New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-08-08
The ANTHRACITE COAL TRADE or PESSsTLvANIAs
H7lr Il Afec,s Tie Farmer and Ne PLanter.

1884. .38jJiI 1871. .lt5l t.tl
o.. 1888. 1895 o.. lsi6..2St3.s92
js3s .. sla7 i''7..a@a,'s
The chief object of this journal being thst Of prcmot
ing the OF the Planter and tn Farmer,
submit the statement OF the growth OF the sntnra
cite coal trade o. Pennsylvania with view 70 cal the
attention Of both TO the important influence il has al
ready had upon those interests.
The price of OF coal at the place Of shipment on
the Canal the Railroad Depot about - OF which
one portion goes 70 the men who open the mines and
prepare them for being wurked smother 70 those
gagged in the preparation OF the machinery third 70
those who raise the coal and fourth 10 the men and
horses engaged in transporting Il 10 Railroad Canal
Depot The head opersun has small part which in,
variaby the preparation Of new machinery, and
IS thus divided among workmen The landowner takes
small part rent but tie aggregate expenditures OF
the of land in the making Of roads and other i'm
provemenis greater than their aggregate receipts
that taking the whole price Of the coal il may be
slmed that crerg dollar received for Il paid TO min
ors laborers and other vcrkmen rfnpsyed in its pro
duction H. could trace the money that - thus
paid out should find that nearly the whole of il
10 the Farmer. The food of the worknen and their
families absoTbs large portion Of their earnings, and
much Of the balance gOes toward the building Of houses
by which il afforded TO the Farmer market for the
timber by which his best lands have been encountered
tie sells instead of destroying Il His and
horses and his sons, employed in hauling II 70 mar
ket at intervals when they would otherwise be idle.
whereby bic land Is cleared and he obtains the means OF
nclosng and improving IT, Another part of their wages
goes 10 paying Tor clothes and shoes which represent
little than the wool and the hides and the food OF
the men employed in their conversion--an and thus the
Farmer absorbs nearly the whole proceeds Of the coal
mine which is mere machine for the conversion Of his
products into a form III them for market.
By the time the coal reaches the place Of consump-
ton the average price IA about - per ton 80 thus
added and similar examination will show that of this
nearly all goes the farmer part s for the tolls
Canal or Railroad most oil which Is again expended in
the for labor IN repsirr and extending those
works and that labor represents chcay the food con
sumed by those who perform H. The horse that draws
the boat and The men who manage IL are large eonsum
OF food The schooner by which IL - transported
again represent vast amount OF isbor and the wages
Of builders and sailors go chiefly for food for them
selves and families. The value of the three millions OF
coal 10 market last year being taken at S2O0O00
may, think, safely assume that ten of those mil
lions directly ~ the Farmer In payment for food
and other Of his products II 20, it follows that the
market directly afforded 70 the Farmer by this trade
stl in il infancy. in the last year. equal u not
peror TO the average exports of food to all the world
from 1910 10 1916
This however sbut the rst and smallest OF the effects
upon the agricultural interest produced by the exs
of this trade yet we have said and beg III,
Farmer 10 observe in lis infancy and capable Of beirg
increased TO almost indefinite extent We would ask
him 10 look 10 the numerous furnaces that have
grown up since Railroads and Canals have rendered
cessble the Coal Mines Of Eastern Pennsylvania and to
recoect that every OF iron that produced repre-
sents chiefly the food consumed By the employed
IN Il production. Let him then look 10 the numerous
mills and factories that have grown up in towns and
villages where Vatcr-pOWer existed, and Wherr.
without this fuel such action would have been impO-s
De-.o the thOuss of gines in Philadelphia
New-lork and Boston, engaged IN the conversion OF
iron into other engines of food and into CLOTH OF
food and rags into paper and saily into newspapers.
