The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-19
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

gross earnings having FALLEN on rs
per cent. There was heavy increase
in the production of pig iron in Au-
gust, and this is the best item in the
trade news. But this increased output
of pig iron. which is just about equal to
the demand. is 20 per cent. below
the production OF the pest recent year.
The manufacturers affected by the
tariff have looked over the ground, and
they are not able to make much of
start because they do not know how
far foreign competition will affect
them. The strike and lockout in Fall
River has increased the pric) of print
ing cloths. and has reduced stocks, but
the men refuse to go to work. Bank
clearlngs are Sper cent. greater than
they were year ago, 49, to % per
cent. less than in 1892, and somewhat
less than in the previous week. The
anthracite coal trade is in worse shape
than ever. Prices are xceedingly low,
and the producing companies are
sending an over supply of coal
to market. The exports in August
of the four principal items-cotton,
breadstuffs, petroleum and provsions--
show falling of OF $l1 993. 4Sl, or %
per cent. and for eight months $92.-
19l, 962 ExpArts from New YORK fell
Is per cent. last week, Boot and shoe
shipments from Boston are again mush
heavier than last year. The dry goods
trade is less active, the advance in the
prices of many varieties of cotton goods
having checked buying. Wool sales in
the leading markets during the last
two weeks We're S,200,0 900 pounds as
compared with 16. 42S, 900 pounds in one
week in July. The wool trade is dis
posed to wait until the result Of the
sales in London is known. London,
since the new tariff bill went into eff
feet. makes the market for wool in this
broad land. and controls the prices
more arbitrarily than ever before.
All work on the great Ebervale
tunnel is now at standstill. The COM
pany was actively getting ready to tap
the Ebervale and Harleigh mines and
in few days more expected to have
the tap-hols finished. This has an
opening at the base Of the Buck noun
tain. and the water to be tapped by il
from the above mentioned mines will
empty into the Little Nescopeek creek,
stream which has its source near
the mouth of the tunnel and runs
through the townships OF Butler and
Sugar Loaf for distance Of nearly
seven miles before 1t empties into the
Big Nescopeck. In these townships
are some OF the best farm lands to be
found in the state, in the center of
which and winding its way to the Sus.
qushanna river is the Little Nescopeck,
which for more than a century has
been Of great benefit to those whose
farms lined its banks. When it became
rumored about four years ago that the
Jeddo Tunnel company intended to
pollute this stream by emptying the
water from the mines into it the farm
ers raised q howl, which caused the
company to send agents among them
to negotiate for the right OF way, In
due time ssettlement was effected with
nearly all in sums varying from $500 10
$1,000, according to the value of the
farms.
There are about twenty farms bor-
dering on the creek, and for the right
Of way the tunnel company paid up.
wards of $50. 000 One farmer by the
name Of John Getting, who lives about
three miles from the mouth of the
tunnel, could not be fixed, although he
was offered 81. coo at different times by
the company. He was prompted in his
stubbornness by Philadelphia law
firm, the same firm having acted for
many others in the valley for the set
tlement Of their claims. Notwithstand-
ing Mr.. Getting refusal the company
went on with the, work of boring the
tunnel and had almost forgotten that
there was such a person in ex-
istence, until he turned mp on
Friday with an injunction which
Immediately put a stop to the
work and will delay the tapping Of the
mines for some time. The matter will
be argued before the court on Monday,
Sept. "a, and the decision will be
awaited with much interest Mr.. Get.
ting. in his plea to the court for an
injunction to restrain the Jeddo Tuu.
mel company from tapping the mines
says that his farm is valued at $20 900
and that the rush of culm will render
it useless and of no value at all. Rep.
rssentatives of the tunnel company
say that the damage to the valley
by the tapping of the mine will not
amount to one fiftieth of the sum paid
by them to the land owners for the
right of way The water, they say,
will be drawn from the mine very
gradually, and at no time will there be
food in the creek. The tap will be a
4-inch hole, penetrating for many feet
in the hardest kind of rock, and when
the water that is now lodged in the
mine Is entirely drawn away that
which will follow will have very little
acid In it and the creek will again be-
come pure for all purposes.
The total value of the mineral pro-
ducts OF the United States in 1898 was
the smallest since 1885, according to q
recently issued report of the govern
mont geological survey. 1t represented
5000. 821, ,670, compared with 1888, 616. &.
954 in 1882, decline of II "A per cent.
The most conspicuous decline was in
iron and structural materials. Bitumi-
nous coal showed slight increase in
quantity over the product in 1892 Pc.
troleum Increased In value but decreased
in quantity. Pig iron declined from
9,157. 900 tons in 1892 to 7, 124. 502 tons
in 1893. The total product of iron ores
Tell from 1926 666 tons, worth $685.
204, 1896, to II, 5S7. 500 tons. worth $19,-
265,978 at the mines. The gold pro-
duet, on the other hand. increased from
1.596,375 troy ounces with coinage
value of $39, 900 600 in 1892. to 739, 081
ounces, worth $35 $50, 900 in 1893. the
largest quantity since 1885. OF silver
there was mined in 1893 10000, 900
ounces. as against So. 500, 900 ounces in
1892.
MINOR INDUSTRIAL NOTES.
Uncle Sam has 15, OOO 600 cotton spindles.
The amount of railway stock paying no
didvidends during the year was 81, S50 1884,
572