Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-03
Coal Trade OF the Chesapeake Ohio Canal.


The undcrS gncd. being largely engaged
in mining coal i'll Allegheny county, ana
in transporting the same. via chesapeake
and Ohio Canal to tidewatcr. learn with much
anxiety that it is contemplated 10 advance
the present rates of toll on that Canal, tor the
alleged purpose of cqualizing the rate, OF
Transportation between the Canal to George
town and Alexandria, and the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad 10 Baltimore. Deeply con-
WINGED that any measure tending To increase
the present cost of bringing coal to tide-wa-
ter will be destructive to their best interests
and to the coal trade Of Allegheny county in
general. whilst it would utterly fail of its
object in turning back any portion of the
trade from the Canal 10 the Railroad. the UNI
dersigned beg respectfully To submit the
following remarks To your earnest con>ldcra-
ton, hoping that your honorable Board will
prevent the adoption of any such suicld',.
measure. a. an increase of tolls would most
asSuredly prove.
The experience Of mining enterprises In
Allegheny county. unfortunately shows thai
.hcv have been far from prof bile to those
who have venturcd their capital j. i've 1uSl-
ness. and that disappointment ART fail IRE
have been the rule rather than the exception.
notwithstanding the superior quality OF he
coal, and the remarkable 'tur.' 'n"i''t'cN
which the position of the coal i'll .ilI"gh;.hv
county presents: and this state oI thing can
not be charged 10 either want of kill, enter
prise, or capital, for all these ha"" b" 1 most
literally devoted to the development at that
region. and Vet perpetual and unrc"arded
struggle for bare existence has thu far f"cn
the fate of all who have engaged III thC bust
ness The difficulty lies solely III t"c grc'f
remotencsS of til" Allegheny coal field from
Underwater, and thc only possible VIZ" Ut
Preserving and fostering the rr.lI trade. l. 10y
keeping the charges for transportation dow =
To the .inimum. Othcrw' 20 the coal ,radr
" .rylard, except for mere local proposes,
must n""ome reduced to NEST insrgr .ticant
amount if not tire cxtinr; 1t Is '",.' I"
,lv ipon the superior quality I he Mrrv-
liant coal overcome entirely th. natr ."
llfh-ult"s arising g M il, rcmotcn"-S FROM
markct--tr II certain 30 nC tbs MAJ BE- lone
the price =: which the Mar, and "":
be- sold in the g-"at">t markets i ' 4
by the prices Of anthracite w. l"rk, ~
the Nova Scotia GOA in Eastern AarkrtS. u.
Broad Top bituminonS coal III Phiad"Iul'Ia,
and Of the RlcS>hurg 'itumiuo"> cal at
Albany and Troy.
The largest consumers IN New "rk mr."
swavrd in their rhoi"" between Cumberland
and Anthracite Goals bv ia" d.f"r"n"" t.: Il
few cents beyond the a>'"rtaIn"d rclnt,Nr
values of the two kinds OF coal! "! ch has
been established ut 81 ;"'r tn. ~" 'r.'n
manufacturers eastward. VIII r''"r'r p'r-
chased largely Of Cumberland al. Lave.
since the establishment "t "a" re-. rr"'ltv
treaty which admits roal from IT," British
pro, ,nc.s free. Of duty INTO NE tinted state.
substituted in g""ai MEASURE. Toe Nova 81.
tia coal. amt il u only hv TAX ~ ia" rrskS +
t~r,ghts and insurnnc" themselves that DE-
Mary Inr.l cal operators have h""n rm"'I"'
al ln,. To "...ain any 'o"rh"d i'r IT," l'r du'."
nf their ~ hes IN the ':,St"rn markets The
same. state Of th,ur- ~ rstS in \ hanv nd
Troy with r. gard to 10 the l'rnn> yIran,a hi
luminous coal, which - l-iN erred the" =,
very low prices VIA the Fra" "nnhi III"
Ph,lndrlrhia mud Trput,n market ~" lIrn.,'t
entirely lost IT, MnryInni IL = 'n~" tn"n,'' i
the Introduction { thu Broad | "a ht"m,.
nous coal from r"nn~ wanna. Thu. III"
mark pt for Mar land coal has bog III" great
" rircumsrr he'd and III tn -taS" II h.ng'.
whrn drmani- oar utmost rtf.'rt> &" 'iStin
tins ilnr0mpr rnIslug competition VITA e al
from other regions "" ar" n"w Threatened
! with q material ad> nuc" # tt!- ul'pn tn"
chesapeake and uhr. cana! tr 'h' ayo""i
rnrp">r ni restoring i"'rls'H 81 IA" t'rd"
: Ia Baltimore.
The tolls IN the Ih,.>nt".ns" ana ir.I" Gu
nal have not varied E., v'':i'~. aud ~
In. ~ III" Rilr'm"rr ami on" Iiilrond
lmnIauv mm,ntnin"d ,"Ss aud ri'''n"h''
charges for ;ransp 'rtnrr.u. tnIi,m re had