Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-25
River Operators Broke the Record,
and Sent 112,OOO,OOO Bushels
to Market Last Season.
PRICES NOT VERY SATISFACTORY,
But Low Enough to Shut Out Completely
Alabama Fuel From New Orleans
and Other Southern Points.
LOCK BURDENS BECOMING GRIEVOUS.
What individual Firms Pay the MOnOngahela Kaviga.
tiOn Company Yearly.

In chat with Captain Harry Brown, of
W. II. Brown Sons, yesterday, some inter-
esting facts in connection with the output
of the river coal business for last year, and
the extension of markets, were CLEANED.
The season was an exceptional one, on ac'
count of the continued high water, and the
result has been wonderful production fol
the year, said to be the largest in the his
tory of the river coal trade. The total out
put will reach about 112, 900, 900 bushels, OF
counting 26 bushels to the ton, the amount
would be over 4, W0, 900 tons.
Captain Brown states that his firm alone
shipped from IL, ,0O0, 900 to 10000, 900 BUSH
els, surprising any of their former yearly
records by 1900, 900 bushels. Several other
coal companies along the river also pro-
duced about the same number of bushels, so
that, individually and collectively, the
river men are not complaining about the
tonnage, but the prices have not been salts
factory. On this subject Captain Brown
said:
NOT MUCH MONEY IN IT.
'The prices, of course, as everybody
knows, or could easily imagine, have been
low, and while we haven't lost money, still
we haven't made what we deserve. At such
rates our profits have hardly been paying
interest on the capital invested. Certainly,
If man were to borrow money and put it
into the business for a working capital at
the ruling prices, he would hardly come out
square. In short, he couldn't stand the
strain. As result of the low prices, we
kets. For the past three months we have
excluded the Alabama coal from New Or
leans. AS long as the Pittsburg coal is
cheap, these operators can't compete with us.
sit is too early to speak of the prospects
for the coming year, but If the weather is
cold and we can get the water, see no
reason why the local river operators should
not do better. We expected considerable
from the extension of our markets into
Texas, but so far it hasn't fulfilled our
hopes Even if there is not much coal in
that State consumed for domestic purposes,
the railroads, iron mills and foundries must
have coal to run them. We think, in
time, that the Texas market will be all
right, though we may have to fight some
competition"
, NOW MAKING THEIR CONTRACTS.
p just now the coal men are making their
contracts with consumers. They usually
extend over indefinite periods of time,
usually ranging from one to three years.
Interest has been revived once more in the
question of free navigation Oh the Monon-
gahela river by the decision of the House
the other day to reconsider the proposition
not to buy Lock No. 1 this year. Colonel
Bsyne was mainly instrumental in getting
the members to accede to this request of the
rivermen. In the speech he made asking for
the reconsideration, he stated that according
to the statements of the Monongahela Navi-
cation Company the lock tolls were about 8
cents on every ton of coal. This they con-
sidered a mere bagatelle, but at the end of
the year their earnings amounted to $685.
600. This only shows, he said, how exten-
sive the commerce on the river is, and it con-
sists principally of coal and the coal men
stand the tax. Captain Brown stated vester-
day that cents per ton was about what they
paid, though the price varied for different
locks. 1t runs from an eighth TO a fourth
of cent per bushel. At the latter rate,
counting 26 bushels to the ton, it would be
over 6 cents.
Continuing, Captain Brown said: ST
hope the House will pass the bill to pur-
chase Lock No. at once. This reconsider
alton gives us hope. The Monongahela
Company pays dividend, annually, of IL
per cent, and it did it again this year. 1t
also finds money enough left to put some in
the sinking fund for repairing the |
dams. Its expenses are not heavy,
either. The navigation people always |
speak of the tax as being very light one,
and to people who do not understand, |
think 3 cents per ton is not great deal OF |
money, but whep say that my firm alone, |
within the past IA months, has paid this |
company SIS, 900 in tolls on coal, the people |
can readily understand that it is not a
Lrihing matter. Other coal men have paid |
similar amounts, and this is the reason why
we want this annual burden removed.
A QUESTION OF TIME.
'It is only question of time until navi-
cation will be free, but would like to see it
lone as quickly as possible. The money we
paid in tolls last year, if we had it, would |
probably not be direct profit, but indirectly
t would be. With the fierce competition /
hat we now have to contend with every
hing in our favor counts, and il this bur
len were taken from our shoulders we would |
nave an additional advantage in the South
ern markets. The truth is, we can't stand
he drain much longer, and the sooner the
ocks are purchased the better it will be for
he Pittsburg coal interests"
The river operators have resumed work
or the season. w. b. Brown Sons are run
lIng about one-third of their capacity.
Miners are not abundant, neither are they
Iearce, though at one Of their mines they
haven't men enough to run it At present
he operators are driving entries and turn
ng rooms, which is slower work than dig
ying coal, and for which an extra price is
paid. Captain Brown said that they ex-
oected to resume to their free capacity in
he fall The miners usually become scat
cred during the summer, and it takes a
title time to get them together.
Finding markets these DAYS is the great
problem with both river and railroad oper-
tors. The latter are crowded out of Chi
ago by high railroad rates, and the river
men are hampered by lack of full naviga-
ion. Still, they all manage to ex st, even
( they don't make as much money as they
lsed to. Captain Brown adds that the
liver operators will be happy when every