The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-11-26

Causes OF the COaI Panic-The Pres.
ent High Prices Of Digging Coal,
Also Market Value or Same IN This

Editors of the Register:
During the summer months Of the
past season the rolling mills OF this city
have been actively at work and have
without doubt engaged from fifty to
seventy-five more coal diggers to mine
the coal necessary to run the mills than
ever they were known to employ before.
This is to be accounted for by the en-
larged and increased capacity Of the
mills. The diggers made demand in
the early part Of the season for higher
wages, which they got, something
never before heard OF in the summer
season.
Fall came and still no cessation in
the mill banks; increased activity, if
anyth ing, was the DISTINGUISHING feature
and with it, of course, increased busi-
ness in the merchant banks. involving
the necessity of employing more labor
which, of course, was sh ort. owing to
the above state OF things. With the
month OF Septem Der demand from the
miners in the merchant banks for more
wages came, which had to be acceded
too, to the extent OF one-half cent per
bushel. The coal dealers were
already selling coal too low
in the market, as was admitted by
every body, lower than they could afford,
viz seven cents tor nut coal and nine
cents for clean coal. The half cent
allowed to diggers beginning onthe lst,
together with the increased price OF
hay. insufed an advance of one cent
all round. viz: eight cents for nut and
ten cents for clean. 1t was asked for
and got without murmur. Speaking
now for myself only, | desire right here
to say that | recognized all through
the months of July. August and Sep>
tember what the situation would be in
the fall, and warned my customers, both
city and country, of what it would be,
and advised them to lay in coal in view
of advanced prices and scarcity when
the rush would set in. They needed
me not but instead OF taking advantageo OF
nv advice still Jagged back. l filled
our bank with diggers in August. had
the shutes full Of coal all the time, in
vied my country customers to come
and haul it away while l had it and the
diggers to put out more, in order that
all might be accommodated. They
would not do 80; still attended market,
done their ploughing, &c, leaving their
coal hauling for the last OF their fall
work. Result: before they came in or
began to come my diggers got out of
heart lying in the bank day after day
and getting no coal out simply because
the teams did not come 10 take it away.
When better times did set in with us
diggers were scarce and hard to get.
After the strike and advance Of wages
we succeeded in getting about half the
complement we had at the same time
last year. Last year, however, the
country trade was supplied; this year
none OF it was.
Thus matters stood when the excite
ment growing out Of the near approach
of the morse epidemic began to take
hold OF the people. When the disease
did actually make it's appearance in our
midst, no pen is capable OF describing
the scenes that took place at and around
the coal banks. The country people
came rushing in for coal-(the rule at
all coal banks where coal is sold is,
t at everybody coming gets his turn
The country rush, therefore together
with the rush from citizens, who
now for the first time began to
realize the situation and who found that
although they might 60 to the Office of
every coal dealer il the city in the
NOR ing and leave their names on the
slate for coal, none would come,
and the only answer they could get
from the dealers was that "it is inpos
sble to do anything for you; / could
not reach you; my teams got 30 little
coal, owing to the rush; it had to all 60
to factories to keep mills, engines, &c,
running" By good luck and earl y rls.
ing those who would 60 first got some
times one and sometimes TWO loads OF
nut coal during the day, and the bal
ance of the day would be made up in
hauling fine slack or perhaps some coke.
Each OF those teams was capable Of
hauling not less than eight and from
that to ten loads Of coal for a days
work, if it could be got. / have sat
cross legged in my office at the bauk
and watched those teams coming in af-
ter they had been out with their first
loads, and saw as high as eight and nine
OF them accumulate while other teams
from country and town were being
served.
Thus matters stood when the epi-
demic came among us. So far l have
no apologies TO make. did the best
and all l could. l charged no man or
factory farthing more than market or
contract price, although i could see
with my own eyes and hear with my
own ears every day of my own custom
ers paying to other parties fifteen,
twenty and as high as twenty FIVE cents
per bushel for coal got at my bank,
some of it by parties who were regular
haulers, others only peddlers just start
ing, because OF the panic and the oppor-
tunitv OF getting high prices and maxi
ing big wages on little work.
This was the case up to Tuesday,
the 18th, when my horses were taken
down. On Wednesday l bought oxen
and announced that the prices after
that date would be as follows, viz:
For dirt or fine slack, at the bank, fifty
cents per cart load, instead of thirty.
FIVE; for nut coal, eight cents instead
of FIVE; for coal, ten cents instead OF
seven, as it had been be ore; and that
from and after that date, instead Of
fortv cents per load for hauling loads OF
twenty-five bushels, l would charge
o-l nop'a npr