Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-03-21
tfrom the buffalo Cummerclal Ad,eliiscr
BuGhfo and fhs Bifun,fnous
aouI Trade.

riencats 10 the New York Canals as well a.
10 the Manufactures and Lake Commerce
Of the City.-Enect upon Value of Real
Estate.
The geographical relations Of BufIa-
10 TO the bituminous coal deposits of
Western Pennsylvania, are similar in
many respects to those OF Philadel-
phia TO the anthracite coal deposits in
that State. The extent of tho anthra-
cite coal deposits is embraced in an
area of 476s square miles, while the
area Of the bitumnous deposits in
Western Pennsylvania, and within
easy reach Of Buffalo by rail, is equal
to $4,000 square miles. Philadelphia
has derived incalculablc benefits from
tine anthracite coal, the mining Of
which was commenced in 1920, in
which year the product was 365 tons.
The aggregate product of anthracite
coal from 1920 70 1866, inclusive, is
upwards of one hundred and forty
million tons. The product in 1866
was about twelve million tons. The
population Of Philadelphia is now up
wards of 100000. The total amount
of capital invested in manufactures in
Philadelphia was in 1860, s73, ,3ls, 1856;
total number of hands employed, 9S,-
1888; entire annual product, $780,
$40, III. The commerce Of Philadel-
phia is also immense.
The commerce, manufactures and
trade, indicated by the foregoing, is
in q great measure due to the coal
trade, which gives that city cheap fuel
for manufacturing purposes and do
mestic use To deveope the coal
trade, Philadelphia has been connect
cd with the Southern Schuylkill coal
basin by the Lehigh canal, the Phila-
delphia and Reading railroad, the
Union canal, the Lykins Valley rail
road, the Dauphin and Susquehanna
railroad, and the Lehigh Valley rail
road. From 1920 TO 1868, inclusive,
go, Isl tons Of coal were transport
ed over these several lines of commu-
nieation, from the SchuylkilI coal-ba-
sin. There are within this basin l70
miles OF railroad.
The connections with the Middle, or
Shamokin, coal, are by the Lehigh
canal; the Lehigh Valley railroad,
the Reading and SehuyIkill canal, the
ShamolSin railroad, the Treverton rail
road, and the McCauley's Mount rail
road. From 1920 to 1868 there were
transported over these several routes
of communication l9,205,929 tons of
coal. There are within the Shamokin
coal-basin 100 miles of railroad.
Within the Northern, or Wyoming
and Lackawana al-basins, there are
ITO miles Of railroad and thirty miles
Of canal. There were mined in this
basin from 1920 TO 1868, inclusive, "a, =
GOA, ,425 tons Of anthracite coal. The
coal trade of the Schuylkll and Shame
kin basin, the greater portion of it,
centres in Philadelphia The coal
product Of the Wyoming and Lacka-
wana districts finds an outlet at
p oints north of Philadelphia. The
distance from the more southernly an
thracitc coal fields to Philadelphia.
ranges from 1875 10 lS5 miles.
Within 81 to 100 miles of Buffalo is
the northern out-crop OF bitumincus
coal field, within the boundaries of
western Pennsylvania, $1,000 square
miles in extent. Is it possible to arouse
odr citizeus-those who are large prop
erty holders in real estate, those who
are largely interested in manufactures,
lake and canal commerce, those who
want cheap fuel and cheap gas-to
the Importance of making a rail con-
nection from Buffalo to the bitumin-
Gus coal fields 7 We have before us n
letter from prominent citizen of
Clearfeld, Clearfeld county, Pennsyl-
vania. He says:
Il have looked over the map and find tha,
straight line from Buffalo 20 Ccarfield is only 1870
miles long, and to our county line but 100 miles
aud from Clcarfeld to the Shawmut Railroads.&c.
teen miles in length-thai comes south from Ridg.
way, it Is not over twenty-five miles, and no great
er elevation in the grade than fifty feet to the mile
There il also a branch railroad from ST. Marv's on
the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad reaching some
ten miles towards Clearfcld. In clcarfeld county
four distinct basins Of bitunnous coal each la
sin on and near streams. and located in the cast
crn, middle, western and northern sections Of the
county. Each basin has thrcc scporato veins Of
coal, varying from two and a half 10 eight feet in
Etsls at.IH %. H.. r. a
veins are twelve to fourteen feet in thickness and
Of quality equal to the best Cumberland coal lor
gas purposes. There are veins Of iron ore and
Limestone at all points ia the county from three to
eve feet Ia thickness. They lie between the coal
veins and parallel 10 them.
"From here north we had a survey las, season.
locating rairuad from Clearield to the waters Of
the Allegheny river at a grade Of ff(y feet to the
mile. From Clarified. north or west, road would
pass through the best bituminous coal fields In the
State. for al least distance Of forty miles with
strata Of iron ore and limestone between. as well
As through the best and only pine and hemlock
lumber region In the State. We are now aboni
completing railroad from Clcarhcld to Tyrone, on
the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, lal milus cast.
efly from pittsburg. We have heavy grades TO
get over the Allegheny. over 100 feet to the mile
II will thus be seen that We have
mines of wealth within our reach
greater than the gold and silver mines
Of the Pacific States, and considerably
nearer than the anthracite coal fields
are to Philadelphia. Still we fold our
hands and are waiting ''for something
to turn up" Buffalo has great natu-
raj advantages from her position, but
they require ARTIFICIAL aids to enable ne
to grasp them. Look az the manufac-
lures of Philadelphia ! More annually
than three times the assessed valua-
tion of the real and personal property
Of this city. What but her connec-
tion with the Anthracite coal-felds has
given Philadelphia a population of
over 700, ,0OOand the proud eminencc
Of being the largest manufacturing
citv in tha Irnion IL Rnffaln iose ro