The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-11-29

| SndllI coullSuOuS 10 the CITY VI Aluiu,
and will supply the local trade as
well as the shipping trade at other
points.
The press reports a coal famine in
Fort Dodge as a result of shortage
of miners, which is somewhat mis-
leading. When cold snap overtakes
us, invariably the average consumer
finds himself out of coal. and in
many instances dealers keep but
very limited supply on hand, and be-
ing unable to meet the abnormal de.
mand, the old stereotype cry goes
out, Shortage of miners" Such
misleading statements do the miners
a seeming injustice. The fact remains
that the miners of Boone, Fraser, Le'
high and Coalville worked less than
half time all summer and fall. Why
will the average consumer procrastin-
ate, and only buy to supply immedi.
ate wants?
The old Midway Coal company OF
Des Moines have optioned several
hundred acres of coal lands and are
making preparations to prospect the
same by drilling a number of holes.
The Rogers Coal Co. are rebuild
ing their top works, recently burned
down, and will soon be in operation
again.
The Hawkeye mine of Fraser oper.
ated by Geo. Ramsay, is increasing
their tonnage very rapidly. Its ton.
mage now exceeds $50 tons of screen
ed coal.
The Mammoth Vein Coal company
of Bussey will possibly sink a new
shaft near Lovillia next season.
s. . q
The Flint Valley Coal Co. of Des
Moines have recently purchased the
Charter Oak mine and expect to de-
velop the same with an increased
force of men.
The old abandoned Dunreath mine
will undoubtedly resume operations
in the near future.
The executive board of District 10
will convene in this city on next
Tuesday at 1000 o'clock.
The Brewer family of -Clarinda are
operating a 2S-inch vein near Fail
City, Nebraska. This is the first
coal mine in that state.
The operators of Iowa meet in Des
Moines on Dec. II, 1906, to elect Of
ficers.
The miners elected two members
to congress in Pennsylvania, and fif-
teen members to the state legisla-
ture, as we'll as others in adjoining
states. One of the members elected
to congress, Mr.. T. D. Nichols, is the
one who accompanied our Mr.. White
to England last summer.
y y
New local unions will be organized
at Berwick, Iowa, and Blythe, Iowa.
The latter is new opening near the
old Currier mill, six miles east of
this city.
The mines of Boone and Webster
counties are being worked out very
rapidly, the number of mines decreas.
ing every year.
y - "a
Hiteman mines hoisted $4,000 tons
of screened coal in October, an aver
age Of 22-100 tons per day per min
er. Thanks to the skill of the Iowa
miner, thousands of others in our
state can make an equally good show
ing.
District 10 has paid ~ death claims
from April 1 to date, and is fully APP
preciated by the recipients, as letters
in our possession will testify.
The Appanoose and Wayne county
mines are running full blast, to their
fullest capacity. The demand for the
excellent quality of coal furnished for
domestic purposes is ever increasing.
q y y
A sad accident occurred in one Of
the local mines at Ottumwa recently,
resulting in the death of two mem
bers of the miners organization. 1t
appears upon investigation that the
mine in question is new opening,
with a very limited area for shots to
expand. On the fatal day referred
to, five men were in the act Of as
cending on the cage to the surface
when the shots ignited, and the
shaft having two compartments, and
made to serve as an upcast and down
cast, the cages almost completely
take up all the open space. and when
both cages are opposite each other,
or nearly so, in the shaft. the air
current is temporarily prevented
from circulating as freely as neces-