Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
FIGHTING A FAMINE.
Cincinnati in Deep Distress Receives
Help From Pittsburg.
FURNITURE BURNED FOR FUEL.
The First Experiment Of Shipping Black
Diamonds by Railroad.
A NOTABLE EVENT IN LOCAL HISTORY

Monongahela river coal is to be sent
West and South by rail. This departure
cannot but have an important bearing upon
that great industry, in opening up new mar
kets and keeping old ones supplied, regard
less of the uncertainties of water transporta-
tion. 1t was different "betore the war;" as
the following incidents in local history will
show:
In the winter of 1888 there was coal
famine in Cincinnati. Fuel was SO scarce
that the people burned nearly everything
that was infammable, even the furniture in
their houses. River transportation was i'm
possible on account of low water, and ship
ment by rail was scarcely thought Of These
facts being brought to the notice of the citi-
zens of Pittsburg, public meeting was called
to devise plans for relief.
A Liberal Donation.
The meeting was attended by nearly all the
representative business men of the city. 1t
was resolved to make donation of 40 carloads
of coal to the suffering Cincinnatians, sending
it roundabout way over the Fort Wayne road
to Crestline, thence over the Bee Line to
Columbus, and thence to Cincinnati. This was
very expensive. but it was the only way Of get
ting coal to the sufferers. General Cass, Pres
ident of the Fort Wayne road at that time, do
mated the cars, and the coal men of Pittsburg
the coal. Two days before the coal was shipped
it started in to rain, and the river was soon at
flood heighth. The Cincinnati committee in
charge of relief measures, knowing they would
in few days be in receipt of supply of Pitts
burg coal by river, telegraphed to the Mayor of
Pittsburg, Hon. Henry A. Weaver, asking in
structions as to what disposition they should
make of the coal that had been shipped by rail-
The reply was that the coal had been donated
to the poor of Cincinnati and that the COM
mittee was at full liberty to dispose OF it as
might be deemed best to carry out the purpose
of the donors The Cincinnati Committee,
thereupon, stopped the coal at Columbus sold
it theIe at a high price and distributed the pro-
ceeds among the poor of the city.
Now comes the sequel. In the following year,
Cincinnati having no street car line, but being
desirous of building one, by the authority of the
City Council, resolved to send a committee of
40 to Pittsburg and other Eastern cities to ex-
anime the workings of the system. At that
time the only street car line in Plttsburg was
the Citizens. An invitation was extended to
the members of this committee by
the Mayor and Councils of Pittsburg,
requesting them to become the guests
ments were made to show them the manufact-
ories and other places of local interest and
give them a banquet at the Monongahela
House, of which Colonel ]. Med. Crossan was
proprietor. On the following day dispatch
was received from Mayor Bishop, of Cincin-
natl afterward Governor of Ohio, stating that
instead of 40. as originally proposed, the visit
ing committee had been increased to $50, in
cluding members of the City Council, Judges
and officials of all the courts, and many prom
inent citizens. The reply of the Mayor and
committee of Pittsburg was: "Come on. We
will be glad to have all of you for our guests"
Reception of the Visitors.
Next day the visitors arrived, with Mayor
Bishop at their head. They were received at
the depot by the Pittsburg Committee of Ar
rangements, headed by Mayor Weaver, and, to
the inspiring strains of music by Goupy's fa-
nous brass band, were escorted to the Monon-
gahela House, where they were voted the free
dom of the CITY, Mayor Weaver extending the
welcome in felicitous speech befitting the oc-
casion. The distinguished guests were then
assigned quarters at the various hotels.
Among the visitors was Ben Eggleston, after
ward member of Congress from Cincinnati. At
the banquet on the following day he made an
eloquent speech, in the course of which he re-
ferred to the coal incident of the year before,
for which he warmly thanked the donors in the
name of the people of Cincinnati. The visitors
left the city highly delighted with their treat
ment by the officials and citizens of the then
Smoky City.