New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-04
THE COAL TRADE.
WHERE WE GET IT-wHAT IT C0sTs-CURous
STATISTICS.
II il now more than six hundred years since

WHERE WE GET .lT-NHAT II COolS-tl ItlObo
STATISTICS
II il now more than six hundred years since
the discovery Of coal at neutrality-suspicious. aud almost
os long since the consumption OF scacoal in London be
came so great that It's prohibited by statute
because Of It's influence upon the public heaith ana
householers and aricers and all others TO whom the
new fuel had proved blessing, were Obliged to burn
wood again. This was In the year 1873 About one hund
red years later the value Of coal fuel and s limo
cence IA healthdestroycr having been satisfactorily
proycn It became the staple article Of trade between
Newcastle and London and ut about this period the
carving Of Goals 10 Newcastle for tho first time
ontcd ,nnn ne n very ridiculous proceeding. In
81 inc new coaIfrlds were opened. and worlds dis
covered and found Tor mo vegetable llleIa
Tie western Continent Invited thousands OF fortune
seekers from thc Old world aud years rolled on, ana
great forests disappeared before the AK OF Inc irohueT
md broad f,ims spranc I'D from where giant oaks
a,d ,ncs had nue down and inen began explore the
bowels Of the earth with the same energy WIN wiz,
our soil rs fuclproducer developed, and American
coal coon became known the world over as staple n
delivers dig and all the cold and hungry burn IT, till the
earth ceased to revove and tho sun refused to shine
The first native coal used in this country was taken
from n mine near the city Of Richmond va, hooub .lo
middle OF tho last century. The region IN when me ,me
was siinoted is row known "a the Chesterfield or Rch-
mond Coal Basin and for many years aitr thc
Of the valuable deposit 1t afforded tho sole supply VI eoai
In lso6 coal was taken from mine, ever snee most
productive one lying midway between Mauch Chunk hu
The Summit IL was IN this region that probably the h'ht
Iaroad WAS built On the United States In 1922 The quar-
fifty coal sent TO Philadelphia from hnnch Shnk H
the rest 81 the Iehigh region o Pennsylvania WIS 70
tuns. In the following year lo7J us were PEI ,s
1872 the demand lad douhcdi IN 1873 II Iecheu 80
In 1924 1t ran m to mvre tlan95g iuns ana III lsI
The first cargo Of 600 tunS was sieI ron J Fr,n
Kill region. Lebigh sent 2sjo5 tuis 10 h'Ihet. mn
tits time the consumption OF coal rapidly Increased Tue
laborcrs employed IN the old nues were 'nNcn d The
utmost, and new mines were opened nha Modhtu, %
marvellous growth 81 tho manufacturing interests OF ,o
c"uury the rapid increase IN the number Of large mal-
featuring establishments and Of raiioads "nen nov W.
gan 10 cross aud rccTOSs 10 ~ al dfccto crtHt'u wv
maud for fuei which the forests were uot capable oi sup
,rr- Ia 1870 tho Iacawanua fields were opened, ana
t0 inns sent to market from region which has since
proved TO Of the most productive i lh9 WORTH
SngruI,fiou was now rlfe mud coal lands IN Pcnnsyl-
wanna ONO Maryland virginia ana other sla-; NS,o
ys M more than $1,000 600. OF which nearly fipcr
cent was the value Of the anthracite ilintd IN Icy
600 600 urs the Lchieh region 10000 aud ne lcl-
wanna about 100000 mlsji Pennsylvania ra'u S,l.l nv
her share az the Government tax on coal alone ltg oll
rIs now worked cover area OF l6 square nIr- lle
middle aL,hlaelto rce!on alone tihn,"tt iTi
STATES l. estimated at 1850 sqAte mics. Whv ,
Great Britain Ireland tie iroIine,S 1 'Eewfound.
