The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 38, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 17, 1903 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 24 x 17 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
V
Xu^
t
%
%\XK
out hern
\A:-.
Vol. XXIII. No. 38
Dallas, Texas, Thursday September 17, 1903
$1.00 Per Annum.
FROSTS DID
MUCH INJURY
Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa
Were Visited Last
Night.
Believed That the Corn Crop in
Those States Will be
Pretty Badly Dam-
aged.
Kansas C - Sept. 16.—The temper-
ature throuKiiuut Kansas and Western
Missouri last night < is law and at
many points iro t v. n nj "."rent. The
loo*.' weather bureau repotts killing
frost ai Dresden and Hays, Kansas,
with the thermometer ranging >om 40
to 32 degrees. Concordia, V_ Is, re-
ports 36, whi'e l odge City reports 40
degrees. The greatest danger is to the
corn crop which the government ex-
perts say needs ten days more of sun
to fully ripen.
MELON CROP CUT SHORT.
Pueblo, Colo., Sept. 16.—There was
heavy frost to-day. Frost cuts short
l>y two weeks the extensive melon in-
dustry of the Arkansas valley, already
shortened by the lateness of the spring.
CORN CROP NOT HURT.
Omaha, Sept. 16.—Frost was general
last night over Nebraska and Western
Iowa. Two-thirds of the counties of
this state report frosts, but In a very
large portion of them it was light ow-
ing to cloudy skies. The effect on the
corn crop is uncertain but in most lo-
calities the crop is believed to be be-
yond injury.
CROPS IN IOWA HURT.
Des Moines, Sept. 16.—The first
frost of the season fell this morning.
The weather bureau is of the opinion
that crops will suffer considerably.
"All Iowa Is threatened with frost,"
said J. R. Sage, director of the Iowa
weather and crop service. "Fully two
weeks of warm weather was needed to
ripen the corn crop. With such condi-
tion staring us in the face the situation
Is very grave."
DAMAGE IN NEBRASKA.
. Lincoln, NeS.,' Sepf- 16.-Frost in" *,nrn,#tte* th* Intern*tlona Assocla-
nearly every part of Nebraska last
night, and in the north and western
portions of the state caused consider-
able damage. In these sections it was
sufficiently heavy to kill.
THE BUREAU BULLETIN.
Washington, Sept. 16.—The weather
bureau today issued the following bul-
letin:
Heavy frost fell last night in the
Dakotas, Nebraska and Western Min-
nesota. The danger of serious frost
tonight in Iowa, Western Minnesota
and Wisconsin is lessened by indica-
tions of Increasing cloudiness in these
districts.
BROTHER'S ALLOWANCE
TOO SMALL FOR HIM
Will of George Grennell is Being
Contested.
New York, Sept. 16.—Dissatisfied with
a bequest of $1000 out of an estate that
Is estimated at a half million dollars,
Benj. L. Benson, of Colchester, Conn.,
has instituted a contest over the pro-
bate of the will of his half brother,
George Gardener Grennell, who diel
June 3 last while on a visit to Chicago.
The will was executed three days be-
fore the death of Mr. Grennell. It has
just been filed for probate and the prin-
cipal bequest is that of $200,000 to the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals, of the state of New York.
Benson contests the probate on the
allegation that the will was the out-
come of fraud and undue influence and
that the testator was not of sound mind
or capable of making a will.
tor Arthur Pue Gorman for the na-
tional Democratic nomination for pres-
ident. The Maryland platform will
also, it is forecast by those who know,
declare the supremacy of the race is-
sue and demand Imperatively a white
man's government While the exact na-
ture of the policy to be adopted by the
party may not be disclosed, it is said
that there will be a clear and brave
tinging out on the question.
