Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-09-07
be High Price of Coal-A kemed
.nist Suggested. ....
ro the Editor of the New York Tribune

.,o Eaitor of the New York Tribune
sir-Duripg the last few months rs
ID have been many complaints
Though ,hT the New York papers OF the
h;ab price Of coal, an article OF prime
necessity to both the rich ana 'ne p2on,
Charges Of combination ana eA'9 10 "t
AGAINST monopolists are MADE, ana met
a az oonntar charges of uniustlflable COM
b;yna o and "strikes" among the
, u,nas These charges and counter
a Mnv,a NAV or may not be true; the
faot however, that coal is very dear Is
nndisputed. A remedy for this evl, Is
of great concern to your vast popula.
zion and il would seem that the readiest
relief would be in opening up new ana
abundant sources Of supply from locail-
.;ss If easy access, and not likely to be
,,rouobt Under the influence OF existing
rings" and combinations, ii such mere
he The only extensive coal-helds
from which you are not now drawing
largely. and which have water trans
nortation from the very pits to New
York. are those around this city. In
tha counties of Chesterfield, Powhatan,
and Goochland, within a few miles OF
Richmond, there is coal basin Oh aoout
10 by 80 miles in extent.
Most of this coal is bituminous, but
10 some localities a natural coke Oh
great excellence is found; and within
fifteen miles Of this city an outcrop IN
dictates, almost certainly, the presence
of a vein of camel coal. 1t IS only
here and there, in this immense basin,
that "pits" are in operation. Lack OF
local CAPITAL accounts for this. Now Is
not the question OF cheap fuel Tor New
York sufficiently important to lead 10
an organized movement that Wouid
supply the capital necessary to work
some of these mines on a scale large
enough to break down the efforts OF
monopolists and strikers in Pennsyl-
yania and Maryland. Thousands OF
acres of the richest of these coal lands
NAV be purchased at or below $500
per acre, with canal or railroad trans
portation all the year round to the
shipping at this port. An unlimited
supply Of negro labor can be obtained
at low wages and without danger OF
.'strikes." Experience here has de-
monstrated that the negroes make as
good coal miners as white men. They
work for about half the wages OF white
miners, and as long as they are prompt
" paid, well fed and kindly treated,
they will enjoy their "gang- work" and
be perfectly contented and happy.
If tie coal consumers of New York
would organize a great metropolitan
coal company, with say million OF dol
lars capital, limiting the amount that
each man might hold to small sum, so
as to escape the danger of falling into
the hands of the present rings, and be
ing contented with small dividend of
say ten per cent. on the stock, but CIV
ing the stockholders a preference in the
purchase of cheap coal, it is hardly to
be doubted that the amount of fuel
could be thrown upon your market at
rates so low as to greatly influence the
general price of coal. This is the only
field east of the Alleghanies that you
can reach ny Watei, tud" 10 INV .siooo'J
in the hands of monopolists. We have
good anthracite coal beds, too, few
miles above Danville, and about 100
miles from this city, that a small amount
of capital would develop, and from
which the coal could be taken to New
York as cheaply as from Pennsylvania.
1t may be asked, what prompts me
to invite the attention of your readers
to this subject. The reply is, that it
will bring capital to Virginia, open new
sources of wealth to us, interest your
people in our material resources, estab.
fish business relations, and lead to per-
sonal and political friendships that will
promote the general welfare of our peo-
pie, and confer a great benefit upon
yours. These are sufficient reasons for
calling public attention to the subject
under my own signature, as | publish
nothing anonymously.
I'D, IMBoDEN.
Richmond, Va, Aug. %.