Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-10-01
AS to Cooperative Mining.
Editor News:

/
You ask for correspondence on CO.
operative mining There was a time
that 450 acres OF coal land could have
been had on the cooperative plan. /
DO not know whether it can be had
now or not. / think wrote an article
for the News some years back, advis-
ing some miners to go to work on
farms to raise grub to feed others
while they built railroad to this
tract referred to, while some opened
up and got ont coal for market. In
less than Il months, railroad can be
built from the mine to the bank of
Big Sequachee below the mill one mile
from Jasper. Let fifteen or twenty or
more miners, who know how to raise
corn and pork, garden truck, chickens.
fruits, etc, rent or buy land to raise
feed for three or four hundred men to
build the railway and nalf dozen to
drive entrys. All may have to live
hard the first year until coal is put ON
the market. will see if the $50 acres
can be had on royalty of a few cents
per bushel or ton, whatever is fair all
around. The land belongs to my two
daughters and daughter law If
properly cultivated enough potatoes
and garden vegetables can be raised on
it to feed over one hundred men.
do not see why the money lying
idle in the union treasury to feed idle
men on strike, could not be used to
feed men while at work to avoid ne
cessity for striking. believe a thous-
and or more acres can be had in a bodV
adjoining the 450 acres of my children.
The Mary Ann Burns tract Joins it
and the lands of the Company at Sc
quachee might be put into the cooper
alive plan. Mr.. Editor, you are close
to the agent and can find out. Nv
plan will relieve the situation. Send
cory of the News with the letter of
each correspondent on the subject to
Mr. Lewis and his committee. think
they will see the propriety of feeding
strikers while at at work. do not
think striking union men are prohibit
ed from working at some other occu-
patton than coal digging l advise
every miner belonging to the union to
lay down his tools and walk out. Do
not try to boycott or fight "scabs'.
Let all "Scabs'' work that want to.
Miners are fed while idle. Can't they
be fed if working on farms or railroad
bullding2 Surely it is poor state CT
affairs if men want to work at some
thing else while on strike they must
starve. AS | said before l do not
know If | can get the mine and soil or
not but | will find out in a short time.
One of my daughters lives in Californ-
ia and is married. She owns half the
tract. 1t may be month before | can
get word from her and do not know
her address at present. One is in
Birmingham, Ala. and | live with
one
Now, l insist my plan will relievs
the situation. The great difficultS
will be to get the miners to see it id
the right light. Other unions in othei
states can get coal land at REASONABLE
prices provided they go at it in Il
right way. 1t is true nearly all IN
eral lands are owned by capitalists a
there are only few isolated tracts Il
owned by corporations The 45O ac
tract referred to is surrounded
lands owned by two corporations. TN
company working Pryor Ridge, and
the Company at Sequachee own all
around it and the Mary Ann Burns
tract. The company at Pryor Ridge
think they will be able to get the 45O
acres because no company wants any
surrounded by a syndicate. They be-
lieve it is in such condition no one will
open up the mine. | own 40 acres
joining it, added to the $50, will
make 400 acres that may be had on a
small royalty to the three women
owners.
If the miners will let me plan fol
them they will sure win
Respectfully,
AMOS L. GRIFFITH,
Griffith Addition,
Pell City, Ala
| ID 4