The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-11-04
The M. & G. R. R. and the Coal
SUnDgV. g

The M. & G. R. R. and the Coal
supply.
Many Of our citizens who had
made arrangements some weeksago for
their winters supply of coal from the
mines on the NJ. &C, R. R., have had
their indignation aroused during the
recent cold weather, in consequence OF
the non-arrival of the coal, and the
managers Of the road have been pretty
severely denDuneed for their supposed
delinquency--in the matter. On in
quiry from Mr.. Carson, the R. r..
Agent at this place, he informed us
that asnear as he could ascertain, the
chief cause of the failure was the act
uaI scarcity of coal, arising from the
greatly diminished production Of the
mines on the R. R. for some time past.
One of the largest mines that Of the
Carbondale company, which formerly
turned out about 400 bushels a day,
has for some time been entirely stop
ped and the former supply from the
Hooking mines, via canal at Athens,
has also been cut off by the strike of
the Hooking miners. The King and
ZaIeski mines were thus the only re-
naming source of supply, and these
together, have been turning out about
1000 bushels day, 5000 Of a0tich are
required daily, 5y The R. r. Co. for
their engines, 50 in Misunderstanding
only about, 1000 bushels day to sup
ply the public demand at all the points
on the~r6ad, which would Of course
be entirely inadequate for that purpose.
Mr.. C. also stated that the R. R. Co.
had been compelled by the recent scar
city, to take for their OI0a use several
carloads of coal belonging to him,
which were in transit over the road,
and which he had ordered for some Of
our citizens. This is certainly a most
high-handed and unwarranted pro-
ceeding on the part of the Co., for
which they had not the shadow of le-
gal right or justification. Railroad COM
panies are bound to deliver all freight
sent over their roads safely and
promptly to the owners or consignees,
and. they are liable in damages for
failure so to deliver it. No railroad
has any right to seize private property
entrusted to its care, and appropriate it
to its own use, and the NJ. & C. R. R.
may rest assured that the people viii
not quietly submit to such arbitrary
proceedings.
P. S. Since the above was written
we have received the ChiIlicothe Reg
lister of Saturday last, in which we
find an editorial referring to the re-
cent difficulty of obtaining coal from
the mines on the NJ. & c. railroad,
and giving substantially the same
reasons therefor as those given by Mr..
Carson. The Register says: ----- 3
On Thursday night last, Maj. Pea
body, Master of Transportation, had
eight engines to send out from this
place, with not bushei of coal be-
longing to the company on hand to
supply them; and he was compelled to
cOntseate carload consigned to pri-
vate parties in order to move his trains.
More than this, SO short is the supply
that the the company has been COM
peIled,z inA,Ohe instance, at least, to
bring coal from the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, and it at one time seriously
considered the property of re-chahg-
ing some, of the engines to wood
burners. In a short time, however,
when the Hooking miners resume
work, and the capacity of the King
mine is increased, as proposed, from
1000 to 5000 bushels daily, there
will be a suf1ciency of coal, it is
hoped, for all purposes, and prices
will be affected accordingly. 1t is
now selling here at Is cents. In or
der that there may be no delay in
transportation, President King has in
structed Maj Peabody to sacrifice the
other business of the road to this, and
use every effort to meet the demand,
and fifty fiat cars have thereupon
been changed into coal-cars. This, as
we have stated, will enable the road
to transport 100 carloads daily, and
this amount, especially if we have
anything like mild weather, will
speedily enable dealers to get in a
good supply,