Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-02
COAL UP A NOTCH
The Reading Combine Hosts
the Price $i.00.
SEBEwAING AND ITS PRODUCT
The Coal Said 10 Be Excellent and Easily
Accessible by Ran From Grand
Rapids-Tesss 70 Be Mads.

Speaking Of the present condition OF
the coal trade ana the possible inf1u-
ence of the sebewaing fields on the
price of coal 10 Grand Rapids consnm-
ers, A. g. Ainswortn said yesterday:
I'VE ordered . ear load of sebewaing
coal TO see what it is Ike We have
not tested it yet. but shall do 90 IN
tew days. Ii 10 pretty far looking coal
and when properly prepared Will COM
pere fsvorably with ONO coal. The
car load We received IL what 10 known
rs opening coal. or what - taken out
near the surface. As mining proceeds
down into the veins the quality I'M
proves and the product IS tree from
slate and other foreign matter. In re-
spect 70 freedom from refuse it does
not compare with Jackson or Hooking
coal. There is q great deal ia the pre-
paration of coal, and l understand ~
Sebewaing lot of farmers are work
ing the mines, who know uothiDg
about the business. The great
point 10 TO get out the coal
in large chunks ana then to screen 1t
properly. Although the carload we're
ceived is stained and contains refuse
there 10 some which LOOKS much like
Camel coal. II it has the properties OF
that coal it will of course be worth
double the price it ordinarily would. II
cost us SIS to bring Is tons from the
No New Railroad Needed.
Sebewaing fields, II transportation
from the fields TO this city could be sys-
tematized believe coal could be
brought here for from 60c TO 76c per
ton. / don't believe that We have any
more need for another railroad from
Sebewaing here than . dog has for two
tails. 1t can be transported now over
three routes, there 10 the Michigan Gen.
trail, Detroit. Lansing & Northern and
by the d., L. & n. and G. r. 4 |. to-
gether. The shortest route, which isas
straight as string, 10 over the d., L. 4
n. to Howard City ond thence down to
Grand Rapids. The fields themselves
are accessible, being opened up by .
little spur line running from
Saginaw and known "a the
Saginaw and Tuscarora. There are
thousands Of acres of coal there, and
the field 10 almost unlimited. The
mining is easy and shafts can be sunk
at very small expense. The veins are
SuiSA oo0 VAC ioAiO~ Ao1AS 318de
through the field.
Several factories in this city have
ordered small amounts of the coal
and they will test it within the next
day or two.
Price Of Coal Increased.
Speaking of the Reading combine,
Mr.. Ainsworth said: "The Reading
people have for years been getting out
coal at less price than it could be sold
for. The company was not paying div
idends, and had to do something. 90 a.
q final move it recently either bought
up or leased for nlnety-nins years 80
per cent of the coal lands and roads
In the anthracite region. This deal
enables it to dictate terms, prices and
tonnage, or the amount to be mined
monthly, TO the other companies. For
the week ending June is the Reading
combine mined 4S5, 557 tons and since
Jan. /, 1892 1t has mined Is, 49,, 900
tons. Three months ago they put coal
in Buffalo at 81 ton and now they
are getting SIS ton. As the Reading
coal is anthracite entirely, the recent
combine will not give much added i'm
portance to the Sebewaing mines, ~
they are bituminous fields. The two
kinds never come In contact much,
though q decided rise In the price of
anthracite would increase the consump-
ton of bituminous for q short time"