Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-19
A RIVER SAND TRUST
Formed by the Practical Consolida-
tiOn Of Local Companies,
WITH A CAPITAL OF 100000.
The Move Is Stated to Be in the Interest of
Economy, and
NO INCREASED RATES ARE EXPECTED

A consolidation of all the river sand COM
panies about PiItsburg into one big concern
is the latest fusion movement. The busi-
ness of digging of sand from the bottom of
the river is one that has grown into gigantic
proportions during the last few years, and
at present no less than 90 steamboats,, 150
flats, Is floats, large number of horses and
wagons, and an investment of from $500, 900
to S35O,00O are required to carry on the
trade. A number Of persons and corpora
tions have been operating independently,
but negotiations are about closed by which
each concern puts in its equipment at an
assessed'value, and the whole will form one
of the big combinations or trusts of the
city, and the entire business will pass
through the hands of one management.
Sharp competition will cease at once, and
harmony and increased profits are expected
to result. The objects of the consolidation
are to systematize the business, reduce the
cost of production. and to increase profits
by economy in management. The benefits
to be derived by those interested are very
apparent. For instance, there are several
companies in the business at present, some
having Offices on the Southside, some in
Pittsburg and some in Allegheny. The
Southside firms have customers in Pittsburg
and Allegheny as we'll as on the Southside.
Those in Pittsburg and Allegheny are SINH
larly situated
Where Economy Will Be Secured.
1t is of frequent occurrence to haul sand
from the Southslde to Allegheny, and vice
versa, and large sums of money are spent
for bridge tolls and the hauling. Hereafter
all orders from particular locality will be
filed from the nearest landing, and, besides
saving the bridge tolls, the teams engag ed
in the work can deliver four or five times
the amount of sand they could in the old
way, and the cost will be materially les
sened. The same economy in the produc
tion of the article for sale will be practiced
as in its distribution. Formerly a single
company would have orders from customers
from MeKeesport to Sewickley, and sand
dug at Davis Island dam might have to
be delivered at Glenwood, while that taken
from the river at Glenwood might have to
be towed around to the Allegheny river,
costing great deal in either case for tow
ing and lockage. At the same time an
other company might have sand digger
working in the immediate vicinity from
which the order came.
Under the new arrangement this diff
Guilty can be almost entirely obviated. A
further saving can be made by dispensing
with several of the present offices and Office
forces. No attempt will be made to raise
prices to the consumer. but if the plan of
consoli alton works we'll, prices may be
lowered.
Another Object of the Fusion.
1t is well known that the sand diggers
have always been a thorn in the flesh of
the coal men and other steamboat men on
account of the great Instructions the sand
diggers make in the channels of the rivers.
Several suits are now pending in the
United States Court, on the result of which
hangs the destiny of the sand business as it
is operated at present Another object of
the combination is to devise means of re-
moving the distractions as fast as they are
made. The plan of building scows and
towing away and dumping in an out-of-the-
way place all the refuse of the sand diggers,
has been fully discussed, and it is probable
it will be adopted.
Should this be done, the sand diggers will
become benefit to navigation instead of
detriment to it as they now are The prn-
Stalzenbach & Pheil. the Star Sand Com
pany, the Vigilant Sand Company, the
Monongahela Sand Company and Dawson
Brothers, operating the steam sand diggers,
Wharton Mcknight, Progress, Little Ike,
Vigilant, Pittsburg, Rainbow, Katie Will
Jams, keystone, Harmony, Star, Genii,
Hippopotamus, Ed Dawson and J. X.
Dawson. All the essentials of the deal
have already been made, and only the
details remain to be adjusted. The new
concern will probably be doing business in
a few days