Biography - ANDREW H. SKELTON

Andrew H. Skelton, superintendent of the Girard Coal Company, of Girard, Illinois, is a prominent business citizen of Macoupin County. Mr. Skelton was born in Scotland, January 15, 1867, and is a son of James and Ellen (Hutton) Skelton, the former of whom was born in the North of Ireland.

Our subject was 16 years of age when he came to the United States, and he received his education at Coal City, Illinois, and Valparaiso, Indiana. Mr. Skelton, who is an expert mining engineer, began at the bottom of the ladder, as a coal miner, at the age of 20 years. With the money thus earned, he perfected himself in the profession he wished to follow and in 1887 easily secured employment in the rolling mills of the Illinois Steel Company, at Chicago. There his knowledge of detail work soon advanced him with his superiors and he had been with the company but one month, when he was made foreman in the converting department and three years later became assistant superintendent of that great industry, under Superintendent W. R. Walker. He continued in the rolling mills for some time, where his services were considered very valuable. In 1900 he took the necessary examinations for the position of mine manager, having for a year traveled through mining districts and visited working plants in order to make his knowledge complete. In 1900 he opened up the Morris City mine, near Coal City, Illinois, and in 1901 came to Girard, where, in 1902, he was made superintendent of the Girard Coal Company.

The important business enterprise, of which Mr. Skelton is the able superintendent, is one of the largest in Macoupin County. The shaft of the mine controlled by this company was built in 1872 and has a capacity of 1,000 tons of coal a day. Although the mine had been in operation some time, its pay-roll was but $3,000 per month when Mr. Skelton, with his energetic methods, took charge as superintendent. He now employs 262 men, runs the mine to its full capacity and the pay-roll has been increased to $20,000 a month. He is a man who thoroughly understands his business, has been trained to it, and the results are very satisfactory to all concerned. Mr. Skelton was married January 15, 1896, to Margaret Edgar, who is a daughter of Frank Edgar. Mr. and Mrs. Skelton are members of the Methodist Church. Politically he is a Republican. Fraternally, he is a Mason.

Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 318-319.