The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1914-01-08
STATE is
OPERATING
NO. 5 Mine

cf Governor Ammons and the mefn-
bers OF the board OF penitentiary COM
missioners. Warden lyman began op-
Grating the Nonac. or No. s. coal mine
In South Canon Tuesday morning for
, the purpose OF taking out sufficient
coal for the use OF the prison.
amounting in ordinary times TO some
thing like thirty tons a day. II the
necessity arises coal will be mined by
the prison authorities for the use Of
: the state insane asylum At Pueblo
/. and the reformatory at Buena Vista.
but under no circumstances will any
Of the product OF the mine be sold to
the public
This Is the first time In the history
Of Colorado that coal has been mined
nv the state and in this instance Il Is
only being done TO meet the exigen-
cies OF an unusual situation brought
about oy the strike among the miners
In the bituminous districts Of the com
monweaith. In discussing the matter
this morning Warden lyman said:
Ever since the strike began the
prison management has been held up
In the price OF coal. The big compa-l
MES which had contracted 10 supply
, e,s coal were unable to meet the terms
Of their agreement after the shut
down took place and we we're COM
peiied to buy II wherever We could
end pay exorbitant prices for H. We
uere forced to close our lime kiIns
and water plant and save what coal
We could for the purpose OF heating
the prison and operating It's electric
light plant The situation became so
acute that We had either to dig our
own coal or 20 without light and heat.
Two Of the essential things at the In
}. ssitution-
Governor Ammons secured a lease
or the Nonac mine and men have been
yai to work there a. a means Of soiv-
/. snE the problem with which We are
confronted. We will only mine coal
fer the prison. or such other public
Institutions as may need u. At pres
erf we will confne ourselves 10 the
demands Of the penitentiary. We will
not merchandise coal. nor will We sell
pound OF II to the public. We have
rlcniy Of miners to get out all OF the
coal the state may need during the
Continuance OF the strike.
"No. 5 Is well timbered. contains TO
Fai of any kind and has splendid
equipment for the mining OF coal and
wc do not apprchend trouble Of ATTY
kind in its operation. All OF the men
employed In the enterprise are prne-
teal miners and seem to thoroughly
1 understand the business In which they
arc engaged. Conditions were sucn
| ,sat the state coud not pay the robber
prices demanded by the coal opera
tors without bankruptcy and we had
10 dig our own coal or suffer the con-
requences. Thus far We have heard Of
- objections to the working OF the
mine by the state from either the OPP
orators or the labor unions. The lat
tcs would rather have us mine the
coal than secure II from properties
worked by non-union men, which we
ouid be forced to do.
Notices signed by Governor Am
mons. General Maupin OF tho board OF
penitentiary commissioner and my-I
self explaining the purpose OF it's OPP
Grafton have been posted at the mine
so that all may understand the mo-
tive back OF II. The working OF the
mine IL Only temporary and was
fosced upon US by the emergency rel
sulting from the existing coal strike
throughout the state. At present wei
have twelve men at work In the mine. |
IA could considerably increase the
,umbcr 10 we desired to do So They
IRE takin gout about nifty tons Of coal