The Breese Journal from Breese, Illinois • 1

uty! Safety check Good start Illinois State Police were in Mater Dei's Jeff Henss breaks town last Thursday after free for a 52-yard touchdown school checking drivers and during his first varsity carry in their passengers for seatbelt the Knights' 41-8 win on compliance 6D Saturday 1B 1SIH SIOUINI LOS1-10229 71 playbuuds 229 padEO PIO EESE No. 30 USPS 063780 Thursday, September $22 out-of-county 83rd Year Coal dust in their blood Former miners recall coal mining industry in Breese By VICKY ALBERS Breese Journal Editor Sixty years ago if you heard two whistles sound in Breese at four o'clock in the afternoon, you knew coal was in demand and there would be work the following day at the Citizens' Coal Company. One whistle and workers knew not to show up. "We'd hear one whistle and we'd think 'Oh boy, we'll go out hunting the next morning, said former miner Ray Rolfingsmeier. Ray and fellow ex-miners Delbert Rolfingsmeyer, Ralph Jansen and Bob Maue, recently shared their mining memories with this writer and members of the Breese Historical Society.

With the exception of Maue who worked at the North Mine, the men were all employed at the East Mine, located, near what is now Southside Park. You might say the workers at the East Mine had cold dust in their blood as many came from a long line of coal miners. In fact, in order to get a job at Citizens' Coal Company, one had to be a son or son-in-law of an employee. "It was a privilege to get a job there." Jansen said, Breese mines a bit of history Prior to 1860, the first settlers of Breese often thought there were treasures hidden underground, but it wasn't until 1860 that the first venture was made to find it. Shaft diggers were hired to dig 350 feet below the surface near Bernard Sommer's Mill.

But the vein of coal they found was too thin and so the project was abandoned. Some 20 years later, a group of men organized 1 The Breese Mining Company with capital of $12,000 and an option to buy 200 See HISTORY on page 34 Wesclin makes history with first football game The first ever Varsity football game played at Wesclin High will be Saturday, Sept 6, at 4 pm against Red Bud. The celebration will begin at 3:30 pin with a flag dedication ceremony by the Trenton VFW Auxiliary at the new Wesclin football field. The newly established Weschin Football Cheerleaders will entertain along with the Wesclin Marching Band and the Wesclin Dance Team. The Wesclin Athletic Boosters, along with many outstanding contributors and local businesses, will be recognized and thanked for their generosity and contributions of their time and funding for the future of our Wesclin athletes.

The community is invited to join in this special event. It's sure to be a day to remember. Come out, bring the entire family and support the Wesclin Football team. Carlyle Lake Elevation- August 30. 444.86 Sept.

1 444.84 Sept. 3 445.96 PrecipitationAugust 28. .00 August 29 .00 August 30. 4.35 August 31 .33 Sept. .30 Sept.

2 2.54 Sept. 3 2.20 66 dvice is like castor oil, easy to give, but dreadful to take. 99 Josh Billings "because jobs were hard to find." Jansen's dad, Henry, was a coal miner and was the county mine inspector for a number of years. His grandfather, August Jansen, had actually been owner of the Darmstadt Coal Company in St. Libory.

So it was only fitting that, in 1947 at the age of 19, he, too, would become a miner. See MINERS on page 2A Coal Mine Breese Suspends the complete will Operations BREESE in The Southern Illinois The bufidings mine started coal industry victim when mem- the Breese Future Coal bers found of the Citizens Coal Co. cease at by Mining Co. 400 which feet sank deep. Actual another last week, voted the to mine for The shaft is began in The Bel operations and mine, close 75 years old and timore operations and Railroad interests joined second The oldest in at Illinois, Brease.

was with other outside Coal and Mining last remaining mine sold for scrap, form the B. Breese Hammert was The mine said. will Co. ed Henry general manager time. lofficials 12 men were employed intendent at Some during the winter 1900, the group purchased It mine to owned the Breese- About Beckemever and Trenton mine.

season. and vas leas- the Trenton Mining New internet business is 'hot, hot, hot' By VICKY ALBERS Breese Journal Editor Some of their products are described as exotic, extra hot and intended only for masochists. They talk about heat levels and the fine line between pleasure and pain. don't get the wrong idea. There's nothing illegal being sold on the new internet website created by two Breese businessman only the best hot sauces from around the world.

