The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-08-25
GAINESVILLE SHAFT NEWS.
Shaft is now Completed. Will Now
Drill for Oil and Gas.

were mere last week most import
ant meeting of the stockholders of
the Grand River Coal and Coke Com
pany was held at which plans for the
future We're discussed and adopted
Among other things it was decided
to erect steel 3-track tipple, with
shaker screens, fans, pumps, etc..
the whole to cost 100000 Roberts
& Schaefer Company, principal con-
tractors for the sinking and equip
ment of the shafts secured the con-
tract for this equipment and we un-
derstand that their representative in
the work just completed, Mr.. R. H.
MCPHERSON, will remain here and
supervise installing the new equip
ment, Although it will require some
little time in which to ship this
equipment, the Company is very anx-
lous to get the mine in operation as
soon as possible and expect to sup
ply at least local delears with their
coal for the fall and winter trade
The first car of coal taken from
the mine. will be shipped to Nor
ristown, Pa.
We are authorized to say in the
most emphatic terms that there will
W nv Soiil DoIS olol liz
says that they are in no other bust
ness than mining coal. They viii
take care OF the local trade but it
will be through the regular coal deal
ers of the city, as no retail business
will be done by the company. AT the
same time the company expects to set
the retail price which will be uni
form and you can buy of any dealer
as cheaply as any other and the deal
ers will not be allowed to charge
more than the price set by the COM
pany. We are informed that the
people who do their trading at Gains
vile can buy their fuel for winter
cheaper than ever before.
The company has considered in
the past the ACCESSIBILITY of building
number of small houses for the
accommodation of the miners who
may come here TO work, but have
concluded not to do so for the pres
ent. The company prefers not to do
So and. would be glad if the people of
the town with land and the means
would build number of small
houses that could be rented for Sc to
$o per month for the accommoda-
ton of the miners. 1t is now up to
lie enterprlsing citizens of the city
to supply this coming demand.
These houses need not to be large
and extensively built and it looks
like somebody might make some
money out OF their land in this
way. Ii the town does not supply
this demand the company will be
forced to secure some options on
lands and build the houses them
selves.
The question Of whether the mines
Will be run on a union or a non-un-
ion basis has been definitely settled,
the company announcing that they
will run an open shop. They will
pay the miners scale of wages but
will not recognize the union in any
shape, manner Or form. The boys
who have been working in the shafts
held meeting a couple of weeks
ago and made application for a union
charter and we presume will organ
ize in due course of time. Some 25
or 80 signed the application, so we
presume that there will be such a
contest here in due time as we read
| about in the papers.
The company is now considering
! applications from a number of ex-
| perienced operators from various
parts, for the Office of Superinten-
dent who when employed will have
absolute charge of tn works here.
Mr.. w. G. Rambo who has been Supt.
of Construction has accepted the po-
sition of Asst. Supt., and will remain
here. Messrs Tyson and Rambo left
! Friday, for tour through the coal
| fields OF Missouri, Iowa and Illinois
to inspect mining plants and to look
! up the references of several gentle
men who have applied for the posi-
| ton OF Supt. OF the mines here They
are making the trip in Mr. Tyson s
| touring car and Mr.. Rambo expects
to be away three or four weeks.
| When the trip ends Mr.. Tyson will
go on to his home in Norristown.
The distinguished visitors express
ed themselves as being highly
pleased with their visit and of course,
GAINESVILLE was proud to entertain
| them, many of whom were visiting
GAINESVILLE for the first time. Mr..
| Ai,nouse and four others left Thurs
day, by rail, for home and the special
| on which they came left, Friday
lOOu NIL Drain lSll SATURDAY LOT
Bartlesville, Okla, and Mr.. Tyson
left, Friday, in company with Mr..
| w. g. Rambo in the formers tour
| ing car. Mr.. Morck was the only one
| OF the company to remain and he
will be here several months Some
of the company will come out again
in the course of a short time proba-
bly, about the first of the year.
The greatest shafts in the great
est mine in the Mississippi Valley
are completed.
Ground lor these shafts were
broken Feb. Z, 1910, since which
| time work on them has not ceased
day nor night until the long whistle
on the main shaft announced, Monday
morning at 2 O'Clock, that the great
work was completed. so far as the
Dowells, the contractors For the sink
ling of the shafts are concerned
The long stairway of $50 feet in
the air shaft was completed at 4
O'Clock Sunday afternoon, beating
the main shaft fellows a little more
than one shift, the latter com pleting
their work a few hours later or al