The convention will derive especial
interest from the fact that it will be
the occasion for a preliminary showing
for those Democrats who aspire to suc-
ceed Louis E. McCoinas In the United
States senate. McGomas has just won
a lively fight for the endorsement of his
own party, and he is the man the Dem-
ocrats will, have to beat. The Dem-
ocrats most discussed for the honor
just now are former Gov. Jackson and
Isidor Rayner, who creditably served
in congress during President Cleve-
land's regime and was retired with the
ascendancy of free silver ideas in the
party. Mr. Rayner is a man of con-
spit uous ability and would hardly be
such a me-too to Gorman as was his
former Democratic colleague, the deb-
onair but placable Charlie Gigson. But
maybe neither Jackson nor ltayner
can get the prize, as it is said that
Senator Gorman really prefers Gov.
John Walter Smith for a senatorial
partner.
It is considered good policy on the
part of the party managers to enlist
as many aspirants to come out early
into the open as possible. The main
purpose is to arouse so much interest
in that way that a Democratic legisla-
ture will be assured, and the prospects
seem to be good for the success of the
policy.
Congressman Mudd, who fought Mc-
Comas' endorsement and who is the
foremost Republican of Maryland's del-
egation in the house, expresses doubt
of the election of McComas; indeed,
has stated as much in his own organ,
the Marlboro, Md., Times, nlthough he
promises support of the regular nom-
inee of his party. But there has been
so much soreness engendered by the
Mudd-McComas feud that it is hardly
probable that the Maryland Republi-
cans will present a united front, at
least In the race for the senate.
DISCUSS SITUATION
IN THE IRON TRADE.
Secret
Meeting Being Held in
New York City.
New York, Sept. 16.—The executive
tton of Bridge and Structural Iron
Manufacturers and Erectors is In secret
session here to consider the present sit-
uation in the structural iron trade.
This association, through its local com-
mittee, made the agreement last May
with the Housesmiths and Bridgemen'3
union, controlled by Samuel J. Parks,
which the latter violated by ordering
strikes.
After the meeting an official of the
iron league said: "All that can be told
is that preparations have been made
for any emergency which may occur,
not only here, but all over the country.
You can draw your own conclusions."
WANDERER RETURNS.
Kidnaped Boy Returns After Absence
of Fifteen Years.
Chicago, Sept. 11.—A dispatch to the
Tribune from Portland, Oregon, saysi
After wandering around for fifteen
years, forgetting even his birthplace,
and the names of his parents, from
whom he had been kidnaped, Marcus
Hocklman, now twenty-two years old,
has walked into the store of his father
to look at a watch and has been rec-
ognized by the aged man. Young
Hocklman was stolen by a wandering
troupe of variety actors when seven
years old.
PRISONER DROPPED DEAD.
OHIO GROCERY TRUST.
Chain of Stores to Extend From New
York to Illinois.
Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 10.—The final
steps to merge from fifteen to twenty-
five wholesale grocery houses of th-1
state Into a corporatl n to be kn wn
as the Ohio Grocery company were
taken at a conference held here to-day.
The principal promoters of the enter-
prise are F. P. Letts of Chicago and
Mrs. Geo. Bundy of Grand Rapids,
Micb., assisted by Pre?!'ent WeitTen-
bach of the Ohio Wholesale Grocers'
association, and E. 12. Dow of Toledo,
Ohio, who met with the grocers. The
new corporation will be capitalized at
$10,000,000.
As soon as the Ohio combine gets
into working order, Illinois will be en-
tered and later New York. Eventuai'y
big companies In Ohio, Indiana, Illi-
nois, Iowa, Michigan and Canada will
be merged. The reduction of cost to
firms buying goods in enormous quan-
tities Is one of the objects of the com-
bine.
TO ENDOR8E GORMAN.
Maryland Democrat* to Daelara for
Him for President.
Washington. Sept. 10.—The Maryland
Democratic state convention, which is
to meet next wtck, will endorse Sena-
A Convict at Waxahachie Expired of
Heart Failure.
Waxahachie, Tex., Sept. 10.—A county
convict named P. A. Blocker, alias John
Smith, dropped dead at the jail on the
county farm yesterday afternoon.