Browse www.imsauced.com and, as its founders say, you'll find "a mild to wild hot sauce tour that promises to leave you sauced." Partners in the business venture, called Worldwide Sauces, are Bruce Benhoff and Brett Pollard. So what do Benhoff, an insurance agent and owner of Benhoff Insurance Agency, and Pollard, an internet marketer involved with the online sales of software, have in common besides sharing retail office space on. North Main Street in Breese? "Both of us love food and hot sauces," Pollard said. The business was created to fill a void in the hot sauce marketplace. See SAUCED on page 9A ATH A sampling of products available at www.imsauced.com Former coal miners from the East Mine and North Mine in Breese reminisced recently about their years spent working underground.

They are shown above with some of the mining paraphernalia they have collected over the years. From left to right are Bob Maue of Beckemeyer, who was a mule driver at the North Mine; Ralph Jansen holds his lunch bucket which carried food in the top and ample water in the bottom; Ray Rolfingsmeier holds his cap which carried a carbide light; and Delbert Rolfingsmeyer, who still has a stack of his pay envelopes from his years at the East Mine. At left is a newspaper clipping from 1961 when the East Mine ceased operation. City Council Breese mayor explains need for ambulance levy By VICKY ALBERS Breese Journal Editor Breese Mayor Don Maue cited reasons Tuesday night for the city's decision to create a special service area to support Breese EMS. The mayor's explanation came at the request of Breese residents Jim Buckles and Tom Hustedde who feel that citizens of Breese are in need of more information about the proposed new tax.

Hustedde said he and-other-ly property owners in Breese received the notice stating that a public hearing would be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22, in the Clinton County Board meeting room in Carlyle. But he feels the notice is misleading. "It talks about the maximum Citizens ask Monterey and IEPA to consider alternate plan for dealing with contaminated water from mine site By VICKY ALBERS Kaskaskia River, under the Natural Resources, Office of Breese Journal Editor terms of a National Pollutant Mines and Minerals since the Discharge Elimination mine ceased operating to System (NPDES) permit.

develop a plan that is "enviDilution is not the solution Before entering the ronmentally sound and that to pollution. This was the pipeline, the water would protects our neighbors." message reiterated by con- flow through a proposed pas- Comments offered by concerned citizens who gathered sive water treatment system cerned citizens suggest that at the Albers American that will naturally treat the they are not convinced of this. Legion last Wednesday night water through oxidation. The See MONTEREY on page 84 at an Illinois Environmental naturally-treated water then Protection Agency (IEPA)- will be pumped through the sponsored public hearing for pipeline to the Kaskaskia, At right: Jack Rickner, Monterey Coal Company's where it will enter a mixing major projects manager for permit to discharge polluted zone within which the ExxonMobil, speaks with water from the mine site to remaining contaminants will concerned citizens at the the Kaskaskia River. be diluted to permissible lev- public hearThe proposal includes els.

ing held last week in Albers replacing the present surface At the hearing, Monterey regarding Monterey Coal water discharge to Grassy Engineering Manager Bob Mine's permit to discharge Branch with an underground Edwards said that Monterey water from the former mine pipeline system that will dis- has worked with the IEPA and site at Albers into the charge directly to the the Illinois Department of Kaskaskia River. A WEEKLY PART OF YOUR LIFE SERVING GALL OF CLINTON COUNTY rate, but it doesn't say what will actually be assessed." Hustedde said. Maue explained that, by law. the notice must indicate the maximum rate of taxes to be extended which is 26 cents per $100 assessed valuation. However, the city will actually be seeking a rate of about 12 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

The new levy would generate about $50.000 which would pay the annual retainer fee for the ambulance, which previoushad been paid from the city's. General Fund. The funds would also help pay additional expenses incurred by the service. Maue explained that more than 20 years ago when the area funeral directors got out of the ambulance service many of the other villages and townships See COUNCIL on page 3A.