Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-11

1 The coal ignites from the heat q
the oven. and about seventy hours i.
necessary 10 reduce II 10 coke. On,
ton o. coal produces approximately
depending on Its composition, tw,
thirds Of ton Of coke, Most 81 ths
coke produced BY the Dawson plan,
| is sent 70 the copper country aboul
Bisbee, Arizona.
The Dawson Coal company em
Iployes something over Six hundred
men, The miners are paid IN thc
piece, 5s cents per ton, and steady
Workmen take out from seven ii eight
tons day, Company men, thar ii
laborers engaged In other work than
mining and who WORK IN The day re.
.ceiye s2.60 70 $500 for ten hours
work: drivers are paid s2,aO The Iii.
perintendent stated to The Optic rem
resentatiNe that the wages of The
miners ran from slUo u siSo Der
month. III going through The mines
! talked with one miner who, was
told, was one of the best employed
by the company, ! asked him how
much he made last amonth? He re,
piled, "$22O.. Later. was shown the
pay roll III the Office and locked ap
the record Of this particular man. He
had with the assistance of his helper
4 boy of sixteen years, taken out over
500 tons Of coal during March. For
this he had received s27s He had
paid out $44 for the powder he had
used leaving mel earning of $685..
Of this he had allowed Sal Id script,
IN payment of his bills for groceries,
meat, etc. He had paid Sc dollars
Tor rent, 81 for blacksmith,s services
and 81 for hospital fees and had re-
eeiyed the balance Of siS6 III cash.
From this he would have 10 pay his
boy helper, and suppose that he paid
him $50, which Is probably more than
le did pay. he would have left d bal. |
ance Of $3.50 And this amount is
above such living expenses al house |
rent, and cost OF provisions.
n looking over the pay roll 4 page |
8
was taken at random and the average |
AMOUNT paid was calculated. The |
men on that particular page had drawn
rom $50 Up 70 Sits for March |
md the average man was conaiderab-
y over 500, Miners who work by
he ton have the privilege OF working
,ne hour q day or ten as they please. !, ,
rhe dillgent ones can earn sufficient
q live comfortably and save nice
lum every month. Thesshiftiess ones
sarn only enough to Keep the wolf /
rom the door. The men In the Daw.
ION camp appear 20 be sober, in
lustrious and contented The disaf.
ection In the Colorado camps has not
Effected them and no fear OF d strike
8 entertained The camp has never
,een unionlzed and the men are satis-
led with the present condition Of
hings.
The Optic man asked particularly
d regard to the script system which
las been the basis of trouble In other
amps. The script Ii merchandise
ue bill, good for SO much at the com
ANY store Each man, on pay day
alls for whatever amount of script
e desires; he can draw his entire
arnings IN cash n he 50 desires. The
ompany store handles d superior class
( goods and charges reasonable prf
81, The men are not compelled ID
rade at the company store, but the
ther alternative Ii 10 drive 10 the
earest trading point several miles
istant
The superintendent stated that tho
len were dealt with fairly by the
store and were satisfied 20 4
rade there.
The Dawson Fuel company owns
nc Of the finest coal fields III Amer.
a with solid vein seven feet thick.
he superintendent stated thai they
ossessed practically an inexhaust.
,ly supply.