Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-09-05

coal business in Iowa can be ascer-
tanned when it is realized that the
products of the coal mines of Polk
county alone this year would, if piled
up, cover twelve city blocks three
stories high. The product of the
mines of the state is something over
five times the total product of the
mines Of Polk county, and would
therefore cover sixty blocks, 300 feet
each, with sixty-foot street in be-
tween. 1t would cover a farm of IT'S
acres to the height of a three-story
building, and the product of the Polk
county mines alone would cover
thlrty-hve acres to that depth,
The product of the mines of Polk
county this year will amount to about
1,40O,O0O tons. The reports to the state
mine inspector are not all in yet, but
the report of last year shows over
100000 tons, and there are already
reported that much with mines that
Will run about 100000 tons yet to re-
port. The product of the entire state
viii be considerably over seven mil
lion tons.
About rs per cent of the coal taken
out is lump coal and it is on the
basis OF the amount of the lump coal
taken out that the miners are paid.
the screenings go to the coal COM
pany gratis. 1t costs a coal company
about $l.90 per ton Of lump coal to
handle the products of it's mines and
put IL onto cars ready for transporta-
ZION to market. On this basis there
is spent in Polk county for handling
the coal product Of the county.
$l,995,OOO year. In addition to
this there is every year a great deal
Oh money spent in prospecting for new
veins. sinking new shafts for new
mines and installing machinery. The
annual expenditure in Polk county on
this alone runs into the hundreds Of
thousands of dollars, so that there is
considerably more than $2,JO0,00
spent in Polk county every year in
wages in and about coal mines. The
reports to the state mine inspector
for last year showed that there were
1875 persons employed during the
year in the mining of coal, not all of
them for the full twelve months This
means a population of somethink like
$4,000 persons supported in Polk
county by the coal mines of the state,
engaged in delivering coal inside the
city limits of Des Mones.
To put the yield of the coal mines
in still little different light it can
be said that the yield of the Polk
county mines placed in wagons hold
ing two and half tons each, which
is the capacity of the biz wagons used
In Des Moines, it would take 100000
fQannS IN
ing twenty feet to the team and
wagon, which is not very liberal, they
would stretch over 2,121 miles.
Code Supplement Will Be Printed.
1t was decided by the legislative
code commission to give the state
printer and state binder the publ
cation of the code supplement The
total cost of the work cannot be COM
puted until the number of pages that
the publication will require has been
determined.
c. N. Jepson, the editor, told the
commission that he believed the book
would require perhaps 1900 pages.
This is twice the size of the present
supplement. The code itself Is only
1890 pages. After three more ses-
sions Of the legislature, the code sup
plement will be as large as the code
itslf.
Work on the compilation will begin
about Oct. Is, or as soon as the an
notations are completed.
Delay in the publication increases
the cost of the work. For instance,
if the contract had been let last
spring the bids for the sheep binding
could have been bought at a much
lower price than they will be now
The state printer expects to estab-
lish self-feeder and work on the
printing day and night 1t is impos-
sible to get night press feeders these
times.
Plans Completed for Big Coliseum.
Never since the inauguration of the
project has the outlook been so
bright, Secretary Wilson says. Not
until guaranteed income is assured
to the stockholders will stock in the
company be sold, and Mr.. Wilson en-
phatically stated that that income
would be sufficient to make it a good
investment. Numerous merchants
have already asked for stalls in which
to display their goods. and these re-
quests have been made entirely with
out solicitation. The rental of the
stalls has not been definitely fixed.
but it will be made as low as possible
When the building is completed, a
directory will be maintained in all
depots, directing transients to the
coliseum, and the fact that it is with
in easy walking distance from all de-
pots will attract great many visitors.
Final plans for the building will
be drawn in few days, and the
coliseum company will be formed in
September. Work on the structure
will begin this fall and be completed
in the winter.
Auditor Approves Health Insurance.
The National Travellers Benefit
association, mutual health insm
ance organization for commercial
travellers throughout the United
States, has been perfected in Des
Moines and will, commence business
at once. Auditor B. F. Carroll, who
has supervision of the insurance bust
ness in Iowa approved of its plans.
The organization will be purely
mutual. members being assessed to
cover the benefits paid and the oper-
ating expenses. Sick benefit will be
$25 per week and $35 per week for
total disability caused by paralysis.
Des Moines Banks Are Prosperous.
Des Moines banks are enjoying
one of the most prosperous periods
in their history, according to the
statements made in complianea with
the calls of the Iowa auditor of state
and the controller of the currency
for their condition at the colse OF