The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-07-27

ern Pennsylvania, Ohio, west virgin
ia. and other places are closed. One can
scarcely imagine the great quantities oil
coke consumed unless they see the ovens
burning. the cars freighted and going
through the town to their respective desti-
nations. The coke is shipped to New York,
Eastern Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware,
and to all the iron works in the North and
West. But it is of the origin of this in
dustry we wish to speak.
The first coke made in this section is a
matter of some doubt. 1t is claimed that
Isaac Mason made and used coke at Plum
sack Iron Works, near Upper Middletown,
as early as 1917, the coke being made in
bee hive ovens similar to those now in nse
throughout this region, but this claim is
vague and uncertain. 1t is said that sam
pies were sent to the Franklin Institute, of
Philadelphia, in 1886, but as to this some
of your readers living in or near Philadel-
phia may ascertain for themselves. But
the first authentic account of the coke in
terest around here begins with 1871. In
that year Provance Mccormick, OF Con-
nellsville, who died recently d poor man
but full of years and honors, conceived the
idea of manufacturing this 10Y famous
but then comparatively unknown fuel.
The idea was suggested to him by an
Englishman hailing from the coal and coke
districts of Durham who was stopping
here temporarily. After casting about he
associated with him in the scheme James
Campbell and John Taylor. The latter
was a stone mason and owned a small farm
underlaid with coal along the Yough river
near the mouth of Hickman run. He fur
nished the coal and built the ovens. Nc
Cormick and Campbell were carpenters.
They built two flat boats in which to trans
port the product, and operated the works.
For upwards of a y%earrhey toiled, for they
were perforce miners and drawers as well
as operators. In the spring of 1912 their
boats were loaded and started Town the
river on the first favorable rise, under the
pilotage of William Turner, bound for
Cincinnati, Ohio, where they hoped to sell
their product to some of the foundries.
But the new fuel was unknown and the
foundrymen looked upon it with suspicion,
not a few calling it ''cinders." But by
dint of persistent peddling these founders
of a gigantic industry succeeded in dispos-
ing of about half their cargo at an average
price of eight cents per bushel. The re-
mainder they traded off TOR a patent iron
grist mill for which great things were
promised. The mill was brought home
and placed i'll the steam flour establishment
of Stricken & Nickel, in New Haven,
which by-the-way, is still standing a pic
turesque ruin. But the patent wouldn't
work and was subsequently sold for $50,
and the first coke firm of the COnnells-
vile region retired from the busi-
be persuaded to enter it again, although
one of the foundrymen who got
some of the coke came here subsequently
and offered them a good price and a sure
market if they would resume operations.
They all lived to see millions of dollars
made out of the business they ~inaugurated.
About a year from this time the two
oven plant was leased by Mordecai, Sample
and James Cochran, the former furnishing
the capital and the two latter doing the
work. They made two boat loads and sold
it to Miles Greenwood, OF Cincinnati, at
! cents per bushel. After this Stewart
GEr;aJlnr hutlE tIroo o,ovc T., I cen A..
Fayette works of thirty ovens We're built.
After the close of the war in 1866 the coke
industry began to boom. a deacon in the
Baptist church says about twenty years
ago he planted corn over most of the
ground upon which Connellsville now
stands. He left the farm and became a
contractor. His first work was for several
ovens, and now he counts some 10. 900
ovens in this section for which he contract
ed and erected. One may imagine, or
readily see, how gigantic this industry has
become from the following brief account:
On the Youghiogheny riverabout 1860 were
two small ovens employing three men, the
firm. Since that time 1T has grown to
5000 ovens, employing II 900 men. Fol-
over fifty miles these ovens stretch. They
have increased each year until at present
from Latrobe, Pa, to Morgantown, nearly
20, 600 ovens are burning night and day.
Others are in course of erection. OF course
no industry is Independent. In the cree
ton of a house the carpenter, bricklayer,
mason, plasterer, painter, plumber, &C.,
are all necessary. So in the coke region,
the capitalist, the farmer, the miner, the
builder, the worker are dependent upon
the iron works and the manufacturers of
the East and West. When trade is dali it
is felt here. We feel we are at the begin
ming. Our coal fields are called upon to
light the fires and supply the fuel. A fl
nancial depression is felt here keenly.
But each year has brought 800 additional
ovens into use. The question naturally
arises when will this cease? What indeed
will be the future history of this State 4?
Its farms are excavated and tunneled so
that many farms, formerly rich and -four
ishing, are now deserted. 1t is a question
with me whether it pays to ruin area after
area in the greed for wealth. Yours,