforms and good naturedly
took the remarks thrust at them by
their colleagues Is to whether or not
they belonged to the union
In the Clifford. adjoining No 2 mine,
a few hours before the commissioners
arrived a Hungarian was killed almost
instantly by the falling of a portion of
the mine. He was doubled up n his
lamp. failing to go out, set fire TO his
clothes, almost roasting him alive The
arbitrators were not informed of the
accident
On the return journey TO the foot of
the shaft Bishop Spalding came across
a little boy who was employed as a door
tender. His face was black from coal
dirt bat In the dim light OF the lamp
On his cap the bishop noticed his hand
some features. He asked the boy many
questions as to his age, the character
OF his work and the wages he received.
Near the shaft on the return journey,
the car in which Judge Gray, General
Wilson and Messrs. Clark and Parker
were -eated. jumped the track and the
IOOt 4 SllS1ll lldhCli
up. Miners quickly placed the car on
the track again and started them off
with q hearty good bye The party
reached the surface at 2:10 O'Clock. af-
ter being under ground for two hours
and tea minutes.
The arbitratorS had an interesting
time at the coal brook breaker at Car
bondale. They e to the top OF the
great. black building and inspected al
the machinery down to the ground.
The commissioners watched the work
OF the boss closely and saw him dock
several miners, because. in his judg-
ment. there was too much foreign mat
ter 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 tn 8 col iery.
Superintendent Dryden, of the Ontario
pounds. but District President Niche
said it was a little over 300 pounds.
The tive began to discuss this. each
maintaining he was right. Mr.. Itch
it. I have heard it "a upon excellent
authority that expectant benehciaries
under the existing tariff laws-made by
it's friends were a~ctually allowed to
construct the schedule by which they
expected to profit. This was quite in
keeping with the color and complexion
OF the entire scheme. Evidence abounds
in and about it. indicating that the : ell
fare and interests of the common people
Of our land were not allowed to disturb
in any unpleasant degree the serenity
Of those having the work in /
believe this last exploit of the so-called
friends OF the tariff in its revision.
should amply satisfy any thoughtful
citizen unbiased by interest, that the
spirit OK a high protective tariff grows
W w 1afoonna nd ~oNaly- u-bor - fnad0
upon. and that its progressive greed and
rnfhlaaSnaas is hecnminp more and