The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-16
AN lNNENSE COAL LAND SUIT.
FIVE MILLION DOLLARS INVOLVED
The MOnopolists at Work in Pennsylvania
Efforts Of Railroad Corporations
to Control the Coal Min.
ing Interests.
PHILADELPHIA, June o. 1877.

PHILADELPHIA, June O. 1877.
The HERALD has already been informed OF the
attempt OF certain parties TO get possession Of twen-
ty-nlao tracts 0f Tour hundred acres each, Of the
Graru estate. situated In Schuylkl county. and
comprising some OIL the most valuable coal lands in
Pennsylvania.
The suit now in progress was brought by the heirs
OF man VINO conveyed II In hts lifetime to another
man. VINO IN turn conveyed iC 10 the late Stephen
Girard-tne assessed value OF which, at tine present
time, Is from tour TO seven millions OF dollars. Mr..
Grsrd at the time OF his dealn owned 20 900 acres o.
land IN TINS county, most Of which Is very valuable
In many places the veins OF coal sixty eet thick,
but ~ tue time 1t was bought it not known that
the land was SO valuable and Mr.. Girard bought IL
for trom iorty 10 sixty cents Fer 1he develop
mems made In late years have materially enhanced
the value OF The tract anu at the present Jay there
Is absolutely no lmtt to Its value The only method
OF computing 1t to develop the coal.
~ provision OF ar. uiraids Wild the trustees Of
the estate are forever proAiDited ItOin selling
ordered that no leases be gven Tor more IMAM five
years. Owll- to In acl that mining " Vula not pay
the leSSees Tor lhat Lmed pelou, The stale Iou,t5
Amended The Will bJ ailo wang the trustees 10 lease
Che lands or period Vi niteen years, ana al
pre.0nt time tbs ro are len Inherent operations
localed on these lands now producing coal, WHICH,
Since tne time coal was nist mned here tleo,h nave
f nSSa 2su Iey a so he nodfa me neads
western kailrOads are aaAins s,Yeuuous
euOrtS to cpnLlol all Inc mining interests
In Vie coal nelus Vi Pennsylvania, not one ol the
Coz p0TaUis has rs vel leased part VI the Glraru
estate The suit now DeIng tried az Iottsyine Is
Really oel.x Engineered uy The Lengh valley haii-
rOau although proug1I ostenSiDly " Inc heirs the
6lst owner.
Fiankha u. G0wen president OF the Reading road
is one u The counsel or tne Grard trus.ees mas
not as Yet made Effort ~ lease any oI these lands
In the name Vi the Tue leases, as before
stated are ior necn years. The roj aty Commences
~ twentv-nve cents per ton, asd Increases oe cent
per .nu yer ahnun during The lease, Guiding at
Airty. nine cents per ton.
1t II Deeved mat the present leases are sufficient
70 occupy the ground unless The underi1in VEINS
referred W should prove Vi good quaiity; lurlAcr
deve.vpment even IN tnat Case. 1t nav be good
p0icy W ue,ay. me anthracite coal area Is limited
anu Is being rapidly absorbed oy large Comuinel
operations, and ls increasing IN value. Al present
Ile BEST veins Only pay Tor working; but the
mol lar distant wien those OF error Qualify or OF
uiincuit access VIII command more roy ATTY Than
Tue test DO 81 thls lime. IL Is believed by
,,a ar experts III cod mining thai In
Ten years irOin date the Whole Of Inc coal
mining interests III Pennsylvania VIII be
controlled " tne Reading, Lehign vaey aud Della
Ware. Lackawunna ana Western itaIl! DADS.
Inc MANAGERS vi these roaos CLAIM that IL will be
blessing TO the puolc that they VIII put coal M the
market III a low Inquire .he year roaul, AZ IRON So
70 sa % or ton. II II ~ u blessing Il VIII be SO
nicely disguised that one vii. be aLe 20 see IT,
Tue public nave let these blessings uj pretty kecuy
sVr .n9 past nve non,is IN tue matter Of de-
creased coal supply brought about by tue STRIKE
whicn was stated W the very companies
l nave named above, but VINO. their
TO run too long. rnese comhinatlons of
railroad companies and leading Coal operators are
getting stronger every week. Even now lie Read
lhs oau As leasing every avaab VI coal lands
possible, and Gowen Is now in Europe Negotiating
with his employers Tor authority 10 put so 100 uJ
O pohos vi this company IN the market 10 meet the
ehRag mems areatiy made and TO be made IN their
"a Operating '.yobs.h Ii the peope or TINS and
uelghb~rng states DO not knUw OF this thing ii IS
LINE lhty uiu. ana tae sooner the Leglsai inter-
tefes W project sie people against these
tAe Deter II VIII be Tor coal Consumers,