The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-02-26

The Coal Trnde.
From the Ledger, Monday The anthra-
cite coal trade holds the same buoyancy that
characterized II with the incoming Of the
present year. The milder weather that has
succeeded the long spell Of severely cold
weather has trenched deeply on the stocks
Of coal on hand. Some Of the distractions
10 full transportation are happily removed,
navigation is opened, but considerable Of
floating ice still remains. There is also a
good deal of surplus water in the mines,
drowning them out and serving to halt pro-
ducton. While this interiors with the neces-
sary supply Of coal TO meet the current de-
mand II brightens the outlook for the trade
throughout the year. There is considerable
inquiry for coal, and the supply SO short as
TO assure operators that prices cannot decline;
and, indeed, il the good feeling of last year
is maintained, higher prices are likely to
rule. There is nowa a scarcity Of coal reported
in the Eastern States, and at the West it is
estimated that the demand will fully equal
any probable supply that can be sent TO it.
In a word, the outlook for the anthracite
coal trade was never better. The trsnsporta-
ton facilities in some Of the coal regions
have been a little short, but preparations
are actively in progress that promise early to
cure this difhculty. Prices are kept steadily
at figures that seem to be satisfactory to both
sellers and buyers, with little, if any, reason
to believe that there can be any difference
between the two parties on this point hence
to the end of the year. The collieres are
all being run on full winter time, which is
three quarters of day each twenty four
hours. The coal trade is attracting much
wider attention than usual at this season of
the year, especially the subject ofc car supply
and coal shipments The Phillipsburg Jour
nal says ait is the all-absorbing topic among
coal operators aud miners Of the Schuylkill
| region-the hard coal section. Every shipper
says his orders demand double the number
of cars he is receiving daily. Now this is
all true, and each one is puzzling his brain
to know why the railroad company don't
furnish more cars to meet this want. With
out pretense of speaking by authority, we
will simply refer to last weeks report OF coal
shipments from this division Of the railroad
from which we learn that S2,2T0 tons Of coal
passed over the Tyrone scales, over which,
during the corresponding period oflast year,
81, 1854 tons were shipped. This decrease OF
nearly 10000 tons was not owing to lack
of orders, bu. an utter imposslbiity to for
ward over the mountains. 1t requires an
average of three hundred and fifty cars
daily, Of an average load of fifteen tons to
each car, TO do the work that was done last
week. This number of cars, with their total
freight of $3.50 tons, had to be taken up the
mountain grade OF nearly $50 to the mile to
the summit, and from thence down simi-
lar grade t. its base, with three to four en-
gines to the trip, and from twelve to fifteen
trips per dav. This work can be done in
mild and moderate winters with some de
gree. of certainty, but how uncertain is rail
roadlEg OH such grades and curves, with
daily snowfnlls and frequent frigid waves oi
zero and lower temperature. Should any ol
our readers be somewhat skeptcal upon the
question, let them just get II little practical
information by stepping into any shipper:
yard, and see the laborious operation ofmov'
ing a single car with but two inches Of snow
on the rail, compared with moving the sam,
on the clear rail free from snow. Ten min.
utes' glance will be sufficient. As it is, and
20 do the work that is now done, necessitatei
the working OF the lsrger portion of the em
ployes of the road from three to six hour
extra on each days duty. This severely i'm
posed task could be easily borne in ;leasan
: weather, but how terrible to brave the driv
ing storm and piercing winds for twelve t.
eighteen hours consecutively. This must al
be done to accomplish this work"