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    HOME > TIMELINE > 1921-1928
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timeline 1921-1928

1921
The first electrically operated coal shovel was used at the Black Servant Mine near Elkville.

Wednesday, June 15, 1921
22-year-old Jacob Newman was crushed under the cage in the mine shaft. He died at the Decatur and Macon County Hospital the following Monday, June 20 leaving behind a wife and 8-month old son.

Tuesday, December 21, 1921
Mule driver Joshua Hudson, Jr. was repeatedly kicked by the mule pulling his car until he was rescued by his fellow miners.

April 1, 1922
National coal mine strike called by the UMWA. On June 22, 1922 Striking United Mine Workers in Herrin, Illinois, clashed with strikebreakers and 22 of the latter killed. The strikers accused of the killings were tried, acquitted.  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7847/massacre.htm

Saturday, January 21, 1922
Coal fell on miner Lafe Hogg breaking his leg in two places and sending him to the hospital in Decatur. In September, the “badly crippled” Mr. Hogg moved to Kentucky.

Wednesday, September 6, 1922
The Moweaqua News reported that “The Moweaqua Coal Company has just finished installing a new device for loading their coal cars. It is quite an improvement on the old way of loading.”

Wednesday, December 20, 1922
The local paper prints the following: That there is an organization of the Ku Klux Klan in Moweaqua will come as a surprise to many of us. The news received a letter this morning, written on the Klan letter head and signed Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Moweaqua, ILL. The letter contained twelve dollars in bills which were asked to deliver to Mrs. Maggie Cooley as a Christmas present from the Klan. Mrs. Cooley’s husband, who was a miner, died some time ago and the gift will no doubt be appreciated.” A week later, Mrs. Cooley publicly thanked the KKK in the newspaper.

September 12, 1923
The local paper reported that the mules had to be removed from the mine because of the clogged air shaft.

1924
Moweaqua Main Street becomes a hard-surface road. Before this becomes Route 51, it is State Route 2.

April 15, 1924
The coal mine closed down until July 28 most likely due to low demand for coal in the summer months.

August 6, 1924
The local paper reported that older miner Daniel Kirby had his collar bone and shoulder blade broken by falling coal. A week later earl Rittgers was mashed between two coal cars and also survived.

September 24, 1924
The paper reported that Gail Sarver was the first person operated on in the newly opened Moweaqua Hospital.

December 10, 1924
The Moweaqua News reported that James Birley was hurt in the mine and this his brother Ernest had spent several weeks in the hospital a year earlier for another mine-related injury.  (James Birley and his brother Tom were both killed in the 1932 mine disaster).

August 5, 1925
After not working most of the summer, the miners and mules returned to the coal mine.

1925
On various dates this year Lynn Green, Louie Smoroda and Mike Rora were injured in mine accident. Mr. Rora’s father had been “blown to pieces in the Assumption mine” several years earlier.

January 7, 1926
The Moweaqua News reported that 150 mine workers produced an average daily output of 650 tons. 

September 1, 1926
In an interview with E.C. Foster, manager of the Moweaqua coal mine, he said that the mine, which has been closed since spring, will open soon with about 150 men employed. They will start work as soon as some new machinery in installed.
            Closing of this mine during the summer months is the usual thing, and the miners who are engaged there from year to year get work on farms or at jobs to carry them through the summer. Practically all the men who will be employed are miners regularly employed at this mine when it is running.  Most of the coal hoisted from the Moweaqua mine is sold at the chute, some small seam coal and screenings being about all that is shipped. When the mine closes down in the spring, about 2000 tons of coal is in reserve to supply the local trade through the summer. Only about 100 tons of this is now on hand, the balance having been bought and hauled away during the summer.
            Mr. Foster, manager of the mine, is a former newspaper man, and for some time was editor of the Assumption paper.
The mine opened on September 12th.

September 27, 1926
Former Moweaqua miner, Joe Heriot was electrocuted in the Assumption coal mine while on the cutting machine. He had been at this new job for a month and still lived in Moweaqua. In December his widow was awarded $4500 from the Assumption mine by the State Arbitration Board.

Tuesday, December 21, 1926
The local miner’s union No. 94 voted to buy the Moweaqua hospital “a strictly modern and up-to-date operating table” as Christmas gift “to show their appreciation of the services rendered their organization by the hospital.”

March 1927
Archie Scarlette had his toe amputated on the new operating table at the Moweaqua Hospital after having it mashed in the mine. About 125 employees now work for the mine company.  The mine again closes from March until October.

December 20, 1927
Sam Sigloski, (Scgloski) Sr. was injured by falling coal. His first injury in 50 years of work. His son, Samuel Scgloski, Jr. dies in the 1932 mine disaster. The Scgloski and Woodring families are related.

Thursday, September 20, 1928
After being closed for the summer months, the miners returned to work with a new labor and wage agreement. General manager, E.C. Foster expects to employ 150 men this year.