The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-31
NINE, MILL AND RAILROAD.

MINES MILL hND sAA'v-'
Wilkes-Barre, Pa, Oct. 30.-The
Spring Mountain collieries Nos. and
4, located near Hazleton and owned by
j. C. HAYDEN & Co., of Jeansville, and
collieries Nos /, 3, 6 and the Laurel Hill
and South Sugar Notch collieries, oper-
ated by A. Pardee & Co., Hazleton,
We're purchased. today by the 'Lehigh
Valley Coal company. These works
employ nearly 1900 men and boys, Sand
have a daily capacity Of over 4,500 tons
a day. The consideration of the pur-
chase is not made known.
The officials of the Pennsylvania
Railroad company have decided to in
crease its standard of weight of steel
rails on it's main line from eighty-five
pounds to 100 pounds. On the recent
tour of inspection this matter was CIV
en- considerable attention and the
change was only deemed advisable af-
ter the matter had been thoroughly
discussed. The change is to go into
effect next year and all new rails be-
tween Jersey City and Pittsburg will
be of the new standard. The increase
in weight is principally due to the
heavier locomotives, which the COM
pany has gradually been acquiring, be-
sides the increase in speed. The 100
pound standard Is big jump from the
weight rail used years ago. Then fifty
six pounds were considered heavy
enough, but soon the weight was in
creased to siXty-seven, then to seventy
five and then to eighty-five pounds.
The last weight has been the standerd
for several years, and to all appear
ance has met the requirements. A few
years ago 100-pound rails were placed
In VAriOng Cpptipno of fha nv
perimental purposes, and as they full
filled all that was expected Of them, it
was decided to use this weight as the
standard until further change. Beside
increasing the weight there will be- in
all probability, change in the length
OF the rail. At present thirty foot
one is used, although in some places
they are twice that length. The length
OF the majority of the new rails will be
sixty feet. This is a saving of joints,
thus giving a smoother surface
Referring to the coal war" the En-
gineering and Mining Journal says there
is no more hostility among the compa-
MES than there has been all along. The
tonnage for the second half of this
month Will show that no producing in
terest adhered to the output recon-
mended at last months meeting. This
is nothing new. The companies and the
individual operators have never kept
their "gentlemen's agreement" to main
tain prices at q certain level and keep
the outputs within certain limits. And
this fact is one of the reasons why the
pool has escaped from coming under
the antitrust law. Every producer has
always tried to sell as much coal as it
could at the best obtainable price,
whether 1t was in excess of its allotted
tonnage or not. 1t 50 happens that dur
ing the past fortnight producers have
obtained orders calling for more coal
than they should have mined under the
agreement. The result is seen in the
figures for the week ended Oct. 20,
$4,000 TONS which is at the rate Of
4,310,OOO tons for the month, or 1,35O,0O
tons more than the recommended
output of 3000,0 900 tons for October. But
as everybody has been guilty of exceed
ing his allotment, one cannot complain
of another. The effect of an unre-
stricted output remains to be seen.
Says the Philadelphia Inquirer: For
the last several years the Jersey Cen
trail company has received interest on
$6,116,00O Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal
company per cent. bonds that it owns,
interest upon which is practically pay
able. only If earned. Before the present
managers of the New Jersey Central OBJ
tained control, the Lehigh and Wilkes
Barre company had not paid this inter-
est for many years. Mr.. Tillinghast,
the president of the company, insisted
upon spending this money OH the coal
mines and he developed the property to
higher state of efficiency than that of
almost any other company. The effect
of these advance expenditures was such
that the company has been able for six
or seven years back to pay the interest
upon the bonds held by the New Jersey
Central, and in this way the latter COM
pany has been able to make most eX-
cellent showing. outside of its coal
investments the Central ought to be
able in normal years to earn or per
cent. on it's stock and in good years 1t
should do even better, but it Is unsafe
to reckon upon any income from its
coal investments.
MINOR INDUSTRIAL NOTES:
Beginning Monday A. S. Van Wickle
will work his collieries night and day
through November.
Pennsylvania railroad officials who
were on the tour Of inspection report
everything IN BOOd cOnQltlOn.
On Nov. the Vandalia will begin to
pay coal premiums to engineers and
firemen where a saving of coal is ef-
fected.
So far this month the Reading Coal
and Iron company is said to have sold
over 100000 tons Of coal more than il
produced.
Robert Law, the largest coal dealer
at Chicago, says freight rates on coal
will soon be advanced, and the price of
hard coal In the west must go higher.
j. Rinek's Sons rope and twine fac.
tory, which has been idle since last
May, will resume operation in a few
days with force of about 100 hands
Orders were issued on Monday by the
Reading Coal and Iron company tc
start all collieries on full time as a re.
suit of the decision of the sales agents
removing restrictions regarding the
production of anthracite.
The extensive plant of the Readinl
Rolling Mill company, which had beer
idle for ten days because certain ma
terial could not be obtained, resumed
in all departments except the puddl,
mill, giving employment to about 4O
men.
The board Of directors of the Penn
sylvania Railroad company will NEE
on Thursday in special session to con
slider the matter of the semi-annua
dividend. The general belief is that {
dividend Of 2k per cent. cash will bt
declared.
Last weeks shipment of coal over tn,
Summit Branch railroad from the Ly
kens and Williamstown collieries wa
the largest in the history of thes
mines. Both collieries are now running
full with about $500 men in all, ant
the outlook for the winter Is good.
The Pennsylvania Midland, a new
railroad that is ultimately intended t,
connect the Hollidaysburg branch o
the Pennsylvania system and tn,
Huntingdon and Broad Top, is now wei