Nova Scotia. NewBruuswick, Cape bFe'oh' H""iO'''
n.y. Nh i col produced in tho United States s
onilrJrlfe, although much Of II Is hitumlnoUs. Iho
former IS prcicrllc ioi fuel because makes no smoke.
aud ~ stoamerS 1t is used exclusively because u mo"
OF c,ser soWagc and not Liable 10 spontaneous COM
bu,;iuu. Is the with Tie hiumno1' III ~. OS
four oa furnaces ia The couuy b"fH,a auitC. 80
Ii6nore than tTOthiJds OF item used III ana 'ou"J
tno Iltuminous coal ia burned IN hene. -, -
The kinds ~ coal used fur domestic pnrpo,c' arc
I'D red ash and tie WltC ae Tlg batter u pcIcifcn on
6ost ~ he greater heat which d gives. although tLero
Is sualler waste IN nc other I,sc S0i'i
from Great Britain and the province M large duhnu',
for special plrposcs IoE gi,in-.'lS .no Er Ni''
coal ]. largely used IN tue sraho1Il o ~ "ihkA"u'
blt much ~ the Virginia coal IS cqaAly g'u!;; ,,
nii,i q, c,, fr domestic -c f1m s. 10 SO % tan,
which ho fluds 90 DC 30 cheaper Uh j. Was Hpstu ~.
before tire sudden IAN IA cargo ~ , 49,
Amy down. tho common sizes 81 coal wore solid h JULIA -
lower rate than had been reached ioF some YEAR, and
/ ga .gt
have bccu iud IN at from & 20 q Te iuu ~ soon rs
he rst cool breeze announced the coming OF Winter.
ucctation of a. decline were wofully disappointed.
LAST year all sizos % American coal Ncrr comparatively
CHEAP The market opened dull ard prices reuininei
down. IL January tho ayeFhSs Ice ref,IEca ~ w ~
rose s. 90 after which u Continued TO decline ubt ~
July, 1853. there was was sudden IIsH. IA Aufe'
adyuuced TIN further. and IN October ana No'cmu,f
made vigorous iJts- far exec dng lol'ue ,hof-
Tho different advance "erc a io.i'"s: tle '!'."@e
| ~ juno being about - .yi Ju.' CO.. Hut.., ~"
ber SOL November, 81 %: total rdNancc " r. At thc
last sale. however held % the 4'h o. mel 'GG
price came dawn 5oc on tho lll Tor Goa. u,Ntf1 -.
zahci port aud the p.H pct now - that thrro VII I'D
able 10 purchase biz faei AZ toHeins hA' reason
A. NJ The last Of Juno the coal strike begnn among the
mine Ia Tue scluyikii region Tor long iinc bnsne,'
az mucs in mat dsiilGt was 'th,s ssienne'; 9I
tlr recOIs We were threatened With abort supply ~
I'll Tor the Winter Luckily. there was turpu' ~ coal
the hands of NcW.Yutk DEALER; nut ihr rhric was
pom U.s. aud the pcculii0r-. jas they al"ayb d." took sd
dT md prices ycfy low. on the sh II july. scranton
coal deli, cred 90 Ey~buthpOrt. sold 90 fuui 81 10 - On
the 10Th 81 OCTOBER the stree sod NJ from - p To
g. IS month later, the prices ranged from " y Ia
g. 80 This Rise ~ price 90 40 way due 10 hllug
"a In the suppy from the mines FOR the records show
that for the Year ending june n the amount OF coal
shipped the great roads To market was largely IN
excess OF the shipments Of the year before aud the
2h 81 November the yearly statement of tho Penhsyl'
vani roads showed an Increase IN heir coal tnspoi-
business OF than eiooo iuus over that OF the
previous year -
The reader who carcessy gnnccs over thr commercial
columns OF "A newspaper Uft0n wonders why the New.
Yorker should be obliged t0 pay more FOR his coal than
tho Phadephlan. The difference In price Is rally re-
markable, aud always has been. In Harrisons table,
corrected on the 2st nit for The American Journal "
tItn fall re-