Blocker has been sent to the farm to
work a fine of $50 imposed against him
in the county court Monday on a plea
of violating the local option law. The
first work he did was yesterday morn-
ing, and when the guards were taking
the prisoners out of the Jail to return
to work in the afternoon they found
Blocker dead. His death is supposed to
have be?n due to heart failure. Blocker
was about forty years old and recently
came to Ellis county from Arkansas.
While the street fair was In progress
at Ennis last week he rented a room in
the second story of an old store build-
ing and proceeded to sell whisky on
the quiet. The officers, however, soon
discovered his retreat and made a raid
on the building. Blocker was arrested,
and when his room was searched Jugs
containing four gallons of whisky were
found and confiscated. Monday after-
noon Blocker entered a> plea of guilty
in the county court and was fined $50
and given forty days in jail.
STORM GOES
HIGHER UP
Philadelphia and Atlantic
City Feel its Effects
This Morning. •
Several Hotels in the Latter Place
Unroofed and Other
Damage Done by
Winds.
Philadelphia, Sept. 16.—A severe
storm from the gulf region reached ;
this city about 5:30 o'clock this morn- ,
ing. Rain fell in torrents and was
driven by a 38-mile gale, but by 8
o'clock the velocity of the wind receded '
to 24 miles an hour. Up to 8 a. m.
one-tenth of an inch of ruin had fallen.
The temperature at that hour was
74 degrees, rendering the atmosphere
oppressive. Telegraph and telephone
service was badly crippled and there
was no communication with Atlantic
City. The superintendent of the Del- j
aware and Atlantic Telephone com- 1
pany stated that 800 telephones were
out of service in Atlantic city.
Passengers arriving from Atlantic |
City say the storm there was very se-
vere and the wind unroofed In the
neighborhood of fifty hotels and cot-
tages.
A. G. McCausland, superintendent of
the Atlantic City railroad, arrived from
Cape May at 9:50 o'clock and reported
the fury of the storm there unprece- j
dented. A bank building was un- j
roofed, the Queen railroad pier par- !
tially destroyed and a number of cot-
tages damaged. All telegraph wires to .
the coast are reported down and some j
of the suburban trolley lines are Idle '
because of prostrated wires.
The fallowing message was brought
to this city today from Atlantic City.
N. J., by rail:
A fierce southeast storm swept the
New Jersey coast today and wrought
great damage. At 3 a. m. a wild wind-
storm preceded a heavy downpour,
which lasted until 8 o'clock. This was
followed by another hurricans of wind,
reaching the velocity of 70 miles an
hour. Fears are expressed for the
safety of vesels along the coast, but
as the city is now completely cut off
from telegraphic and telephonic com-
munication, no definite news can be
obtained from the various maritime
and life saving stations. In this city
the damage wrought by the gale will
amount to many thousands of dollars.
The Hotel Strand is said to have
been damaged to the extent of $20,000.
The Old Empire theater, the New Bart-
lett and the Hotels Rudolph, Chelsea,
Youngs, Marlborough, and Windsor
are all more or less damaged. Summer
residence of J. G. Adams at Linwood
was partially wrecked, as well as many
others on the mailand. A house at
Texas and Atlantic avenues was demol-
ished and thrown across the car tracks.
The roof and upper story of the Mc-
Clay apartment house at Pucitic and
South Carolina avenues was blown off
and several persons injured. The
Champion apartment was damaged as
well as the Hotel Dunlap and Young's
Ocean Pier. Many pavilions along the
entire length of the wharves have been ,
demolished and the city beach front
Is strewn with wreckage. Hundreds i
of trees and signs were blown down
and thousands of windows broken. The
electric light power has been shut off
in order to avoid accidents. Heinz'
Pier and Dentzel Carousal were also
damaged.
The trolley line is tied up and busi-
ness Is almost at a standstill. The
streets are flooded with water and the
public schools held no sessions. All
trains are late and the telegraph com-
panies are sending business by mes-
sengers to outside points for transmis-
sion.
