Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-07
EueI--Wood. Coal.

Next in Importance to taxes, city, county, Rail
road and State, to the people of Nashville, is the
subject of fuel Last winter long and severe,
and throughout its length and severity, both coal
and wood were correspondingly high in price, So
far wood ia concerned, it is becoming so scarce,
has fallen into the hands of men who can fix the
price at their option, sale or no sale that it is
already dispensed WITH except where it is conslde
ed a necessity. It's use is already principally con.
fined culinary purposes, and to those small, and
poor families who cannot afford to pay the high
prices which have ruled the coal market of Nash
VILE This limited i, indeed, during the course
of the year, large item of expense in the current
budget of the ctys consumption. But the large
proportion of fuel now used and hereafter to be
used here, must undoubtedly be derived from the
coal ivlis, which said to surround u, within
accessible limits, in SO much profusioa. To this
source our citizens mainly look for supplies of
fuel And what is the prospect of the hundreds
and thousands of our citizens who, under the high
prices of provisions, run to the last available
dollar to procure the actual necessities Of life, to
obtain the comforts of genial coal fire during the
now commencing winter? We panied to say +,
the prospect, from present standpoint, is
gloomy enough. Contrary to all lexpectatons,
and to the repeated promises Of some of the coal
dealers, the market opened month ago, with coal
at thirty and thirty fve cents TIE busheE; and We
have a to believe but that it will be scarce
at thar, aud in all probability, reach even higher
figure This, undertake to say, is intoeraDle,
aud 10 the tight condition Of monetary affirs, will
result in absolute suffering to many Of the hard
working men of the city. We undertake to say
81, Il = n,
zens nor the city is Justly and properly placed in
Nashville IS able to command coal at not more than
fifteen cents per bsei the hidden 6 the
earth around her, made known by of Sci
ence and by the coal -nOngers themselves well
experience. warrant this statement And yet she
has not so commanded, and her citizens driven
to pay more than double that price-and to suffer
ing. This state of things cannot be justified, how
ever much it may be paiIted excused.
Our readers will bear ample witness that we
have done all in power to produce a change.
We have published the results of Geological
Veys, we have advocated the formation of compa-
MES to give us larger supply, we have called the
attention of mOnied men to the benefits of an in
yestment in the business-in return we have had
promises of a better supply aud nothing but prom
Uses, and continued high and Tuinous prices. Re-
lief is, to all human appearances distant as eV
er. Coal we are bound TO have, aud further, we
bound to 60 to the coal-yards and pay the cash
for it any price-and in addition, the carriage,
considerable per cent. the COST 1t is useless
attach blame any where. We may cry out against
the evil every day during the year, aud still we
have fuel and must still pay the ruling rates.
We can present the coal master with view Of the
wen viii ia from dav
to day, by bright, melting coal fire. with nothing
to be made happy and cheerful around it, but the
inanimate repose of gorgeous mahogany, flashing
mirrors, and downy Brussels-except the occasion
al, momentary calls of ceremony from other par
lors, all a rich, and as solitary. We can
shift the scene to the abodes OF the hard-tasked
artizan, in employ and out of employ, with
worn wife and a family of GOd-gven, but squallied
and shiverng children, with nothing to warm and
cheer them, in the long and dreary days of the
wintry time, halt filed rusty scutle OF coal
dust, a scanty pile of soaking drift-wood. And
yet we have to trudge to the coal-yard and pay
cash down. enormous prices, for coal aud cartage.
There is but element in this price, and that is
demand and supply-the other great regulator of
prices, the cost of production is lost sight of
Whatever it may cost to mine and bring coal here,
the price is measured by the adequacy of the pres
ent supply to the present demand. And whatever
may be said, or whoever may be blamed, this will
continue to be the case, so long the demand is so
greatly in disproporton to the supply.
Eight ten years ago, when up rive- mines
were in their crude aud imperfect beginning, and
the inexperience of the miners, it is supposed,
more than counterbalanced the subsequent rise in
the price of labor, able to get coal at
from II 10 ii cents per bushel. Then the demand
and supply we're in greater equilibrium, and the
producer made bis reasonable per cent, and the
consumer got his coal at a reasonable price. But
since then the consumption has increased out OF
all proportion with the production, and for several
years, Of late, our city has been writhing under
high prices. Three winters ago the SewaDee Com
pany, added something to the supply, at more
moderate cost, and promised long before this to
have ample supplies always on hand They have
held out the idea that they had other fields which
they would shortly reach, and make the city Joy
full by full supply At the close of the last sea
son, positive assurances giysH that the first of
October past, would fulfill all previous promises;
but we doubt to-day if there is enough coal in /
their yard to boil cup of tea. The people are /
still put off with excuses, which may or may not |
be reasonable-we cannot toll-and still high pri- /
ces prevail We can cry for cheap coal, as we
have done, year after year, but cheap coal will
come. The coal masters have the people entire
Iy in their poweT-aud we have no reason to con-
clude that they will fail to use that power-and
there is no probable hope of relief except in an adj
equate supply.