The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-01-15
me Coal, rraae.


The coal trade for the past week was In
active and unchanged, says Mondays Ledg-
En-, fron the condition In which we reported
It in our last wsskly report. Some Sizes Of
coal are short Of the demand, winch fact,
connected with the half working at the
mines and the continued cold weather, stiff.
ems prices very materially. The amount Of
coal coming forward from the mines has
been quichsned little BY the necessities Of
the occasion, The demand upon the retail
dealers has been very general and unusu
ally active almost every householdersee
to have run short in their supply Of coal put
in during the last summer and autumn, for
there is scarcely a day in any block Of houses
all over the city that carts may not be seen
pressing their way through the snow banks
up to the sidewalks, preparatory to dump
| ing their loads Of coal into the cellars. The
putting in of the proper supply Of coal was
too generally neglected at the proper time
during the past year, though this matter
was almost weekly in this paper pressed up
on the attention of consumers, without, how
ever, commanding the attention that its
importance deserved. As the past In this
regard cannot be cured 1t is TO be hoped that
the lesson that it teaches may be remember
ed az a caution in the future The prices Of
coal at the yards have been advanced 81 to
81 per ton, and the whole body Of coal con-
sumers have been and still are threatened
with coal famine during one Of the coldest
and most inclement winters that we have
had in many years. Nor is the danger over.
As is ever the case, the production Of coal
naturally shortens during the winter
months, and IL the weather during the re-
fnainder of the winter continues as has been
the past and present the famine feared may
come. About as much coal is now mined
under the present agreed upon limited pro-
duction as can be conveniently moved under
the present obstruction by ice TO navigation
and short supply Of cars. With the opening
Of navigation and increased facilities gene
rally for moving coal, we presume the pre-
sent agreed upon arrangements for lessen
ing production will be discontinued and full
work at the mines be resumed. Just now,
however, there is no prospect of an over
supply Of coal or Of any material reduction
in Its prices. Sdioard's Journal Of Wednes-
day last has the following in this connec-
ton "There has been more activity in the
wholesale coal trade since the date Of our
last this is due to the fact that there is
more demand upon the retailers, and they
are all carrying such light stocks that the
business must be kept going very steadily
or there may be dearth OF coal here as at
the west. Many of the buyers think that
there should be a return TO full working
time at the collieries even before the 1st Of
February. Business looks to be in better
shape than it has been at this time Of year
in several seasons past, and with the pro.
duction kept within the requirements Of the
demand this years business can be made
most profitable for all concerned therein. A
large output is not practicable while the
weather holds as il Is, and at the same time
the consumption goes on in an increased
ratio, SO that the wholesale and retail deal.
ers ought to be happyeyen if the consumer
is not There is large demand for anthra-
cite to go west, land this will prevent any &C.
emulation hereabcuts, SO that prices need
not weaken" The Miners Journal Of Fri
day, speaking of the trade and the demand
/.
for coal, says: ait is sufficient to absorb all
that is sent to market, and to draw on the
reserve which has accumulated at tide
Under these circumstances the circular
prices for January, which are the same a,
those for December, are very we'll main
tanned. The coal product of the Schuylkil
region for the week ending January LIST wal
75,964 tons, against $500 tons for the weel
previous and 1922 tons for the correspond
ing week OF last year."