Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-11-06
OUR COAL TRADE.
IDS aHagnstuae-Whence we Procure
Supply-The First Railroad and First
Locomotive in the United States
our superior Advantages for Manu-
featuring Purposes

Time was, and that not many years
ago. when the coal trade of Washington
was bat an Insignificant business traffic.
Less than twenty years since, the total an
nuaI shipment to this point did not exceed
fifty cars 1t is estimated that the total
shipments, this season, will aggregate up
ward of two thousand cars. TFE great
increase may be attributed to various
causes, notably, doubtless, to the fact that
timber, which had long furnished our
staple fuel, was fast becoming scarce, and
more valuable for other uses, which tend
ed largely to increase its cost for domestic
use as mentioned; bur primarily, how
ever, the gradual, steadily increasing con-
sumption of coal must be owing to its ma
terialIy reduced cost.
Coal in considerable quantity is now
being received here from Pennsylvania
and West Virginia. That from Pennsyl-
yania is known as anthracite, and is used
for heating purposes only. That from
West Virginia is called Youghiogheny
and Piedmont, from the localities where
mined. The latter is purchased exelu-
sively for blacksmiths' use; the former
for like use and domestic purposes.
Anthracite is spoken of as EEhard coal.'a
Stoves of peculiar construction, called
base-burners, are required for its con-
sumption. Those used for other qualities
of coal marketed here, for ordinary heat
| ing purposes, are unsuitable for anthra-
cite burning. Sineeits introduction, how
| ever, our stove dealers have brought into
market and are rapidly disposing of base
burner stoves of pattern suitable for the
consuming our soft, free-burning Goals,
such as are mined in Jackson county.
Anthracite coal, among those who are
using it, is very highly appreciated for
heating purposes, because OF its eleanli-
ness and the great lessening of time and
attention which its nse entails. \ good
base-burner stove, however, it must be
understood, costs from twenty-five to fifty
dollars, set up and ready for use; an or
dinary coal-stoYe, such as is generally
used hereabout, for heating, can be OBJ
tanned for six to twelve dollars.
Since our narrow-gauge railways have
been in operation, great impetus has been
given TO the coal business here, the new
fields which have been opened affording
greater supply, and consequent reduction
of prices. But a few years ago, coal
! perry county, was sold here at fifteen
to twenty-five cents per bushel; now it
sells at eight to fourteen cents, according
to season when purchased. Then our do
mestic supply was drawn exclusively
from Perry county; now we are supplied
from points already mentioned, and in
addition thereto we receive immense
quantities, ria our narrow-gauge rail
roads, from Jackson county.
Coal from the WellstOn vein of the
Jackson county field is becoming a favor
ite article of fuel here. For steam pro-
ducing effect, according to analysis and
test at the Cincinnati Water-works, it has
proved superior to 'the YOughiogheny
coal; for culinary use it is unrivaled; and
for domestic purposes generally it is
equally unsurpassed, especially for CRATE
use, owing to its powerful heating quail
ties. 1t is remarkably free of such dele
terious, Objectionable matter as is usually
found i'm our soft c0als-those ingredients
which cause cinder and clinker forma-
tions, and which prove so destructive to
CRATE bars and stove : Innings. It is a
clean, free, open-burning coal; and the
ashes which it produces is very light, and
small in quantity.
The Jackson county coal field is quite
extensive, and abounds in many veins oil
the finest, choicest coal, which is being
rapidly introduced, and is greatly grow
ing in favor along the line of the Spring
field, Jackson and Pomeroy, and the Day
ton and Southeastern Railroads. Veins
f of camel coal have been found in the
Jackson region: one of them, a four-foo
vein, has been opened quite recently.
The mines of Perry county are of latC
! furnishing better, cleaner qualities o
coal than was formerly received here
: from that region. In fact, the growing
: fast-increasing demand in this locality
and consequent competitive strife be
tween coaI-mine owners, as well as rivalry
between dealers, together with our new
q fields of supply and improved facilitie
for shipment, has had the effect tofurnisl
!. us with far better and superior qualit,
of coal than was formerly received b,
: consumers hereabout.
q This is becoming a great coal distribu
: tive point. Our dealers furnish coal t
I buyers throughout the entire of our owI
n county, as swell as to purchasers at interio
points outside our county lines. Th
q quantity conveyed by wagon, to point
! not accessible by railroad, from here,
! now very large, and steadily increasing
" The use of coal as fuel is growing amaa
Il ingly in favor. Many of our farmers, an
g our church and school authorities gene
IS rally-in fact, all our public institutions
Ia now use coal as fuel.
Though the traffic in coal here, now,
J. very extensive, it will still, hencefortl
as astonishingly increase in magnitude; fo
as our railroad facilities improve, pric,
is will be still further lessened, (or at lea
u kept at low, unchanging tigure,) an
h consequently our citizens generally,
" town and country, will become consun
er ers They will soon learn to regard it
sG a far more convenient, if not cheap
- and much better fuel than wood, for q
purposes, such as culinary, heating al
steam producing.
fe As All item of interest in this come
ar tiOn, it may be well to state that, thou!
nd coal is mentioned as having been disco
If. cred in the Wyoming (Pa.) Valley so
er, after its settlement, yet it is asserted I'll
er the first coal used in the United Stat
th known as anthracite, was in 176S or Y
he for blacksmith purposes; the first us
re- for domestic purposes was in 1908. I
of great anthracite region of Pennsylvar
a is situated chiefly in the counties of Ds
eT- t.T phin, Schuylkin, Carbon, Columbia,
C on- cernc and Northumberland. Anthraci
the the past summer, has been delivered h,