Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-04-30

THE Coal MoEoPOLY.-Our neigh
bors Of the Nems seem TO be in trouble on
the subject Of coal, and more particularly
on account Of their frlends,-the Shef-
eld Coal Company,-in which the real
proprietors of that sheet have an in
tsrest. In its issue of yesterday, it as
serts that Mr. IAngly. Of Rock Island.
has been selling the coal cheap, and carried
the idea that this whole Sheffield operation
was merely prompted by lone Of the dear
people, in which no self interest and no pri
vate grudges were involved. Now We
happen to know some OF the facts in the
case, and we are disposed to speak the truth
and give every one his due.
In the fret place Mr.. Langly positively
agreed with Mr.. Cable, that he would sell
the coal at Mr.. Cables prices. In the
course OF ten days Mr.. Cable had lost the
custom of most of the boats, when he was
advised that Mr.. L. had been secretly sell
ling coal to the boats at half cent less per
bushsl-than the price agreed upon between
them. When Mr.. Cable became satisfied
with the truth Of the charge, he informed
Mr. L. Of the fact, and announced to him
that the price Of his coal was reduced to
seven cents per bushel. Mr.. Langly denied
publicly and positively that he had ever
reduced the price, or violated the agree
msnt, and whether the charge is true or
false, is not material for..our purpose. Ca
BILE and not Langly is the man who first
publicly reduced the price Of coal, and
hence the boast Of the News that his friends
fthe Sheffield Company had brought down
the prices Of coal, has no foundation in
fact, SO far as the expressed intentions Of
the parties are concerned.
1t is we'll understood in this community
that the real secret of this Sheffield opera
tion dates back to the days of Florence shin
pasters. When it became known that Mr.
Cable had leased the coal banks, the propri
etors Of that delectable concern publicly
swore that Cable should not make a dollar
out Of the operation: They advised their
friends and pimps that Gable had injured
the credit Of their money mere than almost
anybody else, and that now was the time to
pitch in and pay him up for his past mis-
conduct. One of the proprietors happened
to be a director of the G. 4 r. l. r. r., and
he induced the road to reduce the freight
from Sheffield to Rock Island to one and
one eighth cents per ton per mile, leaving
Cables freight as it was-four and five
cents per ton per mile from Carbon Cliff and
Colona. That caused Cable to close all his
mines on the c. Il r. l. r. X. and to get all
his supplies from Coal Valley. as the road
refused to make corresponding abatements
for him. Cable had brought about 10000
tons annually on the line of the road and
was paying fifty cents per ton freight, which
would have amounted to $4,000 per an
mum. When the directors of the road came
Ne'cs, they concluded it would not pay very
we'll and the sooner they should cease thus
to discriminate in favor Of the men who
own the editors of the Neacs the better
they must stand with the stockholders of
the road and the community
We are in favor of cheap fuel, but would
greatly prefer encouraging our Buffalo
mines, or other mines in this vicinity. to
sending to Sheffield for our coal. The truth
is, that Sheffield card will net win. The
cost OF mining coal at Sheffield is about
twice what it is at Cables mines, and even
when the railroad makes itself a party to
the matter by reducing the price of freight
one.half, to accommodate one of the direc-
tors, it cannot be produced for less price
than Gable was charging, if anything like
a fair freight is allowed to his business. By
the way, we learn that some of the owners
of Sheffield are not in favor Of giving away
the coal and working without profit, mere.
ly to crafty the personal pique of one of
the proprietors. The News would do well
to abandon that Sheffield card, and if it
does not like Cable or the price of his coal,
go in for encouraging our own mines at
Buffalo, instead of threatening to "kick,
the G. 4 r. /. r. r. for not taking up the
cudgel and fighting the Florence war over
again.