The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-03-05
PR0bERS GET FIRST
HAND INFORMATION
CONGRESSMEN SPEND DAY uN.
DER GROUND IN MICHIGAN
COPPER MINES,
TRY HANDS AT THE LABOR
Feet Below Earth-Told by Strik.
err improvements Have
Been Made.

Calumet, Mich, Mar. 2.-Foura tired
congressman stepped out of a man.
cage at Calumet and Hecla shaft No.
4 after spending the greater part of
the day in the copper mines, having
been at one time nearly mile under
earth. They saw the rock mined and
carried to the surface at first hand
and observed the conditions under
which the underground employees la.
Dor.
Probers Are Accompanied.
Led by Captain John Knox, gen
eral superintendent of the Calumet
and Hecla company, the investigators
first descended into No. Is shaft on
the Amygdaloid vein. Hubert Laux.
a striker, represented the union men
and Tom James, mine inspector of
Houghton county and two newspaper
men accompanied the party. The con-
gressmen were taken to a depth of
about 1900 feet and were given an
opportunity to explore the workings
on four different levels. Coming to
the surface after two hours below,
the legislators dotted their rough gar
ments only long enough to appease
their appetites and then went down
again, this time into a working on the
Conglomerate vein where conditions
were somewhat different.
Calls Conditions Improved.
Laux said, after the days inspec
| ton was over, that conditions in the
mines were much better than they
were before the strike, but that the
miners had no guarantee that they
would continue as they were unless
they had the backing of a powerful
union.
Two men were encountered early
in the days trip rigging up one Of
the so-called one-man mills. Laux
called the attention of the committee
to the fact, remarlzing that it was
too heavy for one man to handle. Cap.
tain Knox replied that miners were
ting up their machines. On another
occasion Laux pointed out three men
pushing heavy tram car, work which
ne said formerly was done by two
men. The miners were found drilling
within calling distance of each other
another condition which Laux said
did not exist before the strike Cap
tain Knox and the mine bosses in
sisted that working conditions yester
day were not appreciably differen
than they had been for years.
congressman Try Hands.
Coming upon trammer busy
shoveling rock into car, Mr.. Taylor
thought he would like to try his han6
at it, and he made the dirt fly for {
minute or two.
Il guess that's enough for me.
the chairman said, putting from TIN
exertion. Here, Howell you try it..
Mr.. Howell took the she 1el,o bu
paused after depositing the fifth
shovelful and wanted to know of Car
tain Knox whether he was workin!
on contract or company account.
ION your own TERMS" the captain
responded, laughing.
"Then let Casey do it," the Utal
} representative said, with an air O
, finality.
Mr.. Casey was willing, and he wen
at it like an old hand.
I'll show you fellows that l ca
} come back" he asserted, and tn
Croatian trammer looked on in siler
admiration while the Pennsylvani
miner-congressman filled the car abou
three times as fast as the Croatia
} could have done it himself
The investigators will resume the
public hearings in Houghton.