No additional deaths from the atorm
have been reported to-day but there
are several sections where the storm
was severe, which have not been heard
from yet. It Is believed now that tlvi
lirst reports, which were received from
the middle section of the state, are
greatly exaggerated and the property
loss will not be as great as at first
estimated. The greatest losses will be
to the orange crop, and fall crops have
also suffered by the rain which accom-
panied the tornado.
Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 14.—No wires
are working south of Jacksonville til's
morning and details of the hurricane
which swept across the southern part
of the state Saturday are Incomplete.
So far as known seven people met
death, the bodies of five being washed
up near Miami on the east coast and
two near Boynton, on the west side of
the state. Passengers arriving this
morning on belated trains report that
on the east coast many vessels have j
been wrecked, coastwise and others.
Above Miami it is reported that seven i
or eight vessels are ashore.
Much injury lius been done orange '
groves and gardens and it is feared the j
beautiful winter homes of Northern |
people have been damaged.
The greatest damage is reported from
Tampa and authentic information from
that section of the west coast is anx- i
lously awaited.
The disturbance this morning Is
sweeping across Alabama and Missis-
sippi. Ail wires south of Montgomery,
Ala., are down in the neighborhood of
Flomaton, Ala. Birmingham, Mont- '
gomery. Mobile and New Orleans report |
high winds.
Passengers who arrived In this city
this morning from Tampa confirm the
first reports of damage by the hurri-
cane in that city. The loss, which la
now estimated at $1,000,000, may reach
still higher figures when full infor-
mation shall have been received.
In Tampa many buildings were dam-
aged and in some Instances work has
been suspended In factories and mills.
The Almoria hotel roof was blown off
and many buildings In the two un-
roofed. The city was in total darkness
last night, the electric light plant hav-
ing been damaged by the storm. Street
car trnffic was interrupted from 10
o'clock last night until this morning
and there seems little chance now for
regular traffic to be resumed soon on
account of tangled w ires and upblown
poles in the streets.
West Tampa was flooded last night
by a rain which followed in the wake
of the storm and the streets were
deluged by a heavy downpour. No
loss of life is reported in Tampa, al-
though several persons were hurt by
falling trees. All wires north of Tampa
arc down and there is no communca-
tion with Tampa and southeastern and
southwestern Florida except by mall,
and all trains south of Jacksonville
are delayed.
NO DANGf.ft AT MOnit.K.
Mobile, Sept. 14.—Weather Observer
Dudley savs s.i dnmwrr of a storm in
Mobile and vicinity lias p«sed and hur-
ricane signals have been lowered. The
barometer Is s'owly .islng.
COMPANYMAY
DESERT TOWN.
Indications are That Thurber
Will be Entirely
Abandoned.
S 84.00
a hundred.
BRISK WINDS AT CHARLESTON.
Charleston, S. C., Sept. 14.—Although
precautionary signals of a hurricane
have been displayed here, there has
been no evidences of a storm further
than brisk winds and Intermittent
showers. All shipping is reported safe
and there are no conditions to indicate
a severe storm.
8p«clal School Tax.
Hillsboro, Sept. 11.—The election
which was held yesterday to determine
whether or not the city should levy an
additional tax of 25 cents on the $100
for school purposes carried by a vote
of 214 to 102. There were only about
450 people entitled to vote under the
poll tax law, as the majority of voters
did not pay their taxes until after Feb.
1. The total vote should have amount-
ed to a little over #00.
Roekmen May Strike.
Wllkesparre, Pa., Sept. 11.—The
roekmen of this region who have called
a meeting for next Sunday night, may
decide to strike for ten per cent in-
crease In their back wages. It Is aald
the mine workers' officials will not at-
tend the meeting.
NEW YORIC VISITED.
New York, Sept. lfi.—Violent winds,
accompanied by a heavy rainfall, pre-
vailed in this city to-day, the wind at
noon having reached a velocity of !«4
miles from the east.
