Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-23
|0NAGOAL MINES BUSY
BIG DEMAND FOR OUTPUT AND
OPERATORS EMPLOY MEN
ON FULL TIME.
FUEL BEING SHIPPED
TO ADJOINING STATES
Good Prices Received by Owners Dc.
clare They Are Not Getting Rich
Much Coal Being Shipped Under Old
Contracts and MiddIemen Take
Enormous Profits.

Centerville, Nov. 80. With every
mine in the community going at full
blast, with more coal being produced
here than ever before and with the
miners happy and contented with their
lot, the coal industry in the county IL
enjoying boom and a rush as it has
not seen in many years. Coal is going
out from Centerville and vicinity to all
parts Of the United States and the
miners are making more money than
they would have believed possible last
summer when work was so slack in the
neighborhood. 1t is estimated that the
payroll of the miners in Appanoose
county per day is now between $12,
900 and $4,000, which in itself is proof
Of the unprecedented prosperity along
this line, which has struck the COM
munity.
It is well known fact that for the
past ten years or so, the mines of this
vicinity have been running in spas
modic way and as one of the operators
expressed it, the owners, have been
leading hand to-mouth" existence
because of this. The coal here is
rather expensive to get out and the
Illinois coal could be, secured at a
cheaper rate than that of the local
mines, and consequently the coal from
cur neighboring state to the east had
quite an advantage over that dug in
Appanoose county. The big industries
did not buy from the local companies
very extensively because Of this fact,
secured the cheaper Illinois coal which
while recognized as of a little inferior
quality, was still good enough for their
needs. Southern Iowa coal, therefore
was not in very great demand and the
producers here did not do very thriv-
ing business.
MucF, Under Contract.
All this business has given rise In
rumors that the coal operators are
rapidly becoming rich because Of the
high prices reported. This, however,
the men in question flatly deny saying
that at least two-thirds Of the coal
they sell has been contracted for and
that therefore they must sell it at the
contract price. These prices were
agreed to some time ago when business
was poor and were made low in order
that the orders might be secured. The
railroad contract price seems to be In
the neighborhood; of $2.O7 per ton,
dumped into the cars on the
track, and this price must be adhered
to in spite of the fact that the demand
now would probably bring much
higher one elsewhere. Only COM
paratively few of the industries Of the
country were caught without coal con-
tracts, and these people are paying as
high as $3.50 per ton for the coal ana
are constantly begging for coal which
can not be Supplied them. Then, too.
together with all the other high prices,
the price Of necessities with which to
keep up the mines has gone up, say
the operators, and so the profit on the
coal is not what it would seem to be
to outsiders.
Iowa Coal in Demand.
The operators admit, however that
business has never been so good as at
the present time. Iowa coal is going
direct to Chicago and other large cities,
to the northern part Of the country and
until recently, to Oklahoma, where coal
could not be secured because Of the
miners strike.