The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-09-26
The Coal supply.

Whenever the British people have no
more pressing topic OF agitation, foreign
invasion or some Battle of Dorkipg,"
says the Boston Jouynal, they always get
into an excitement about the impending
exhaustion of their coal mines and the
consequent ruin Of British commercial
ascendancy. The subject has lately been
revived with peculiar interest owing to
the publication of a report upon it made
BY Parliamentary Commission. The
prospect which has so disturbed English.
men is here faced and considered in all
its bearings. 1t is admitted that if the
present rate Of exhausting the coal SUP.
ply was to 90 on indefinitely and in any
probable ratio to the increase Of popula.
tion and manufactures, the progress
toward the final extinction of that SIMPLY
would be very rapid" In reality,
however, this rate could not steadily
continue. As soon as the impression OF
scarcity began to be felt coal would rise
in price and this would diminish con.
sumption, and would rrolong the duration
of the supply, though at the expense Of
the prosperity of the country. Again,
in the natural order of things, only the
best and most easily accessible coal has
thus far been mined, but ultimately high
prices will bring poorer qualities and
those not so conveniently obtained into
the market. "A time" says the Com
mission, must even be anticipated when
1t Will be more economical to import
part OF our coal than to raise tho whole
OF IT from our residual coal beds; and
before complete exhaustion is reached
The importation of coal will become tn.
rule, and not the exception, Of our prac-
tice. Other countries would undoubtedly
be in position to supply our Deficiencies,
Tor North America alone possesses tracts
OF coal.bearing strata, as yet almost un.
touched, of seventy times the area of oul
own
The Commission, however, confess that
the manufacturing supremacy of England
could not be maintained after the impor.
tation Of coal had become necessity.
The next question is, whether our Ameri.
can coal mines could sustain themselves
after foreign demand should have been
added to the domestic. Thoughtful men
have already recorded their Judgment
that the anthracite regions of Pennsylva.
MIA are limited, and the duration of their
supply is capable of calculation. We
must decline, however, to be disturbed
by any apprehensions of this character.
The quantity OF bituminous coal in this
country is as yet beyond estimate. Be.
sides that the history of inventions tells
one uniform story-they are sure to come
when they are needed. Steel pens take
the place of diminishing goose quills,
steam supplies the place of horse power
and tho sewing machine the needle when.
IN the exigencies of humanity, the change
Is required. So a new heating power or
motor may yet take the place of coal
something utterly unsupported now in
the simple materials around us-or much
more economical methods of utilizing
coal (as in preventing refuse in quarry.
ing or in some way of burning the dust)
may be discovered, which shall have the
effect of indefinitely augmenting the sup.
ply. At all events, the trouble from this
source is so in6nitesimal that it is not
worth while to hunt after it quite yet.
OUR FUTuRE.-According to the off.
clal aggregate of the new Census, the
population Of the United States in 1870
was 3s,556, ,9S3-against total of 81.
i43,32l in 1860. A journal, taking the
figures of the last two Censuses as a
point of comparison, hazards a guess as
to the probable population of the scve.
raj States and Territories in the year
1850. The supposed aggregate is 40 :
oOO'OO0 and the largest estimated in.
crease is in the States of New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Tex.
as, Kentucky, and Tennessee. New
York isPut down at 100000 in 1880 !;
Pennsylvania, 100000; Ohio, $1,000.
600, and Illinois, 100000; while Tex.
as and Kentucky are estimated at 1900.
600 each-the largest ratio of increase
being in Texas.
A funeral To meet N T,nar.I u....