and thus facilitating the farther application OF labor 20
the conversion OF bis products into the various forms
required 10 suit the tastes of those who lesire 70 becon
sumers and his customers-and above all let him look
II the wonderful demand tor sailing and steanlvesses
and particularly OF the latter since the employment OF
cheap fuel has enabled their owners 10 carry Passen
gers at such low rates that everybody travels and to
transport grain and -four, anc peaches and apples al
moderate that the Farmer obtfins his farm
nearly the price that s paid by the consumer In
New-iOrk Philadelphia ant other ciiies-and let him
then determine If the HdTt1 gain 10 him by the exist
ence of this trade is far than st which he
Allies from supplying food to the coalminers, and ls
Dorers and others directly engaged in the production OF
the coal se although that alone furnishes him mar
Set for probably ten millions of his products. Having
made this examination let him determine for himself
II he Is the chief gamer by the trade he can
scarcely fail 10 that every ton Of coal that mined
tends to increase the price Of his product food
while increasing the fncty OF cleTlnz and cuitvang
his better sos-nOr can he A to see that every ton
that IL consumed tends diminish the labor required
for producing spades and pows ami hargow- and cloth
Ing snd all other OF the commodities required for NJ
consumption and that thus be gains on N hands by the
creation Of this great market for bod
ls this, however all the Farmer gains II y not
Did not this coal trade exist the mn who are now pro
ducers of coal and consumers Of food would be pro-
ducers Of food Instead Of customers uey would b.
ore, and convert pig metal MO bars and make
steam engines and build STEAMBOATS, and get out stone
and lumber for building factories and hose who run
those engines, and the stearboats, and WORK IN
the factories. would now 10 the extent OF probably
hundred thousand abe-bOdied men be- raising food in
Ohio Illinois, lows Wisconsin, and thus the dim
iaHfOH the mdrka for the products OF The Farmer
would be attended by increase n te supply OF those
products and dmnution IN their value. II scarcely
be doubted that the production Of .oa and the power
which IL has given for the Advantageous application OF
labor in variety Of ways have msie market for fsT
more than 100000 worth OF food and lumber. and
other AGRICULTURAL pr0ducs Let hen, the farmer cal
culse what would be the effect Of the closing OF such
N outlet for the commodities thai he has to sell and
let him add thereto the farther ec that would result
from increase Of the supply Of the
sion Of miners and mechanics ard all the other per
who owe their employment 20 The existence Of
this trade and then cntssvor 10 estimate the advan
tsges that he derives from It, Lex him If he would
not have transportation 20 perform while vast.
ing more manure and getnng smaller prices at the end
Of his journey
Were il closed there would Be m instsn, deteriora.
ton in the value Of his farm and the price of food
All Of which wheat and rye and corn, and pork and
bacon, and cheese, would then, sssuredly be cheap
enough Tor export II ne DOUBT tis' let MN look 70
which are the countries that .r supply cheap food
and he will see that they are thos< which have made
mkt the land for he products cffhe taHd-Polsnd,
Eastern Germany. and southern Rsssis Let him then
look what is the value Of the and IN those
tries and he will find almost valteess Let him next
look what l. value Of ab5r ia al those
tries and he will see that the sborsr little better than
slave As travellers relate, you nay hundreds OF
white women in the fields At work, without bonnet,
shoe. or stocking.
Abolish coal mines and ironfdrrAces. sld close the
factories nov dependent upon coal Tor supply OF
power and the farmers Of TINS eoanry may once be
come competitors with the poor people Of Germany,
and Poland and Russia for the evsryinz market Of
England the securing OF which i deemed by many Of
politicians the rst and greatest ob,ct Of all legs
lation Abolish those markets for food and "e car
have that one highly coveted but the fArpier "
obtain less for MS food. and he wiz waste on tse rve
distant markets the that now goes os.s 80
bic farm s1d he will lose the market Tor as
and ne will exhaust his poor soils IN raising ois
Weld tons Of potatoes and then he win ny 10 otnef poor
lands that are 20 be again exhausted -
But IL vii be ssked Why sslk Of sooasnins me Sos'