Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-06-11

'entIe, ana TO Iurnlsn Tue millions o
tons of the best coal in the world 10
supply the trade of future generations.
Now, this is all bosh and clap-trap
and goes to prove that your coal trade
needs TO he pettsd by somebody. The
truth Of the matter is, you have the
vein Of coal, that you are now mining,
20 a limited extent, and that it is
strong competitor with ours for steam
generating purposes when properly
mined and cleaned of its impurities,
no one can deny. That you have cut
largely into our trade is an established
tact. But to accomplish it you have
lesorted to the sharp practice OF
naming your collieries after ours, and
through this and other devices you
have palmed off thousands Of tons OF
YOUR coal upon consumers for tn
Cumberland article. Your trade has
been stimulated also lately by the in
iudicious policy Of s"me of our own
operators in shipping an inferior arii-
Gle of (outcrop) coal, thereby dana
ging the general reputation of our
product, so much that if your coal
was properly mined and cleaned il
would be stronger competitor fer
favor in the market to-day. But this
You can never DO with the class OF
miners your operators employ; yosr
vein of coal contains such impurities
that it requires the watchful eye of
the practical miner to prepare it for
market. A majority Of your miners
have no practical knowledge of min.
ing outside of main strength, which
accounts for your coal in the market
resembling slack pile, mixed up
with sulphur that produces clinkers,
and not Jumps enough in it TO light
the fire of a locomotive.
Your article is calculated to i'm
press the public mind with the belief
that all our coal is mined out with
the exception of few pillars and
heading-stumps. / was astonished,
upon recent visit to the eastern
market, to find large consumers Of
coal laboring upder the came false
notion. Let me call your attention
to the well-known established facts j:
The area of our big vein, the one now
being mined, is 1900 acres; the
production per acre is 10000 tons,
giving a total amount Of 100000
tons. We have mined and shipre
from this amount 37.000,000 tons,
leaving a balance of l33,000000 tons
of pure breast coal, free Of all impuri-
ties, to be mined and shipped to
market. And if we were to mine the
full thickn. IS of our vein we could
easily add 50.O00000 tons to the
above sum. This latter amount, that
is not mined at all, is itself a greater
quantity Of coal than you ever had or
ever will have in Clearfeld county
With these well.known facts before
your eyes, you have the presumption
to inform the pubic that "the Clear
field region will be allie to supply
millions of tons long after the Cum
berland region is worked out and
dried up /"
This coal is composed of the pure
vegetable material, and all that you
can say about Stale and slate being
its component parts cannot hurt Its
reputation OF forty years standing in
the market as being the best steam
coal in the world.
From my thirty years experience
as miner in our coal field, coupled
with my official duties at the present
time, enables me to assure consumers
of Cumberland coal that although
they may have had an inferior article
delivered to them, it is not because
the supply is about run out. If one
company does not deliver good ar
ticie there are PLENTY of others able
and willing to supply the public with
coal that there is no discount upon
by reason of the presence Of slate and
shale. Nature has given us the ad,
vantage oyer your region by placing
us higher in the measures of the coal
formation. For alter the present vein
that We are developing is mined out
the coal basins of Allegany and Gar
relt counties contain three workable
veins of coal below it, and all as good
as yours, the one mil ed in your region
included to fall back upon. Whereas.
Clearfeld is at the bottom rock now,
and in your geological survey, if you
don't find coal, you might II you 60
deep enough, find chalk. To the
consumers of coal whom you invite to
come to investigate tie vast area and
the SUP eriorlty OF your product, let
me suggest the necessity Of inyestiga-
ting the following facts concerning
your region viz:
The depth 81 cover UPON the vein
of coal now Icing mined in your
county.
From the lay of the ground, what
amount OF coal there is.
The irregularity in the formation
of the strata of your Coal.
Its faults, spars, clay veins, bone
coal, and sulphur streaks.
Then let them visit the Cumber-
land region, return home and study
| A. oo.,,,o,;.ona and th.ra 10 mn no-