The heaviest wind and highest seas
known along the Staten Island shorai
In years were experienced at noon. The
entire, fleet of the Stale Island Yacht
club at Stapleton, consisting of eigh-
teen boats, was wrecked. The fleet of
small boats of the Ocean Yacht dub .it
Stapleton were sunk or badly damaged.
The large pilot boat, Hermit, was
dragged from her anchor off Stapleton
against the dock of the Staten Island
Yacht club and wreekrd. She was val-
ued at $10,000. The big three-masted
schooner and an American barkentlne
collided off Stapleton and were swept
in toward Long Dock, where they may
go to pieces. The gale was so heavy
and the sea running so high that no
one could venture out from the shore
to offer assistance.
The wind blew down the telegraph
and electric light poles and some of
the trolley lines were compelled to dis-
continue service.
. DAMAGE IN FLORIDA.
Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 16.—Tele-
graphic communication south of this
city which has been demoralized by the
hurricane through the southern and
middle sections of this state, has been
restored as far south as Palm Beach,
on the Eastern coast. Communication
has been re-established In the middle
section of the state as far south as Bur-
low, but all wires are still down to
points further south.
It Is yet Impossible to learn the extent
of damage, which Is reported to hav<?
been severe at Punta Rasha. There Is
no communication south of Palm Beach,
which Is almost one hundred and fifty
miles north of Punta Rasha. Reports
received here last night state that the
entire town has been destroyed, but it
la impossible to confirm the report*.
STORM BULLETIN.
Washington, Sept. 14.—The weather
bureau to-day issued the following
special bulletin:
"The tropical storm has crossed the
gulf coast line east of Pensacola, Fla.,
and will move northward over the In-
terior with diminishing strength, caus-
ing a heavy rain In the southern Ap-
palachian mountain, districts. Ther*
are no present Indications that It will
cause dangerous gales on the middle
and North Atlantic coasts. Frost Is
indicated in the corn belt to-night as
far south as northern Kansas, extreme
northern Missouri, all of Iowa and Illi-
nois.
RAILROAD COMMI SSION'S.
The New Yolk Commercial says:
The Inter-State Commission has is-
sued an uppenlix to Its annual report
discussing the character und extent
of the supervision exercised by the
several states over railroads within
their jurisdiction. The number oi
states which In 1902 exercised control
over railways through commissioners
was thirty.
Six states which in 1S90 were with-
out commissions established them dur-
ing that period, of which two were
subsequently abolished; four states
which In 1R! 0 had commissions abol-
ished them, but in two Instances sub-
sequently re-established them.
State railroad commissions are found
to be of two general classes, which for
convenience may be termed the "weak
commissions" and the "strong commis-
sions;" the former Including those
which do not have control over pas-
senger and freight rates, the latter
those which are clothed with the pow-
er to exercise such control. Of the
twenly-elght commissions In existence
In 1890, fifteen were strong and thir-
teen were weak; of the thirty commis-
sions existing In 1902, twenty were
strong and ten were weak. The tend-
ency during the last twelve years Is
In the direction of more efficient con-
trol over rates.
Laws have been enacted modifying
and extending the character of public
regulation since 1890 In 467 particulars.
Of these aeventy-three it rtaln to right
of way, ninety-four to railway cross-
ings, 128 to the movement of trains,
fifty-eight to stations, forty-one to
tickets and baggage, twenty-five to
employes, two to obstructions to rail-
way business and forty-eight unclassi-
fied.
A study of the railroad statutes dur-
ing the last twelve years Indicates a
slight distrust of the ability of com-
missions as at present organized to
control the situation. It also shows a
tendency toward Including other cor-
porations as well as railroads under
the control of state boards.
BY JAM ICS HAYS QCARLES.
Thurber, Tex., Sept. 16.—There Is
an indication that the Texas and Pa-
cific Coul and Mining company, which
is the same as the Texas and Pacific
Mercantile anil Manufacturing compa-
ny, will abandon Thurber as a base of
operations and will move to a point
west, nearer the railroad town of
Strawn.
