New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-29
Projected Coal Railroads.

| The first and most important question 10Y
Us all now is how best to supply ourselves
! steadily and cheaply with coal. We car no
| longer depend on the river. OF late years
1t has distinctly changed its characters IN
| Its coal-boatlng stages, and can not any
more be relied on The records kept foe
the last TWO years by the government
weather department in our city of the us
ings OF the river at Pittsburg show that
there were bat three occasions when the
Monongahela rose over eight feet in S1Q-1f,
and four instances in 1912; and that 10
the latter year there was no rise from MAY
70 January, period OF eight months Il
requires a rise OF at least eight feet, in y
river five hundred miles above our city, ne
fore we can obtain full supply of coa@ Tor
our wants, domestic and manufacturing.
Over this we can have no control. TIE
deficiency of water can not he remedie6.
We can not fill the river with water. ba5
must wait for chance rains, in order that
the deep-laden barges may doat over the
bar in the MOnongahela. See, then, how
dependent we are on a river so far away,
and so uncertain This must be remediea
by other means for the supply of a necessity
which is essential for our comfort and pros
perity. We can no longer count on a steady
or sufficient supply from so doubtful
source; and il we do not take measures,
and that speedily, we shall not only find cur
places to live in, but our manufacturers
moving to more favorable points. Indeed
the prosperity of our city is more dependent
on cheap and steady supply of fuel than
upon any one or all articles Of coz
sumption. This evil would, in itself he
enough to warn our citizens that they
should look Tor a steadier supply OF coal
from other sources and by other ways.
There is, however, another reason for IN
mediate action, in the fact that the demand
here, and all down the river to New Or
leans, has so increased as to exceed the sup
ply that Pittsburg has been able to produce.
This is proved by the greatly Increased
price Ten years ago the best PittsbuTg
coal was readily bought at our landing do
seven cents per bushel, while the price paid
last winter was fourteen, and this tall If
teen cents; and the price in PittsbuFg itself
has been nearly as high. These two uLde-
niable facts show us c0nclusiVely that both
for steadiness of supply and for moderate
price we must look to other sources aud
other ways 20 obtain with regularity. and
cheaper. II we can, Suthciency Of coal.
Fortunately 1t is in our power to do so, from
a great plumber Of points within One-tAird
the distance that coal is conveyed, so uucer-
tainly, by river. IneXhausnble coal banks
surround us on all sides. within one hundred
and fifty miles, not only in our own State,
but In Indiana, Kentucky and West Viz
ginia. They hold coal Of the best and the
most diversified qualities. useful for every
purpose. whether for manufacturing, cooE
ing, gas purposes, or domestic Consumption.
What do we want more, save onlv he
railroads prepared steadily 70 supply all or,
wants We have seen, through many years,
that the river supply has not only been TOO
irregular. bur it is now too higb.pTiced. We
car brinp in our fupI AZ lower nrices ana
more surely. from MAN. points than we car,
now obtain it from our one accustomed
source, WHY sbould we NOT do SO VIZ
can. by iudicious cooperation. The demand
terested in ohtainina il cfsarIv and snraiv
we ought all to assist in do;nr SO, On nefi22
ton Of over 100 prominent rax.naving 4ir;-