, 1875-01-17
CommonStnSo Suggestions Of Economy for
These Hard Tines.
Illinois the Great Natural CoaI-Eie!d Of
the World. ....
Effect Of the Gradual Introduction Of
the Native Fuel.


| Items Of Our Local Trade.
There Is perhaps nothing that constitutes a
item in the markets Of the world, nothing a1non
the comnon staples and commodities OF comnerc
and domestic 1ifo, in regard to which. in the mat
ter Of natural facts and faatures, the indust1ia
system incident to production and distribution
| and the circumstances nnd conditions which op
erate to establish permanence and law in cost ar
prices, as coal. The cost Of this natural fuel t.
tho people OF Chicago. Tor domestic and com
marcial purposes, now aggregates disburse
mont, annually, by rich aud poor, at many mill
ions Of dollars, giving it proper rank with fou
and pork, and tea and coffee, as an item in th
common expanses Of life and yet oven tho in
telligent mercantile element OF the communit,
have been ignorant or practically Indifferent K
conditions, circumstances, and Laws governing
this mighty interest which in any 'othor depart
meut Of commerce aze public and conspicuous
| facts aud eubjecta Of general information, the
] prices Of coal during period OF twenty yearB
| and until recent day, being permitted
| without ths special wonder Of the CON-
| munity. to slde up and down prepos-
ferrous scale, and 70 play ouch fantastic
tricks as would be an impossibility in the histo-
~ Of wheas, or corn, or potatoes Every con-
munity is master Of the situation In regard to
its own local agriculture the people OF Cuba
understand tho natural and commercial history
OF cigars and oranges; the people Of Louisians,
Of molassos and cotton; the peop1s Of Illinois, OF
potatoes and grain. Aud yet, when it is conH1l-
erod that the State Of Illinois itself is
SWOLLEN Aap TAT WITH THIS RICH MINERAL,
constituting. as it does, the great ooa1-hold Of
the world; that there is enough in that single
realm, it divided, to allow m aote OF the natural
deposit TO every man, woman, and child in tha
Stake, enough, By continuous measurement to
form be1t-bed Of coal several feot in thickness,
milo in width, and extending once aud quar-
ter arouna the globe.-that, reckoning the pos
abilities Of production, the storage Of cost
Gent to supply A1e world for thousands
OF years with millions OF tons an
nually,-in the presence Of thaae stupendous
figures 1t becomes matter OF astoniaAmont that
the genius Of Western enterprise should have
waited almost until yesterday to touch that
fruitful field, in tho name Of tho West, with tho
wand OF human industry, that, for twenty
years. the figures IN Erie coal ahould DO permit
ted to dance in 1ldicule al the merry steps De-
tween s4.25 ton IN 1849 to s12 in 1855, SIT in
1871 and 1872 anthracite keeping time at 319 in
1854, $3.50 in 1851, $40 in 1864. a22 in 1866, S14
IN 1868, and 512 IN 1871 and 1872. while the very
railway lines which brought US portion Of thess
supplies were known to traverse tho beds Of
millions Of acres Of
ILLINOIS AND INDIANA COAL
intending the rich bells OF Fountain County, in
the latter State, now operated so successfully By
". P. BEND l. Co., Of this city. and the great
Wilmington Basin and adjoining fields, on which
Tho eity DOW 70 largely depends for supplies.
history OF coal in Chicago be attributed to the
principle Of monopoly nor to the action OF indi-
viduale. The community itaolf would appear to
hare been collectively respons1bla in it's lothargio
indifference, and the persistent failure to givo
recognition and response to such action as Waa
taken at intervals By capital aud enterpise. Al
early ~ 1856 Mr. Robert Law
SUNK / SHAFT IN La sALLK COUNTY
and placed product Of native coal upon tho
Chicago market at q low price, He received no
encouragement and abandoned the mining enter
priso. And thuse Of our largo firms ana COM
panies who have realized succees il mining aad
Introducing the Illinois and Indiana coal into
extensive use, including the Chicago, Whining
ton 3 Vermillioa coal Company; the Whining
ton star Coal Company, Of which G. y. Young,
Esq. Of this city, is Secretary aud Treasurer;
tho Wilmington Coal Mining and Manufacturing
Company Diamond Mine coaD; ". P. Rond &
Co., md othsra, have al beSun their entorprses
1t comparatively recens day and after the most
strenuous efforts OF capital had been repeatedly
bafHed in the same felde.
THE HISTORY OF MINING 1T WILMINGTON,
the futile and abortive efforts aud
hidoous diBcouragements which attended and
preceded it's inauguraion with the fact that
the manufacturing industries Of the city arc now
10 largely dependent upoa the supply from
which goes to domestic consumption, Ii interest
ing. The first shaft sunk in this basla Was By
Dne Robinson, Of Madison, Wis, who, though !
unknown to fame, and vithou: honor in his own
acres at Braidwood Station, On tho Chacngo l.
Alton Railroad, noar WILMINGTON, In 1856, hfr. |
sunk his shaft, and along with it ali |
he money he had brought from W;aconsin. |
The first yield Of few thousand tons though |
:oveaing nearly al tho qualities OF the best btu
ninous ecl in existence met foupdlinE's re- |
,cption and foundling's fate,-no name, 10 |
PRECEDENT no prestige, no favor, no demand. !
4r. nobinson sold out, aud his interest passed |
through 4 succession Of hands. the Inst to lease |
he mins previous to ite possession BY the Chica~
70, Wilmington i Vcrmillioa Company being
,Eiao and determination. ard thoroughly posted
II all departments OF the coal interest by long
association with the trade but rho relinqufshed
he mining enterprise after 4 brief but thorough
est Of tho chances of SUCCESS, becoming .s.ar-
Fard. and continuing till the prescat time.
cry large operator in the product Of tho chicago,
Wilmington d vermilsoa Company. It ras she
Rtter company With it's largo capital perhaps tie
trongest coal organization west Of the Ale
heny Mountains. seconded little later bT the
Wilmington Star Coal Company and the Whining
On Cos-Mining and Manufacturing Company,
fhich has since manipulated the Wilmington
el1 in manner to render it one Of tho main
ources Of the coal supplies of tho city, develop
1g the business from the Azst product OF q, 600
,ns in 1885, and 76 900 tons 10 1867, to tho pres-
ut average yield Of 1000 tons day, ono-half
10 amount being BY the c., ". i Y. Company.
-AUREL HILL AND COAL CREEK MINES.
Y. r. REED co.
Among thesa OF the coal merchants of Chics-
, who represent the great interesta Of pcoduo-
On aud distribution, IS proprietors, miners,
i'd wholesale ind retail dszlers, and whe may
tua.ico bs said to have rendered ths city, tho
and Western commerce in general,
large practical service tn producing and intro
icing upon cur markets naw and valuable Goals
aose merits for domestic OF commarcia] pur.
'ses have met recognition and Acknowledge
ent on al hands, and who, py axousing and
imulating tha principle Of competition, have
led to inaugurase the new Egs.ea which seems
.alv to govern heupaforth In this great iutarest |