Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-11-12
From the North American aud T. 5. Gazette.
PENNSYLVANIA COAL FIELDS AND THE
LAKE TRADE.
SHAMoKGN, Nov. I. 1853

LAKE TRADE.
SHAMoKGN, Nov. I. 1853.
lessfs Editors 1t is to thpse Of our city
brethren whose knowledge of our boundless
resources has been gained more from per-
sonal observation than mere representation,
that we rude denzens Of the interior must
look for aid when unfairly dealt with lou
have ven,ured among us-have seen, with
your own eyes, our vast mineral and agricul-
iural wealth, our projected Improvements,
which are designed to place us in communi
cation with the leading markets of the conn.
,ry-and have given your readers bona fdc
impressions instead of the iclcous emana-
tions, of,en,imes set ahoat by persons wholly
unacquainted with what they write about
Your indulgence, therefore, is claimed, for
few moments, in the correction of errors GO
ing the rounds of papers, that are calculated
10 do this section of The State injustice.
Ii is assumed, in comparison between
the Northern, or Wyoming, coal region and
the Middle, or Shamokin, region, that the
former is 81 miles nearer Buffalo than the
latter Is TO Erie. Upon this hypothesis Is
based the cost OF coal at the two points
named on Lake Erie, and the advantage is
given 10 the Wyoming region by the writer
as follows:
| From the Wyoming mines to B.Tuo is 2i7 miles.
Charge for transportation, at II cent per ton per -,
Cost of coal per in the the mines, say 90
Price at which it can be furnished at Buffalo 81 90
The distance from Shainokln via Sunbury, Williams
port and the Sunbury aud Erie Rairoad Erie city, is
30i miles.
Charge for transportation at Il cent per ton per
mile. 50 so
Cost of coal per ton in the at the mines say 90
Total cost at Erie City, from shomokin s4 50
Though it does not appear from this what
| poin, The writer started at, in the Wyoming
region, 10 reach Buffalo in 247 miles, still it
is fair 10 presume that his calculation was
founded upon the construction of a branch
road from Pislon TO Waverly, in coninua-
lion of the contemplated North Pennsylvania,
or Easlon and water Gap Railway If there
were no barriers in The way Of the compile
,on of this road, ii might be made appear
that the Wyoming region is few miles
nearer 10 Buffalo than the Shamokin region
is to Erie; bu, no, by a difference of 81
miles, as is conended. The building of ,hi:
branch will finally be deemed impraclcabe
for the very good reason that it will be able
to obtain but meagre portion of the Goa
tonnage OF tina! region. The North Branch
Canal, yon are aware, runs from Piitston ,o
Athens, close by Waverly, with capacity suf-
fcent TO carry all the coal that iha, section
of The region can send to western New York
while the Lackawana and Western railway
10 miles higher up the valley its con.
nexions to Buffalo, already in operation vii
absorb all the trade in its vicinity. This i;
rendered the more certain, from the fac
that lhe coal operations Of that locality are
owned and operated by The capitalists o
New York, who also own and control tn,
Lackawaua and Western Road. II is no
reasonable TO suppose that company thu
situated could, in any contingency, notwih
standing il may be few miles farther from
given point on Lake Erie, be effected by
rival interest snch as.is proposed. Besides
The LackaWana ROAD Is OF unllofm EauI'
with ihe Buffalo railway, while, for aueh
that is known to the contrary-if The biancl
from Pilston to Waverly is TO be conlinua
ton of the North Pennsylvania ioad-lhen
would be a change in the guage al Waverly
and consequently make transhipmeat neccs
sary. The proper point therefore, 10 star
from, it must forcibly strike every one, il
measuring The distance TO Buffalo, is Scran
ton, the beginning of the Lackawana an
) Western railway. Taking This for granted
Buffalo is just thirty miles further from lb
Wyoming mine, or, as il may be called, III
: Lackawana region, than is shown by III
figures quoted. The following table of di:
tances satisfactorily demonstrates This:
From Scranton to Great Bend So mil.
Great Bend to Binghampton is
, Bnghampton To Elmra IS
Enliru 10 HornelIsvile SO
Homesville To Attica 60
, Atiica To Buffalo % 4"
; Total miles to Buffalo 217
, instead Of 2i7 miles incorrectly set down.
In regard 10 the distance from Shamokin-
, the heart Of the middle region-io Erie, b
. the Sunbury and Erie Railway, The writer
, even more out of The way. Late surveys
0 the Sunbury and Erie route show iha, II
!, barber ot Erie-pronouneed The best on II
Lakes, having an average depth Of 90 fe