For some time there has been an
Impression that Hie company wanted
to get nearer its operations. During
the fourteen or sixteen years this com-
pany lias been here, it has worked out
six operations. No. 1 is north of Thur-
ber, between tills town and Thurber
Junction. As fast as om shaft has been
worked out others have gone down,
until six have been abandoned, and
now four are being worked, Nos. 7, S,
9 and 10. No. It is being put 'down
now. These operations are not in
close proximity to the town of Thur-
ber, every stick of building and every
acre of which is the property of the
company. It is here the trouble with
the miners has started, and the Indica-
tion Is that the company will shut
down for a lime, arranging to put the
town on rollers and move It nearer the
operations which are working, and
nearer the locality which will be pro-
ductive later. The new operations are
near the town of Strawn. At Strawn
a new operation is about to open. This
Is called the Mount Marion company,
but It Is claimed It Is closely allied
with the Thurber people. Manager
Gordon was asked about this and he
declined to discuss the matter, saying
the public is not interested In such
matters. I pressed him for some ex-
pression regarding the relations ex-
isting and he again declined to make
a reply, and at the same time caution-
ed others to stop talking of compnny
affairs to the newspapers.
It would be very easy for this com-
pany to make the transfer of locality
of Its properties. These buildings are
of frame, and can be moved without
much trouble. Several years ago the
big store was destroyed by fire, and
lius never been rebuilt, another build-
ing being called Into service to be used
as a commissary. The present build-
ing is not sufficient for the needs of
the company, as the output
was being Increased every day
until the present strike took place.
Last year the Texas and Pacific rail-
road cleaned up the entire output. It
was found necessary to get more coal
to supply other contracts than those
with the Texas and Pacific and fot
that reason the company is endeavot-
ing to take out more coal. When this
decision was reached, the new shafts
were put down, and there has been an
Impression that It was the Intention to
move farther west with the stores and
general offices. In that way the min-
ers would be clqser the operations, and
It would not bo necessary to operate |
the passenger train to the mines every
morning, and back every evening to
haul the men. For this service the
miners have been charged $1 per
month each, and It has always caused
dissatisfaction. A man pays the dollar
whether he uses the train or not and I
was told by some of the miners that
one of the men here has paid for the
train fare, $12 per year for twelve
yeors, and In that time he has.not used
the train over a dozen times. It Is
believed that the company Is, therefore,
luklng thv present exodus philosoph-
ically, because It moves the men out
with no expense to them, and gives
them an opportunity to move their
town.
If this plan Is followed It will con-
template the abandonment of the rail-
road station now know as Thurber
Junction. This junction Is seventy-
seven miles west of Fort Worth. It Is
a junction between the mall hack
owned and operated by the Texas and
Pacific Coal company and the Texas
and Pacific railroad. Thurber Is about
three miles south of the Junction.
There Is no business for Thurber
Junction, If the town of Thurber Is
moved from its present location. It Is
at Thurber Junction that coal from the
Thurber mines is delivered to the Tcx-
os and Pacific railroad, tho fuel being
transported over the coal company's
line to the Junction. This coal compa-
ny line does not carry passengers. If
the coul company operated a passenger
train It would get but a few cents for
the passenger haul. As It Is, passen-
gers pay the mall hack fifty cents n
trip over, or seventy-five cents a round
trip. There Is more money In the
mall hack business.
Some time ago the coal company
desired the Texas and Pacific railroad
to build a line from Strawn out to the
company's mines, but the railroad
would not do so. There Is a creek to charges. A blacksmith here, who has
be spanned, and the bridge cost morn I Joined the union, and has a letter of
than the railroad company wanted to [ recommendation from Mr. Cordon, af-
put Into It. This will have to be done, ter having worked here twelve years,
however, If the company goes to the i tells me thot the charge Ih 1 V4 per cent
aQoaaoaoaaaaQ«fio«ic[aDfinnaannaaanaB!
