Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-22

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Our sIoRE or coAL
8nsegA - ssuSay - Wh6b Wsss9vyJ
z1as1 Gbe Aeo& 81
Tho United States, which have Ios11l
stood second only to Great Britain in
the list OF coal-producing countries Of
the world. must soon rank first Fiji
teen years ago the coal production d
the United States was only one-third
that Of Great Britain; it 10 -now abont
two-thirds, and it is easy to conceive
that with the enormous deposits Of the
West practically yet untouched. this
country will N The distant future ~
only be able to supply ee1l to . vast
population at homo. but will servo asa
storehouse to tho rest Of tho world. Il
the time is ever reached whom their coal
deposits show signs Of exhaustion. A
report made to tho Geological Survey
on this subject by Charles A. Ash
burner gives many Interesting and
valuable facts regarding the present
output Of coal. ard To prospects for
future development The products Of
Great Britain during 1886 was 157. 3d.
1872 long tons. while that of the United
States was. including colliery con-
sumption, 112.74S. 40s short tons. or
about one-quarter the total production
of the world.
It is q curious fact that while the
amount Of coal handled in this country
during that year showed an increase Of
1,784.681 tons over the year before.
there was q decrease Of a. 4l9, $50 in
the total spot value, large proportion
of the products being sold far
under the cost Of production and
delivery. Yet the larger part
Of the coal mined in Western Pennsyl-
vania, Mr.. Ashburner declares, in spite
OF q common impression to the con-
trary, was sold at tho mine for more
than the cost of production. The dis
cOvery of natural gas, which it was
supposed might affect the demand for
coal. has only served to force it into a
wider market The use of natural
gas in Western Pennsylvania alone
took the place of 10000 tons of coal
day during that year. Is, 900 of them in
Pittsburgh. Yet the bituminous mines
Of the State made q larger output than
ever before. the superior quality of the
coal giving it the preference in distant
markets over local Goals, and so max
ing up for the falling of in the home
demand.
The Pennsylvania output is nearly
two-thirds that of the entire Union.
colliery consumption. the
total output for 1886 was 107. $50. 200
short tons; Of this Pennsylvania fur
nished 81. 857. 21O tons. 81, 1896. 475 an
and 26. 100. 735 bituminous.
Next to Pennsylvania comes Illinois
with 9.246, 435 tons. and Ohio with.
8. 425. 211; Iowa and West Virginia are
about on level, with something over
4, zoo, 900 tons each. After Indiana
with 100000 and Maryland with
2.517,577 tons, no State produced as
much as 1900. 900 tons. It is worthy of
note as showing that we are still in the
mere infancy of our coal production.
that only 8.272.501 short tons were
produced during 1886 in what is called
the Western coal field. stretching from
The Mississippi to the Rocky mount
aims, the best of II. by the way. being |
mined IN the Indian Territory; yet
the coal area there is greater than that |
IF any other coal field in the United |
States. The Goals are of great variety, |
and underlie a fertile agricultural
country destined in time to bear an
enormous population. Its rapid in
crease must necessarily stimulate the
of local mines. The suf-
'ering of this winter in various parts |
If the West for lack of coal ought to
md undoubtedly will lead to the open
ng of mines nearer home than the
present sources. The fact that Colo
ado produced in 1886 1865. S38 tons
Ind Kansas 400, 900, Wyoming &c.,
Us and Indian Territory 5S4,58O.
hOws that considerable progress has
'een made already in this direction.
hough these figures can only be re-
,arded as the faintest foreshadowing ]
# what the product Of the Western
oal field will be one of these days
Is for the Rocky mountain region.
Nth its enormous deposits, the geolo-
lists have done nothing more than
'uess at the area in which workable
oal beds will be found. and their sur
Mise is somewhere beyond 200, 600 and
90. zoo square miles.-M =. Tribune.
The Use Of Crying.
A French physician contends that
and crying are two grand
perations by which nature allays
nguish; that those patients who give