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THE O'GARA COAL COMPANY.
Southern Illinois is noted far and wide as a section of marvellous natural resource, its splendid tracts of rich prairie and forest, its splendid streams and fertile vales being underlaid by wonderful mineral deposits. The coal fields are of vast extent and probably nothing else has given as materially to the general prosperity as their development and utilization. One of the greatest corporations engaged in this work is the O'Gara Coal Company, which in its comparatively brief existence has accomplished wonders and whose methods towards employes and in all its commercial dealings are most admirable. It is indeed a pleasure to the publishers of a work of this nature to accord recognition to an industry which has proved as much a blessing to a great section of country and given it such worldwide prestige.

The O'Gara Coal Company was organized in 1905, the scene of the councils which brought it into existence being the Marquette Building in Chicago. It was capitalized with $6,000,000, and the following gentlemen forms its staff of officers: T. J. O'Gara, of Chicago, president; Thomas J. Jones, treasurer; and W. A. Brewerton, secretary. All the mines of the O'Gara Coal Company are located in Saline county, these being twelve in number, with an annual output of seven million tons. Six thousand men are employed in a field capacity and the pay roll disbursement is $150,000 per month. The company pays $10,000 monthly royalty. It has control of thirty thousand acres, whose development will doubtless extend over a period of fifty years. To speak of the O'Gara Coal Company means to deal in enormous figures and phrases.

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The O'Gara Coal Company is particularly fortunate in the men who control its workings. H. Thomas is its general manager of mines, Ed. Ghent its chief engineer and D. B. McGehee the assistant general manager.