5 STETSON'S LATEST HAT. „
81
14.001
ml
i
#5.00 2
«
a
m
and
and
a
a
o $5.00
a
0 V<"l« (J.SUTSON CO.
a "Pike" Three-Inch Brim.
g This Hat is right up to tho minute in style and will suit B
O more people than any hat made this fall. You need not fear 8
B to send an order, for it looks well on ninety-nine men out of ^
Mail Orders Promptly Filled, and
Satisfaction Guaranteed,
SANGER BROTHERS,
Dallas, Texas.
oooDno0 «aoaoon0o«a afinD0n!oinnaano0fio
b
«
a
,
b
«
«
a
B
B
B
b
company have made a tour of this
country trying to bring miners to
Thurber. More miners were needed to
take out the coal needed for contracts
and they searched every mining camp
in the country, and they got all the
men they could. They cannot get more
now unlesB they recognize the union.
Miners are organized all over the
country, and It Is only under authority
of the uftlon they will move. Mr
Wardjon stated In his Tuesday address
that whenever Mr. Gordon 1b ready to
recognize the union that the organiza-
tion would be In honor bound to pro-
vide workmen for him. He says, how-
ever, he will not recognize the union.
The company will make quite a
handsome profit out of the discarded
tools of those miners who are leaving
the camp. A miner's outfit weighs
soventy pounds, and many of these
were promised free transportation, and
it was not forthcoming. Upon this
kind of talk the company Is depending
to influence the miners to return to
work when they nre wanted. Mr. Gor
don does not believe he can get all the
men ho wnnts at any time he wants
them, however. He knows thut he
cannot. For months agents of this
men did not care to go out of here with
so much weight as a handicap,
Tho company offered to buy the
tools, and this at first glance appeared
to be very magnanimous. It has da
veloped, however, that It is a money
making scheme. The outfit costs
about $15 or $18. The company Is
buying such outfits at from $G to $7.50
each. They are being stored in the
company hardware store and will be
sold aguin to miners at a good profit.
I tolked to the wife of a miner. I
found her stundlng in the rain listen-
ing to the speech of an organizer. I
asked her If she wanted to leave the
camp. She replied in tho affirmative
and said it was because her husband
could not make enough. I usked her
what the company churged for sixteen
pounds of sugar, nnd^slie said she did
not know as she never hud script
enough to buy that much. She said
her husband did not drink or gamble,
but ho was never In good financial
condition. lly questioning her and
scvcrul other wom«n I learned these
prices:
Lard, 12V4 cents per pound.
Salt meat, 15 cents per pound.
Coffee, Arbuckle's or l.lon's Head, 15
cents a package or two packages for
25 cents.
Canned goods are 15 cents each, two
for a quurter.
Hour, Brltton's Tlest, 05 cents for
25-pounil sack and $1.10 for 50-pound
sack; Peacock's $1.35 for 50-pound
sack.
Cheese, 20 cents per pound.
Tea Is fiO cents per pound.
Dried apricots, 15 cents per polled.
l>rled apples 12*/ii cents pel pound.
The wives with whom I tulkod tell
me that fresh meut costs 15 cents per
pound, except for undesirable part4 of
the beef, which go at 10 cents.
The miners state that they pay $2
per ton for nut coal for prlvute use,
and $3 when they use lump coal. The
company does not pay for mining not
coal. Tho miners get paid only for
thut coal which Is so large that It will
go over the one-Inch screen. That
which goes through the screen Is not
weighed for the miner, therefore, It
costs the company nothing—In fact,
Mr. Cordon told irie that the company
does not figure an expense on its pro-
duction. The miner gets nothing for
It, and he pays $2 per ton for It when
he wants to buy.
There Is a difference In the Informa-
tion I get from the company and the
men regarding the charge for black-
smithing. Mr. Cordon told me that the
charge was one-hulf of one per cent
uguinst each miner for blacksmith
new location, and the bridge matter Is
yet to be settled—or rather no Infor-
mation can be secured that the ques-
tion Is settled as to who shall put In
the bridge.
