Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1898 — The Mine Mule to Go. [ARTICLE]

The Mine Mule to Go.

ver since the first con) hole was sunk the mule lias been the favorite, thouch nt t lines expensive, thcans of locomotion in moving coal. He turned the Kin nt the top of the slope; ho pulled the cars of dirt and rock out onto the dump and he felt his way nlonc the narrow gangway at the head of n string of ears. And outside of his dallv ration of oats and liny his only recreation was an occasional roll In the dust of the barnyard. But there Is to bo ji change. In fact. It hns already been Inaugurated. The miner and the mine boy will still delve a livelihood in the dark

caverns of*, the earth, but the mine mule will breathe the free air of heaven and feed on the green pastures of the picturesque hillside. The Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company is preparing to Introduce the air-compres§ing locomotive to haul the cars underground at Shenandoah City colliery. It was about a year ago that the company first began to make preparations for this change. Alaska colliery, near Mount Caramel, w r as selected as the place for making the experiment. The necessary changes were made and the machinery procured. The air compressor engine has been working there for some months and has been a great success. The new method of haulage is used in only part of this mine. The distance is one mile and the new engine ■draws twenty-five cars each trip. And seventeen mules have been thrown out of employment. It is not only that the company expects to save In the cost, of mules and their maintenance, but the cost of feed, the smithwork and other expenses are also saved, while at the same time the cars are moved with greater speed, adding in that way to the capacity of the colliery. The Reading Company having successfully introduced compressed air as a motive power, it is safe to assume that it will not be many years before all companies and individual operators will do the same. Even the mine locomotive will be relegated to the scrap pile and air compressors used both in the gangway underground and outside on the dump.