The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-07-17
CLARKSBURG CHIPS.
THE COAL MINES Of HARRISON
county-WAai tA.y Used to Bs and What tAsI
Are Eow-Ths liberalization of the Raiti.
more 4 Ohio RoAd-Ths Inequalities
In Other freight RatsL

special Correspondence Of he lntslt0eaeer.
CLARKsBuRo, w. Va, July is The coalin-
dustry in thisimmediate section is languish'
ing. Operators do not hesitate to lay the
blame to the B. & o. road. High freight
rates are gradually forcing Clarksbury coal
off the market and the only resource is in
the coke business, and that Is precarioui
for the same reason that the coal trade ID
failing-hish ireights. can best give
some idea Of the condition Of affairs here
by citing case in point Two miles south
OF town are the Farland mines They were
opened some ten years ago by Dr.. Ramsey,
but the trade was mostly local one. Some
two years ago ]. T. Farland obtained full
possession OF them, and began operating
on an extensive scale. He pushed his
way and soon had an extensive trade at
Chicago, ST. Paul and other northwestern
points. Wherever his coal was introduced
Il remained. Fifty men were employed
and work was booming. Presently the B.
& O. observed that the Farland ceal was
pushing their own coal of the mar.
ket, and after little parley refused
to make rates for a 10000 tom order
for Duluth aud Chicago, and finally
refused to haul pound OF coal unless Mr..
Farland would agree to sell 1t for fuel coal
alone. This was not to be thought OF, and
no more coal was shipped. The men were
discharged, and now eight men are Nem-
ployed where before nearly fifty madegood
wages. Mr.. Farland was, perhaps, the frat
man on the line Of theB. 4 o. road to
ship coal west. An experiment convinced
Mr.. Fariand that his coal WAS excellent for
coking, and he at ones began the erection,
OF ovens, expecting to put up fifty. AT
that time the b. 4 o. rate ior coke to Chi
cago was s. per ton. When twenty ovens
had been erected, the rate was advanced
fifty cents on the ton. The b. & O.. owns
no COT o its lines that is cokeable, con-
sequently competition does not exist. But
little OF the Connellsville coke is shipped
over this road, and 1t would seem that this
new business should be iostered. Again,
Wlaterer the road gets for taking this coke
10 Chicago IL net gain, for every pound OF
| II Is shipped in box or cattle cars, and
saves the road dead haul to Chicago. A
year ago coke men were required to load.
each car with %, 600 pounds at s. per ton,
or $50 per car. Now they are required 10
load 10000 pounds per car for
SO. This very positive increase
in tonnage and price is made
over the protest Of all the operators, and in
face Of the fact that 1t Is, every penny, clear
money for the road. As q result Of this
high tariff, Mr.. Farland erected but twenty
ovens, capable Of producing thirty.fve tons
daily Of first class coke, which is sold to the
North Chicago Rolling Mill Company,
Chicago. The coke gives entire satisfaction
and takes, in this mill, the place Of Con-
nelsville products. The coke contains but
27-l00 OF / per cent OF sulphur, and it is
confidently asserted that no coal in the
United States makes better article Of coke.
The Connelsville coal contains nearly /
per cent more sulphur than this.
CONDITION OF TIE MINES. II
The mines are in excellent condition.
The entries are carefully timbered, the
headings fitted with iron tramways, the
ventilation is perfect, and water is any.
thing but abundant. Mr.. Farland, ably
seconded by Mr.. Joe Shuckelford, has by
systematic and intelligent effort placed the
mine in an unusually excellent condition.
The bulk OF the coal taken out has been
from the headings, so far as the quantity OF
coal Is concerned; the mine is practically
just opened.
The vein is nine feet thick, and remark.
ably free from impurities, having no slate,
and but little bone coal In It, the sulphur
being found in sulphate Of iron deposits OH
"nigger heads" The vein Is eligibly To-
Gated and from 400 to 500 ovens can be
constructed in continuous row along the
base OF the hill and adjacent 10 the rail.
road. Water Is convenient. The tract
owned and operated by Mr.. Farland con-
pondencs has been progressing between
Mr. Robert Garrett, Of the Baltimore 4
Ohio and Mr.. Farland, and 1t is now
hoped that satisfactory rate between this
point and Chicago will be arranged, In
which event Mr.. Farland will at once in
crease the number Of his ovens to one hun
d,ed. Mr.. Farlaud isan enterprising, in.
telligent business man, and whatever there
is in the coke business he will bring out.
He was the first man to begin business in
this section, and has established good
trade in spite OF the most bull-headed op-
position. At present the whole force EN-.
ployed ip his mine and at the ovens Ia about
twenty, and the men can earn good
wages and are contented. When 1t
il desired, Mr.. Farland sells lot
and ereets 8 house upon 1t, allowing
the employe 10 make monthly payments.
In this way several Of ths tpea here become
property liolders and Mr., Farlaad hss spc-
ceeded in gathering about him . good
class OF laborerB, who are sober, honest and
hard working. Few mines IN this country
have 50 good class OF employees as the
Farland.
MORE HIGH RATES.
Not the coal business alone is suffering
from high rates. all classes OF trade feel
It. No mandatory can live in Clarksburg
for the reason that freight tariff, both on
the raw material and the product is 10
high as to exclude the latter from market.
a gain, an example will more clearly show
what the town suffer-, Within three
months past merchants could ship a car
load OF sugar from New York to Parkers,
burg and then rebill II to this point, giving
the railroad an extra haul Of 1853 miles, and
vet save from four to eight cents on cWt.
AT present the sugar rate from New York
TO this point Is forty.seyen cents per cwt,
car lots. The rate from New York
TO Wheeling is fifteen cents, and,
astonishing fact, from Wheeling to Clarks-
burg tYentyrlour cents per cwt. In other
words the grocers here can ship sugar to
Clarksburg via Wheeling, over a route 200
miles longer, requiring two transfers on
switches, at q saving Of eight cents on
every hundred pounds. On cofiees, fish,
soda and syrup, the direct New York rate
Is forty seven cents per ewk The rate to
Wheeling Is twenty cents per GWt, and
from Wheeling to this point twenty. .ionr
cents. So that It saves cents per cwt. to
ship these goods via Wheeling. Not long
since arm in this place had occasion 70
.Ltn a cav lad nj anda frnn1 Naw Vork