Manager Gordon appears to think ho
will be able to start the mines when he
wants to, and the company represent-
atives are under the Impression the
organizers will not be able to truns-
port the strikers to other fields. It
was whispered about Thurber yester-
day, by those who are supposed to be
friendly to the company, that the men
are becoming dissatisfied because they
of a miner's earnings. I looked at a
set of rules posted on the wall of the
general office of the company, nnd one
rule says smithing costs VA per cent
of the earnings of each Individual.
The company has mulntalned four
blacksmiths. They collected from the
miners more than enough to pay these
four men, the surplus being covered
Into the earning account of the compa-
ny, and the company repairs are thus
made without cost to the corporations.
I asked Mr. Gordon regarding the
cost of the necessaries of life at the
company store. He said that he did
not remember the figures, but stated
that It Is the custom of the company
to make a profit out of everything
sold. He states that it is not intended
to charge exorbitant prices, but he
admitted that he probably charged a
little more than the ordinary country
store. He expluins that the country
storekeeper can maintain his estab-
lishment with a small force, as the
trade he gets Is distributed during the
hours of the day. On the other hand
the trade of the company stores comes
all at once, nnd It is necessary to main-
tain a large force of clerks to handle
It. This force of clerks, he claims, la
idle nearly all day. When 1 suggested
to him that If there was competition
here In the matter of supplies, the men
might be better satisfied, he said that
the company maintained this camp at
heavy expense; it Is the property of
the company, and the company does
not want competition. The merchants
of the small towns In this vicinity, he
states, formerly endeavored to trade
with the people living in this camp,
but they were told the company did
not care to have them come on com-
pany properly. Therefore the miners
do not get an opportunity to trade
elsewhere. A miner's wife told me.
they lived better when the peddlers
were allowed in the camp.
It is a pretty good indication that
the men who have joined the union
nre loyal to the -.iedrc they have taken.
I saw them, with their wives and
children, stand for more than hour in
the rain to listen to the speech by Mr.
Wardjon. They cheered him to the
echo, and although the drizzling rain
was beating down upon them, they did
not appear to be In discomfort.
The exodus has brought a great deal
of business to the Texas and Pacific.
I understand that the Thurber Junc-
tion office has done more business In
three days than it has done In any
month previously. It would have done
more If the agent hail not run out ol
tickets. A number of railroad men
| came out to get some of this business
Two who were very successful in se-
curing tickets to points on their roads
were George S. Pentecost of the Rock
Island und J. W. Hutchinson of the
Frisco. They went nmong them and
secured many for their respective lines.
The Rock Island ticketed nearly fifty
of the Italians through to the Euro-
pean continent. The exodus hns also
been profitable to the farmers and liv-
erymen In this vicinity, who had wag-
ons to do the moving. The miners
did not use company wagons In any
Instance, but there were nearly fifty
teams busy night and day carrying
them and their belongings out of the
camp. The road between Thurber and
Lyra was the busiest place I have ever
seen. ,
I drove from Thurber to Lyra and
Strawn. At Lyra some of the Thurber
miners secured places In the operation
of Mr. Bennett. He is paying $1.10
per ton, and I am told, has agreed to
go Into the conference called for Sep-
tember 23 In Fort Worth. It is at
Lyra the commissary of the United
Mine Workers Is located. The com-
mittee issues orders for provisions and
these orders are honored at that store.
The local union of the miners is lo-
cated at Lyra.
The people at Strawn are waiting
for the new operation there to open.
The company has a force of men en-
gaged In driving entries, and expects
to start Oct. 1. It will operate quite
a number of men when it starts.
YOU'LL NOT NtW
a telescope to discern the excel
of an Enterprise carriage nor to bi
it within range of your vision.
There's rows upon rows of Enter-
prises here that you can choose tron
and never go amiss, either In savta|
money or gaining satisfaction. WrlU
for catalogue, to any address.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Park, Milton. The Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 23, No. 38, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 17, 1903, newspaper, September 17, 1903; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth186013/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .