Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-11-02
THE BLACK DIAMOND
The Almost Incomprehensib,e Ma.
of the Worlds Coal I,anS.s"itud'


States l2o'ooo,00O, and Germany y
100000 of tons. The production il ~
United States is divided between thin.-
one States and Territories. the laro
of course, being Pennsylvania. VIII
last year gave us $4,000, 600 of anthna
cite, and 30,000,0 900 of bituminors
money value the output in the Uni.os
States is safely $4,000, 900 in ~
markets where used. This is oraatos
than the value of the gold, silver co+
ton, and petroleum produced in or.
country. The first mention of the Al,
covery of coal in the United States il \.
Hennepin, who mentions finding II -
Illinois when on his travels from ~
great lakes to the Mississippi. At ~
near the place now known as Ottaw,
Father La Sale does not take NH
stock in many of the reports Of uan
nepin as put down in his discovar;a.
but the result has shown that in tht'
instance, at least, the truth was reco,a
ed. 1t is is put down as ''cole" min.
Colonel William Byrd, in his history =,
Virginia. tells of its discovery in thn.
State in the year 1701. being found n
what is known as the Richmond has;n
although it was not until 1870 tha, -
was worked for sale and use. Antb,o
cite was used during the revolutiopar,,
war at Carlisle. 1t was transnor.a3
from Susquehanna. from the vicinity 81
Wilkesbarre, in fiat boats. As n COW,
mercial venture, however, il wa, mt of
any moment until 1920, when the fr,t
coal was sent by the Lehigh canal in
1925 by the Schuylkill canal, and in
1929 by the Delaware and Hudson
canal.
1t is only within few weeks thattba
semi-centennial of ocean steam navisa.
ton has been held. In 1888 the steamer
Sirius, of 700 tons register, 1910 tons
burden, arrived at New York. 1t took
her fourteen days, and she used 500
tons to make the voyage. Now we
have the Etruria, with a burden Of
Ills tons and using 1000 tons and
making the trip in six days. 1t is
stated that the exports from Great Brit.
ain for the use OF foreign steamers is
700O,000 tons annually. AT New York
alone the ocean steamers take on ,250.-
600 tons, while if we took into consider
alton the vessels on the rivers, the in
land lakes, and the coast, we might
make the sum total 100000 tons
Tho railway companies of the United
States furnish the next largest con-
sumner. 1t is stated that $4,000, 900 of
tons are used annually by the railways
of the country. Iron may be set
down as the next largest consumer. 1t
is safe to say that 1000, 900 of tons
were used in making pig-iron in the
United States last year. The produc-
ton of coke in the United States is set
down at 5000. 1000 of tons for last year,
and this would represent $1,000, 600 Of
coal. Gas-making in the United States
is another large consumer and might be
put down for 5000. 600 of tons. Now.
the remainder can be credited to what
we call domestic consumption, and
from careful estimates and statistics
which have been gathered it is seen
that two tons per annum per inhao-
liant is about the average consump-
ton, particularly in the larger cities
What is million of tons? Did you
ever stop to consider what is meant by
that phraseP just fancy, if you can
grasp the idea, that last year we mined
10000, 900 of tons in the United States
alone. This is a large tonnage, and
you hardly know what to make OF it.
One million of tons would represent
string of gondola cars, twenty-five
tons each, forty in train, and
thousand of such trains. They would
stretch across this continent running
only a mile apart. 1t is, no doubt
difficult to grasp the idea of this
quantity magnified 120 times. If you
can do so then you have some idea OF
the extent and magnitude of our fuel
consumption in the United States.
What is it worth? We can best answer
this question by giving the value at
price varies with the distance from the
mines. Taking the $4,000, 900 tons Of
anthracite coal produced last year at
a value of ~. 30 ton. would be fair
basis, and the 80. 000 900 OF bituminoa3
at 81 per ton. 1t takes an army Of
273,000 persons merely to produce ard
prepare this commodity for the mar
ket, to say nothing of those who are
engaged in the traffic after it has been
produced-along railways, at shipping
points, in the yards, etc 1t is safe 70
say that 80 per cent. of the selling
price at wholesale is made up of wages
paid. The main source of supply OF
hard coal is found in five counties in
the State of Pennsylvania, there being
detached base in three other counties
of the same State. The general area
of country in which this fuel is found
does not exceed 40 square miles
There are five principal railway lines
in these DISTRICTS which