Evening star., 1909-08-20
WYOMING COAL MINES
Establishment and Rise OF
kemmerer.
TWELVE YEARS. SUCCESS
enormous Area Of Coal Lands In
the State.
PRICES ASKED BY GOVERNMENT
Claimed That Rates Are Prohibitive
to Independent Mines-View Of
Commissioner Fuller.
By WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special CorrespondeDee Of The star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
KEMMERER. Wyo August IA, 1909.
The story begins at a dinner given by
the late Moses P. Handy at the Bellevue
Hotel, Philadelphia. in 1896. One of the
guests was a young Irishman from
wyoming. He had been brought up in the
coal mines of Missouri: he had been a
prospector in various parts of the west;
he had been in charge of the coal de-
velopments of the Union Pacific rail-
road, and had served term as state
mine inspector of Wyoming. Finally he
discovered what he believed to be a very
valuable bed of coal in the southwestern
,ornerg of that state, had secured options
for It's purchase and had gone east to
obtain capital to develop the property.
Another guest al the dinner was Mahlon
s. Kemmerer of Upper LehiSh and Mauch
Chunk man of great wealth. and one
of the largest Independent coai operators
in the country famous for his sagaclty
and judgment in mining operations
The two miners met at Mr.. Handy $
little dinner. They proved to be con-
genial spirits. ahd the young man from
Wyoming told his story and business
interview was arranged for the following
day The consequences were of great
importance to both gentlemen, because, at
that first conference. after an acquaintance
of only a few hours. and no references
on either side. they entered into partner
ship, which continues today. In control
of many thousand acres of the richest
coal lands in the west, and large tracts
of grazing lands. and which has proven
very profitable for BOTH
Establishment Of Kemmerer.
Patrick X. Quaeley, the young Wyom-
ing miner went home. took up his op-
tions with money furnished BY his part
ner and undertook the development OF
the property. In the spring of 1897 Mr.
Kemmerer came west and founded town,
which was given his own name, on the
Oregon Short Line. down in the south
west corner of Wyoming, at an elevation
of 1884 feet, in the midst OF a rich coal
belt Kemmerer now has a population
of 1,OOO and Is the center of trade for
district that has population or lo.OtO
in which ten coal mines are in active
operation, with unlimited possibilities. 1t
has a savings and a national bank, which
ranks second of It's class In the United
states, and was the only bank IN Nyom-
ing that did not suspend payment during
the panic of 1907. And coal mining Is
not the only industry. There are 100000
head of sheep upon the ranges in this
vicinity. which furnished 1,'oo.O0O pounds
of wool for shipment from this station
last year. and 100000 head OF sheep and
lambs were shipped to the stock yards
of Omaha and Chicago. The lambs are
said to have been the heaviest of their
age that came into the market last sea-
son, and they brought the best prices.
There Is an attractive railway station
erected by the Oregon Short Line at ken,-
nerer. hotel and opera house built OF
stone four blocks of solid business houses,
a big sehoelheuse on the hilL three
churches, and many comfortable resi-
dences, and there soon will be new
central hospital, erected Jointly by the
operators and the labor organizations.
OF course there is newspaper, and It
is bright and enterprising. 1t is called
the Kemmerer Camera. and is edited by
c. Watt Brandon, who came here from
Wisconsin several years ago.
Kemmerer has become one of the most
prosperous towns In the state.
Mr. Kemmerer has taken great pride
and satisfaction in its growth and pros
his enterprise and confidence. Under Mr.
Quaeleys tactful management, the rela-
tons between the company and the min
ers and also with rival interests have al
ways been perfectly harmonious and the
outlook is favorable for great increase
in business and large population
Coal Mining in Wyoming.
The Kemmerer company has four
mines in operation within eight miles of
town and has other coal interests In the
northeast corner of the state at Aladdin
north of the Black Hills on the Belle
Fourche river, where IL has built rail-
way that connects with the Northwest
ern, In order to get an outlet for the coal.
1t Is a very valuable property. Mr.. KEN
merer has recently made a survey for
the extension of his railroad $50 miles to
the city of Sheridan. which, when built.
will open up excellent agricultural
district and make several important coal
ell
There are four coal districts in Wyom-
ing and the output has increased about
go per cent since the mines at Kemmerer
were opened in 1897. The total product Of
the state in 1898 was about 2.00O,O
tons and the maximum was reached in
1907. when the product was nearly 1000
coo Then came a slump caused by the
panic of that year and the market has
not recovered sufficiently to permit an ex-
tension of previous operations. The out
put last year was about 100000 tons
The railroads have suffered more than
the operators, however, because they had
provided an excess of rolling stock which
has since been idle.
In the Rock Springs district five inde-
Union Pacific Railway Company, the Su-
perior Coal Company, the Sum- -Quaeley
Company, the Central Coal and Coke
Company and the Wyoming Coal Com
pany.
At Kemmerer there are four opera-
tions by the Kemmerer Coal COMPANY
the Union Pacific Coal Company. the
Diamond Coal and Coke Company. which
is owned by the Amalgamated Copper
Company OF Montana and the Elk Coal
Company, which Is controlled by q Nor
mon syndicate at Salt Lake
In Sheridan county the Sheridan Coal
Company, the Wyo:\ Ooal and Mining
Company, the Coye coal Company the
Carney Coal Company and the Riverside
Coal Company have mines in operation
At Aladin, Crook county, on the Belle
Fourc1le river, are other mines operated
by Mr.. Kemmerer, which have already
been mentioned
On the Owl Creek branch of the Bur
linston railroad the Fitzpatrick brothers
have mines and on the Elkhorn river in
Natrona county Gov Brooks and an
eastern syndicate have been doing some
work
In the southern part of the state on
the Burlington road are deposits OF semi
bituuinous Ignite, which makes good
steaming coal. provided the fire boxes
are specially constructed with large sur
faces. which is necessary to get the best
results.
Charges by the Government.
There are supposed to be eighteen or
twenty million acres OF coal lands In
wyoming. larger area than In any 9TH
er state in the Union, which will be
source OF enormous wealth in the future,
and the greater part of II lies under un-
occupied government lands, (which can