Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-02-04
BLACK DIAMONDS.
Product Of Our Coal Fields for the
Year 1880.
Synopsis Of Prot. Rampslly's Report
Eigures-West Wrginia's Product---
Money and Men---Cost Per Ton
Strikes Banner
Counties.
INTERESTING, INSTRUCTIVE EXHIBIT.
Special TO the Register.

Special TO the Register.
WAsHINGrox, February S.-Frof. Kephail
Rampelly, the special agent of the Census
Bureau, deputed to gather the coal statis-
tics, has submitted his report of the pro-
duction of bitnminous coal during $780,
From his figufes it appears that there are
nearly twice IS many tons of bituminous
as OF anthracite coal mined in the United
States. Our total anthracite for 1880 was
2S,646,995 tons The bituminous footed up
42,42O,5s1 tons, making the grand total
coal production of the United States for
that year q 1,0G5.576 tons. The number of
ss as4 England @ had @ $50 = e6Isfies f SIN IN
the same year, and yet her product doubled
that of the United States, aggregating the
enormous quantity OF lag, 6,SlS,l22 tons.
The number of hands employed in coal
mining in the United States in 1880 was
170,5S5, and all but GIG tons of our an
thracite product was produced in Pennsyl-
vania.
Bituminous Coal Produced.
Coming back to the production of bitum
inous ceal, less than one-thirtieth of that
mined in the United States is mined west
of the Tooth observation-disclosures, Colora-
do, Oregon, Montana, Washington and
Wyoming together producing but l,477,756
bushels. OF the States east OF the Tooth me-
ridian, Pennsylvania comes first with 49,
OO4, ,OSS bushels; Illinois second with 6,OS9,-
5l4 tons; Ohio next with 5,932, ,S53 tons;
MARYLAND next with 227 ,S44 tons; West
Virginia fifth with 1,792,510 tons.
West Yirginia's Coal Industry.
There are in West Virginia twenty-eight
counties in which bituminous coal is
mined. The number of bituminous collier
les in the State is given as 129 with maxi
mum capacity ofyearly production amount
ing to 4,1l6, ,4S5 tons. The output OF all the
small operations in the State where coal is
mined in small quantities for local con-
SUMPTION amounts to A. ,2I5 tons. This
small mining is analogous TO the cutting
of wood for domestic fuel, and is not count
ed in making up the product OF the mining
industry.
Money and Men.
The value of the total btu minouS coal
product OF the State during the census
year amounted to 81 ,0lS,61l: The value OF
material used in West Virginia mines
during the census year was S25l ,O46, and
the wages paid 81, POS, ,3l6. OF the operatives
employed in West Virginia mines 924 were
employed above ground; 1870 below
ground; 81 boys Under Is years of age were
employed above ground, and l72 boys under
II years were employed below ground.
The total number OF employees aggregated
4.i97 The value of the machinery used,
including 10 steam engines OF 4Oi horse
power was Sll3, ,333. The value of the eN-
i,,tn in
West Virginia during the census year was
S3OO35. The amount employed as work
ing capital was 1857 $50. The value Of the
real estate connected with West Virginia
btuminous mines is given as s, ,597 ,2j9 and
the value of the total capital employed and
invested in these establishments s., iO2, i24.
OF the bituminOus coal mines of West Nir-
ginia during the census year I2i, 95l tons
paid royalties amounting to $lll,IOS
Acreage and Capital.
One thousand and fifty-two acres of coal
lands of the State were worked out during
the census y1ar: Ten thousand seven hun
Ared and SiSty-hve ocres 8! q coal land. At'
tached to working collieries in the State,
were returned as now worked, and thirty
five thousand eight hundred and ninety
four acres as unspecifed. The grand total
OF capital employed in regular running
establishments and irregular runnings in
the State during the census year IS return.
ed as S5.750,6 Ga, and the number OF acres
of available coal lands attached to working
establishments as 1850.
General Averages.
The table of general averages shows that
the average price per ton OF bituminous
coal, at West Virginia mines, during the
census year was $l.lO. The average cost of
labor per ton was - cents. The average
cost of material per ton was IA cents. The
average amount left for royalty, profit, ETC.,
per ton was 81 cents. The per cent. OF
capital used for working capital vas 6.6l.
The per cent. of capital in plants was $3.50.
The per cent. of capital in real estate was
G6.59 The average royalty paid per ton
was 0.lj. The average yearly earnings OF
men employed was $295.37. The average
per cent. of the year worked was 69,O5. The
average per cent. of the year idle, except
from strikes was 1857. The average per
cent. of the year lost in strikes was I.3S.
The number of tons raised per man per
day was l9I. The tons raised yearly per
man were 1912, and the per cent. of the
ratio of product TO maximum capacity IN
West Virginia bituminous mines Is given
as 1875.
Strikes.
The special agent says, concerning the
question of strikes in which a very con-
siderable amount of time has been lost
about twenty days each fol- every man em-
ployed-that although it is not his pro-
~ ~ n
place to call attention to some of the con-
comitant facts. First, in the bituminous
coal industry, there has been an absolute
fall in the value per ton Of the product
whereas iron ore and and anthracite coal
have not fallen in price since the last CEN
sus more that gold has, or rather after fall
ing they recovered, which bituminous coal
did not. Second, in spite Of the time lost
in strikes. the average yearly earnings OF
man engaged in mining bituminous coal
are very nearly the same as those OF the
iron ore miner. being in the one S32S.I2,
and in the other S3l6.0S for the country at
large. Third, that in the bituminous in
dustry the percentage of the value OF the
product obtained BY labor has increased
nearly one per cent. labor obtaining in
1880, 62.3 per cent OF the selling Prlce OF the
product, against GIG per cent IN
is7O In other words, the cost Of labor
per ton has not fallen in quite so large
a ratio as the value per ton, though both
have fallen more than gold did in the same
interval. This very small difference rep,
resents gain in favor of labor OF one,third
OF million Of dollars annually, and is the
more striking from the fact that wages IN
the census lof 1880 represent net wages,
whereas it is possible that the return in
the census of 1870. which is used as basis
of comparison may include part OF what
was necessarily expended by the men for
mine supplies.
The Hammer Counties
In the list of counties Of the first class,
producing over 10000 tons per annum,
Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, comes
first with a production of 4,426,SI1 tons.
Allegheny county, Maryland, stands fourth
after Westmoreland and Fayette, in Penn
svlvan;a with a nroiucfinn of 9 1qS ora