The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-17
..DA As A COMPETITOR
Testimony Of, One Who Has Made the
Subject Close Study.
THE BIG WHITNEY SYNDICATE
With Its Facilities for Cheap Transporta.
tion and Its Large Accessible Deposits
1t Can Radily Cut Into Our
Seaboard Market

The commercial editor CT the Balti-
more American, William NJ. Byrne, was
recently commissioned by that enter
prising newspaper to make thorough
Investigation of the bituminous coal
mining industry, present and prospec-
tive in Nova Scotia, especially bearing
in mind the possibility of its compe-
ting with the coal industry of Pennsyl-
Vania, Maryland and the Virginias.
In letter dated at Sydney, Cape Bre-
ton, Mr.. Byrne writes: "rhe most for
midable competitor of the Georges
Creek, Elk Garden Pocahontas and
Clearfield coal regions of the United
States is undoubtedly the Dominion
Coal company Uimited, of Cape Bre-
ton, especially since the mines it con-
trolls passed into the possession of the
syndicate of American and Canadian
owners led by Henry NJ, Whitney. of
Boston, brother of the eX-Secretary of
the Navy, William c. Whitney. This
combine and their friends are pushing
their trade with the coast cities of the
United States, and they tried hard to
secure the admission of their coal into
the manufacturing districts of the
United States free of duty. They have
been shipping it-in limited quantities,
to be sure--down the coast as far as
Boston and paying duty of 10 cents
Il ton; and it would be only fair to sup
pose they will largely increase such
sales now that the duty is only Az
cents a ton.
Can Compete Even Now.
They have here an enormous field
of bituminous or soft coal suitable for
making gas, coke and generating steam
for mills, railroads and marine boilers
as we'll as for domestic use
i'm CRATES and stoves With good
harbors-sheltered having deep water,
their own railroads leading to
mines, all of which are within
forty miles of their piers and large
fleet of steam Vessels-the coal produc-
ers, miners, railroads and vessel owners
of the coal regions like Cumberland,
Elk Garden and Pocahontas must here
after take this region into very serious
consideration as a competitor, for there
is no doubt in the world that the users
OF coal will not fail to consider the Of
fers from a new field that was almost
able TO compete at 10 cents ton duty
10 their disadvantage when 1t has been
reduced to 40 cents.
1t is very remarkable that the coal
men Of this region do not speak of the
they pay the duty of 40 cents Of 10
cents, Just as Senator Camden says
that the Monongah mines, near Fair
mont, w. Va, pay the 60 cents duty
charged by Canada upon the coal he
sends into the Dominion across Lake
Erie.
The Giant OF Them All.
The Dominion Coal company 0imit-
edD was incorporated by act of the legis-
lature of Nova Scotia on Feb. l, 1893,
with an authorized capital of $1S,OOO,OOO,
of which $16,500, 900 common, and $780,
900 preferred have been issued. The
authorized bonded Indebtedness is 49,
900. 900 first mortgage bonds, bearing
six per cent, and $1,500, 900 have been
issued. The president Is Henry M.
Whitney, of IS Milk street, Boston, and
he is brother of Hon. William c. Whit
ney, late secretary Of the navy. The
Canadian office is at Glace Bay, Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia. David McKeen,
member of Parliament, is resident man.
ager. Messrs. Kingman, Brown & Co,
IA Place Royale, Montreal, and M. X.
Morrow, so Bedford Row, Halifax, are
the Canadian selling agents.
The company was formed to carry on
the business of mining, transporting
and selling bituminous coal from Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia. 1t operates und-
er q lease which gives a tenure of its
mining property of ninety-nine years,
the royalty to the Nova Scotia govern
ment for the whole period being fixed
at a maximum of twelve and a half
cents per ton, with a minimum gross
amount for each year to be paid on at
least as many tons as We're sold in 1891
from all the mines owned by the COM
pany.
Up to the first of March, 1894, the
company had acquired an area of some
seventy square miles of coal lands in
Cape Breton, upon which are located
the following collieries: Caledonia
formerly the property of the Caledonia
Coal and Railway company, Limited):
International Qormerly owned by the
International Coal company, Limited
Gardiner formerly owned by Burchell
Bros, Sydney; .Glace Bay formerly
owned by the Glace Bay Mining COM
pany, LimiteO; Reserve formerly
owned by the Sydney and Louisburg
Coal and Railway company, Limited)
Old Bridgeport formerly owned by the
International Coal company, Limited)
Gowice formerly owned by the Gowice
Coal Mining company, Limited; Vic
toria formerly owned by the Low
Point, Barrasois and Lingan Mining
company, Limited); the Ontario col
liery, and the Sword, Meagher and
other coal areas, steamers, lines of
railway, etc. These lands extend from
Cow Bay to Sydney Harbor along the
northeastern end of Cape Breton.
Owns Its Own Railroad.
The company was organized on Feb.
ruary 16 1898. Since then all the prop.
critics then held under option have beer
acquired and paid for In full. The re.
port of the directors to December 81
1893, shows that about $4,000 were eX.
pended in the construction of the rail.
road being built to Louisburg: about
$l50,OO0 for discharging plants and fol
mining machinery, and about $1OO, ,00C
for barges and tugs. The total guam
tity of coal mined was S34,019 tons, ex
elusive of the output of the Victoria
mine, which, by the terms Of the option
was not to be delivered until the sea
son for mining and shipping wa.
ended, but 1t will be included in tn,
present years business. The ship
ments of coal from the mines under
the control Of the company for tn,
year 1893 showed an increase of abou
10000 tons over the preceding year
with prospects for very large increas,
in the year 1894, and so far this prom
ise has been more than fulfilled.
The railroad to Louisburg is ex
pected to be completed on Jan. l. ant
then the company will have line o
railway from Sydney Louisburg.
distance of forty miles, and after draw
ing off the output of every mine dis
charging from its wharves and Goa
piers to one of the finest harbors in tn
world for shelter and depth, and por
that is never closed by Ice.
Docs Profitable Business.
The financial statement of the com
pany for the year 1898 shows the ne
proceeds of S34,O19 tons Of coal were 81
1S9, 9,499.44, from which must be deducte
net cost Of mining, railway transports
ton. royalty, etc, 1929, ,27S52, with agenc
and general Office expenses, interes
provision for bad debts, etc, $29 q
leaving gross profit on coal 1921 1927
to which must be added dprofits on steam
ships, barges and railway, $103, ,267. 81
Irro,,, thfo MN xuVtffa,, off o., .,.oa& N .,