Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-07-03
THE MINING CONTROVERSY.
The Summing Up.

FRosTBURG, JUNE "a, 1919.
Edt0r Mining Jotnmal:
The coal controversy which has been 60
ing on through the columns of your
paper for some lime seems TO be drawing
to a close. Please give me small space
as careful reader to sum up what has
been advanced by your correspondents pro
and CON- and to state my own conclusions.
In the first place we have the assertion
on the one side that the benches in the
Georges Creek Mines are not fit for com
mercial purposcs-an assertion the advp
Gates of which failed 10 proye, but simply
say the owners of the property say so,
which is no proof at all. The mere fact Of
it being mined il. some of the mines on
Georges Creek, and at all the mines in the
northern end of the basin, destroys the
also, that the benches are not The same on
Georges Creek as they are around Frost
burg by saying that they have two states
with only four inches of coal between
them. We have the same in our mlncg
known as the "littlc ply" therefore, they
fail to make their proposition good
| was amused in reading an article in
the JOURNAL from Barton correspondent
of SnWards CoM JourRM who gave us an
other reason for not mining the benches on
Georges Creek namely, that "thc said
mines, being some miles farther from tide
water they were not able to compete with
the mines that mined the BENCHES around
Frostburg.' NOV, what does this argu-
mcnt amount to when we take into consid-
Grafton that the same price is paid for
mining the benches that is paid for mining
tie breast cOal-thc same amount paid for
transportation for the one as for the other?
How, then, do they compete? Now, b.
mining the breast coal, having the same
transportation to pay to tidc-watcr, dogs
he mean that they ship a better article Of
coal from Georges Greek than from the
other parts of the coal region, and that it
commands better price in market? Such
is not the case The coal mined and ship
ped by the Consolidation, Borden, New
Central, Blaen Avon, Hampshire and Balti-
more coal companies fom their mines near
Frostburg, is equal to any coal shipped
from Georges Greek; III fact, some OF the
largest consumers would rather have it.
But no one knows better than the miner
himself the value Of the benches, if not for
commercial then for domestic purposes.
When writing before fire made of it in an
open crate on winter night, enjoying the
superior light and heat from the bitumin-
Gus matter il contains, i would be hard to
convince him that such coal is not fit also
for commercial purposes.
Another theory advanced by the Barton
correspondent is, that 'the mines mention
ed on Georges Creek as mining the bench
es have a lighter cover of strata above the
veins than the mines located near Iona
coming, and, therefore, can mine more tons
ner acre on that account" Such nonsense
nroycs clearly that if lie is in charge Of any
of the mines on Georges Creek that he 10
entirely unqualllled LOT the position le
holds 1t is Il well known fact that as
much coal can be mined out under two
hundred feet of cover as can be under one
hundred feet; all that is necessary is to
leave double the amount of pillars under
the two hnndred feet of cover, as it has
double the amount of weight to sustain.
Common sense would teach this to the
mcrost school boy in the State. This is the
great cause of so much Of our coal being
lost in drawing pillars. Cur present sys
tenn of mining in majority OF thc mines is
10 leave one uniform size of pillars, never
taking into consideration the depth Of the
strata above; expecting the pillar to sustain
two hundred feet while it is able to bear
only sercuty-fyc or one hundred feet \
,o., miner ought to be able to exercise hi