Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-08-08
The Near Future of Coal and Iron.

monstrolls that they may be SAID tC
form the foundations upon which rests
hthe minor industries of the nation, and
they very properly occupy a large
share Of public attention. Although
depressed at present, as all industries
are, the years of great prosperity
which they enjoyed prior to the crisis
from which they are now emerging are
fresh in the minds Of all, and the great
public consequences, personal wealth
and national well-being yet to grow
out of their future development, very
naturally draw the attention of capital
lists in their direction. A marked i'm
provement in the mechanical methods
of mining and handling coal and iron
ore is also highly favorable to the flu
ture of those products, while the gem
eral tone of labor is less rebellious
since the men were taught the folly of
fighting against the hard requirements
of panic-although specific cases of
stupidity and ferocity still occasionally
occur to show that when laborers do
not read the papers, they are apt to
drive headlong against an iron tronted
crisis, for want of knowledge concern
ing monetary affairs.
With our increased facilities for en-
HANGING the output Of coal and iron by
mechanical means, We shall be the bet
ter able TO sell both commodities at
reduced prices, both at home and
abroad SO that the near future in this
respect looks quite encouraging.
As to the supplies of coal and iron,
we scarcely know how to moderate our
language in speaking Of them, because
were we to tell but half the truth
touching the enormitv of the supplies,
we should be charged by cold, blooded
native contemporaries with INDUCING
in "sensationalism,' while our foreign
relations would wrongfully but limo
Gently accuse us of inordinate Boosting.
70 be sure, the criticisms of our digni-
fled, dull and dunder- headed semi
coal journals would scarcely disturb
our normal imperturbabilitv, but WE
desire the good opinion of our En-
glish cousins, and can make every al
!owance for those whose lives are spent
within the narrow limits of few
square miles for how can it be expect
ed of them to un lerstand the vastnesS
of our great country and its wonderful
resources
Let it suffice to say that our Goa
and iron deposits are capable of sup
plying the world for many thousand
years to come, and that it only re-
quires the cooperation of courageous
capitalists to so develop them as to as
found the nations of The earth with the
extent of our natural treasures. We
say the CO. operation of capitalists o.
course we must not los sight Of those
whose brains are as valuable to the
country as all its capital, for without
the inventors of labor-saving machin-
cry, we should lag behind the age, and
only half fulfill our mission as the fore
most country in all that pertains tc
those industrial interests which are
based upon the bountiful supplies OIL
mines.
TO speak more pointedly, the fault
of slack development does not lie at
the door of the supplies but its imme-
date fault of that kind Of timid hest
tating, hating and minded
capital which must see ten dollars on
its way back before five are invested.
With plenty of capital, backed by
inventive genius and skilled labor,
there is no possibility of our overcsti-
mating the wonderful results which
would grow out of widespread effort
to revive the coal and iron interests,
with the view of supplying our home
market and many foreign marts with
fuel and iron at low but remunerative
fgures,-Coal and Iron Record.