The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-11-30
H"''V'iI~fioH Of .iHfh,0ritc Co"I.

The following brief item. which We clip from
one OF our exchanges, gives some idea Of the value
81 the trade in anthracite coal
Since the year lsl.. when thc hrs; load OF
anthracite coal was taken TO philade.phiA and
given away, the production consequent upon an
extended demand, has increased with gtr1i, rcgu-
larity, and now 1t reaches from ten to twelve
million iuns u year. II is estimated that in ten
wears 1t will have reached the enormous annual
production Of twenty million tuns.
Although the introduction OF anthracite coal is
oi So recent date as 1912, We find its use in this
country now universal and il may well be rcgaT-
dcd as ono Of those convenicnees OF life Of the
present day that we cannot well dispense with.
The history of the introduction OF anthracite
would no doubt 10 pleasing, and afford much in
siruciion.
Anthracite coal was introduced into Philaic
I'hia in 1872, by Nj. George Shoemaker, who
hrough, il from thesSchuyekill region. At place
now known as the Centrevillc mines, he loaded
nine wagons with this coal and carried il To
Philadelphia. lie spent much time in trying 20
introduce IL TO public notice, though his efforts
availed but little. A few persons were induced io
'ry the new kind OF fuel, but could nat hutn p
Sc 3 wcrr clamorOus again,, the ''imposicr a.
h was called, for an attempt To impose Stone up
"n them for coal. Not discouraged aud unli.
mayed, he persisted in his object and succ,cdc,!
them the cost Of transportation and the remaining
seven loads he gave 10 persons who promised Ia
use 1t, or at least 10 Try 10 use II, as fuel.
IN Isl the lion Charles Miner. OF WlArs-
barre, in connection with some associate, cm-
barkc,l load ot twcnty-iour tuns nf coal from
Maucl Chunk. and on its arrival in Phiadclphi
IL had cost the adventures fourteen dollars per
tun, aud, considering the relative value oi the
money Of that period in comparison with iha, o.
the present, IL was a costly pile OF fuel. Bui IL
seems that when this coal had landed in fhilaicl-
phia, the difficulty had hut commenced, lot the
people wonld no, use IL even when brought To
their doors Mr.. Miner and his associates publish
cd handbills in English and German. giving di.
rcciions how to the coal, stating that It could
he burned in smiths forgcs, m graies and il
stoves Determined not 10 be defeated IN theii
object o introducing the coal they went to hou-
ses and begged the privilege of building fires and
entered shops and urged lis use, and even brhed
mechanics 10 try the experiment 10 a fair manner,
so averse were The leorle To learn the use Of this
new sort Of fuel.
IL sccms strange indeed 10 us of the present.
who regard anthracite coal as the groa, article o
fuel that such difficulties should I've encountered
when liberal attempts we're made by wholc-soule
men iO induce people t0 use II but when w
consider how different l, It's character from th'
soft cua and wood which was then used and hui
few CRATES OF stoves were at all adapted for III
combustion. IL must not be dcepled a wonder tina
its use was not attempted and that the public Sc
on adverse face % ~ introduction .--irieSion
7 lrf,sW