The Oskaloosa herald., 1907-08-22
MINES And MINING.
Notes by Edwin Perry, Iowa Sec'y.
United Mine Workers.

son Coal Company. This is the old
Economy Coal Company. They are
working three shifts of men every "a
hours, and will strike the coal about
the list of September. The drillings
indicate an extensive basin of coal of
uniform thickness; only 8 feet of va
ration in nearly one-half mile dis
lance. Hence little or no grading will
be necessary underground The High
Bridge Coal Co. claim to have fine
31a feet vein of superior quality and
over 1000 acres of mineral.
The Ogden Coal Co. will tap coal
some time today, and will rush devel-
opment work and expect to have a
good force of men at work soon. All
the mines mentioned above are near.
ly 800 feet below the surface. One,
the latter shaft mentioned, cost $1,000
for curbing alone. To equip modern
coal mine requires a large expenditure
of funds.
The southern Iowa coal fields are
complaining of shortage of men, due
to the poor work during the summer
months, many miners having gone
elsewhere. ".
1hirty-siX death claims were paid
last quarter, and twelve thus far in
August.
Wyoming is now well organized and
the operators and miners have formed
a joint scale agreement The rates of
wages are higher than in Iowa, but
taking into consideration the cost Of
living, there is very little difference.
y y y
The Cleveland Coal Co. are making
very extensive improvements under
ground and when completed they eX-
pect to increase their force materially.
The Lucas mine having been aban-
doned there are q number of idle men
there that can supply the wants at
Cleveland.
q KR
IL 10 HSISUy dSIcSu IudL Tic SOuoOl-
idation Coal company of Buxton will
proceed to install the electric shot
firing device in all four of its mines,
and when the mines are equipped
with the electric apparatus all shots
will be ignited by electricity, the COM
pany and the local agreeing to bear
jointly the expense of installing this
system in the following manner:
1t is estimated that the cost of in
stalling this apparatus for all mines
($4,000) dollars, and when the change
from the present system of shot firing
to the new system takes place the
amount the local allows to it's shot fir
ers now each day shall be paid to the
company until one-half, or two thous-
and $4,000 dollars, or whatever one
half of the actual cost of installing
said plant is, provided it does not ex-
coed four thousand $4,000 dollars.
Then, and at which time, the local will
cease to pay any more for shot firing,
the company agreeing to maintain
said system and fire the shots there
after.
End. A bill for the entire cost of
installing this system will be filed
with the local, so they may have act
ual knowledge of it's cost, ETC., and
what their portion will be. ."
Sd. The promoters of this appara-
tus claim satisfactory results from
their improved system, and the Con-
solidation Coal company intends to
install thorough and permanent sys-
TEN in order to insure the greatest
efficiency in igniting the shots and the
details for the guidance of all con-
cerned are left to the local arrange
ment as proper instruction will be
given everyone, so that the most in
tellgent understanding and knowledge
of this new system can be had, and
we recommend that everyone cooper
ate in securing the highest results.
~ y y ....
Blyth miners have finished paying
for their hall and are now comfortably
situated. The lighting and heating
arrangements are complete In every,
particular and of the best.
= p q
The u. NJ. W. of A. and the West
ern Federation have formed recipro-
cal agreement on transfer cards.
Each organization will accept trans
fers from the other. This is a step in
the right direction. Heretofore the in
dividual has suffered many inconveni-
ences as well as financial loss by be-
ing compelled to rejoin when going
from one jurisdiction to the other.
Now, what is much needed is a uni
versal transfer card good in all trade
organizations. The card should also
have printed on the margin the
amount of initiation paid, and an in
dividual joining a union with a high
er rate of initiation should only be
expected to pay the difference be-
tween the amount paid and the
amount charged by the receiving un-
ion. Such an arrangement is FEAST
BILE and the future would clearly dem
onstrate the wisdom and practicable
ity of such an innovation as being in
harmony with modern ideas and ad-