Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-02-03

thc eosl selaso of jackson, yinssn, Ashsns
|apd ether counties, the questions arise:
IWhy cannot they s.Hply the dsaands q
any emergency that may arise2 and what
interest has Meigs county in the prem
iIises
Without stopping here to discuss The
quality Of the Pomeroy coal as compared
with that obtained in the counties named,
Tor the facilitieswith which it can be mined
lin the respective localities, it is sufficient
flor our purposeto say that our coal is Of
Ia good quality, and that our mining opera
Itions can easily and without the danger oi
Iloss to the capitalist, be increased to any
desired extent. Bearing this in mind.
llet it be further known that Meigs county
ALREADY produces about 10000, 900 bush
Eels per annum, and that it can be laid
upon our platforms here at least as cheaply
las any where else. Say to cover all ex-
Epenses and leave a fair margin for profits,
it costs, on our platforms, four cents per
bushel., From there it can be shipped by
1.-The river at two cents, making lis cost at
1.-THE city landing six cents, and this, we
Ipresume, viii cover all contingencies
This, then, is the price at which Cincin-
Ensti ought to procure her fuel, and except
lin a season like thepresent, sbscaii easily
lido 50. The additional price paid BY the
consumer, is the expense Of drayage, yard
Trent in the city, and the profits Of her own
coal dealers and spectators.
4 i is proved, however, beyond all cavil,
THAT there is no point in the coal fields Of
Ohio from which to the city, the freight
alone by Railroad will not be at least three
cents more per bushel than the whole cost
Of Goa, and freight from Pomeroy, BY the
river. Nine cents per bushel, according
to the Railroads themselves, being the
lowest figure at which it can be freighted,
Add this to the cost of coal on the plat
forms, and it makes the price in Cincinna-
ii thirteen cents, instead Of six, "a differ
ence Of seven cents per bushel. But this
..o,,1J ,..1-o = J;Qro,oaan =, +bo oos+ &c f,,al
for that city at her present rate Of con-
sumption, of the enormous sum of 81
05o,000 90 in single year This alone
would be drain on the profits Of her pro-
ductive industry that must be severely fell
by her people, and againstwhich she ought
to provide, at any expense within her abil'
lity to meet.
i But by no possibility can she ever be
supplied by existing Railroads at price
that win not be very much greater than
| tllat indicated above. This would be eyi'
IDENTIFY true even if there were at all times
coal in abundance on the pletfofms by
which these Railroads run. But this
abundance will not be found on those plat
forms; for it is only in times of scarcity
like the present, produced by the suspen'
sion Of navigation, that it can be shinnad
BY Railroad at al. To attempt it at any
other time would be ruinous. But there
can be no assurance that the next year. Of
any other given season will be such as to
produce a scarcity and thus raise the price
to a point at which it can be shipped witt
profit. And as it requires a large capi-
tai to conduct the business successfully
capitalists will not embark their means in
an enterprise that can only pay on the
happening ola contingency which may
not occur fora series of yeags n success
ion, and in which case thela fortunes
SO invested would be hopelessly Sunk.
Consequently, for the want Of a constant
market at remunerative prices, the mines
on the lines of those roads will not be suf-
fciently developed to supply the demand
even at famine prices, when the contin.
gency does occur. And therefore, to meet
a sudden and extraordinary demand, ex.
traordinary efforts must be made and ex-
penses incurred in the concentration OIL
workmen not already on the ground; and
taking advantage of her necessities, the
very life blood Of the city will be extorted
from her to meet the crisis. To the truth
OF this position the terrible condition Of
her people at this moment is a living at
testation.
With Railroad to the Pomeroy mines,
however, the case would be altogether diff
ferent. Here the chief reliance for ship
ment will ever be the river. With this in
view, and Railroad for emergencies, our
mines would be developed to meet any de-
nand that might be made upon them.
No fuctuation in the state Of the river
need or would affect the mining operations
here. In case Of suspension Of naviga-
ton the coal would still be upon our plat
forms, and could as readily be tipped into
the cars as into the barges Nochange OF
commotion would occur in the working OF