The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-13
INDUSTRIAL TOPICS.

| 4NdNiBdtiOH SOLIpuily, WHICH was Oil hlS
some time ago, will be ready to resume
Jan. !.
Byron Adkins, outside foreman for the
West End Coal company at Mocanaqua,
has resigned and william Briggs has
taken his place.
Charles Emigh, assistant freight agent
at Pittston junction, has resigned his po-
sltion to accept one with the Metropol-
| itan Insurance company
Will the Jersey Central's quarterly div-
dend be reduced? That is an all absorb
ing question now. Upon rumor that it
will the stock is lowering about near 80.
A 1O-inch vein of coal has been dscov-
cred by the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal
company in the tunnel which is being
driven in the east side of its No. II slope.
The Lehigh Valley has Just broken the
record by getting car load of freight
through from Chicago to Wilkes-Barre
in flfty-three hours and thirty-fve min
utes.
Contractor Edward Lynott has been
! awarded the contract for driving the rock
tunnel in the Lance colliery No. II, Le-
high and Wilkes-Barre Coal company at
| Plymouth.
The Lehigh Valley officials are talking
of abandoning the changing of engines on
| passenger trains at Mauch Chunk. 1t is
almost certain, says the Record that in a
short time the new rule will be announced
and engines will take trains from Wilkes
| Barre to Easton without change.
The recent dispatch to the effect that T.
| w. lCark had been elected to the presi-
dency of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation
company turns out to have been incorrect.
| rhn oil hn 10
can be known for a certainty whether Mr..
Harris can be a candidate or not He is
seeking reelection TO the presidency of
the Reading and If he should fail will go
back to the Navigation company.
Plttsburg, Dec l2.-Many of the rail
road coal operators of the Pittsburg dis
trict will reduce wages within the next
ten days. The Initiative has already been
made by Henry Florshein, owner of the
Germanla and Nottingham mines at
Finleyville, on the Wheeling division OF
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad This
morning notices were posted at his mines
that on and after next Monday the rate
for mining will be 55 cents per ton.
The drilling machine which has been in
| operation in the east gangway at the
basin of the No. 10 slope, Beaver Brook
with a view of ascertaining the depth of
q smaller vein. was rewarded on Fri
day night, the desired seam being tapped
at depth of Al feet. The drill bored
through 1919 feet of coal, but whether
this Is of the thickness of the vein or not
Is not known Now that the vein is found
1t is expected that tunnel will be driven
east from the second lift Of the slope to
catch the vein and develop IT,
An advertisement which appears in a
Sunbury paper stating that William
Geiger sells river coal at $l.5O u ton and
| Mr.. Geiger and several others are making
| pile of money out of a novel venture, IS
thus explained by the Wllkes-Barre Rec
ord: The Mahanoy creek, which empties
into the Susquehanna river drains the
great coal mines of the Mahanoy region
and receives all the coal dirt. The Jig
gers who go out In boats have long scoops
and bring up about four tons q Gay. to a
crew of two men, This coal finds ready
sale at from $i.2j to 81 u ton. big coal"
that is coal larger than pea and buck
wheat brings 81 and $3.50. At George
town there are nearly 100 men engaged in
jigging. At Northumberland II Is pay
ING business, one man having taken out
,450 loads last year. The coal deposition
in the river amounts to thousands of tons
yearly and the amount jigged can be es-
|
lost. 1t Is recognized industry now,
there being two steam jlggers in operation
and several more in course OF construc-
tion. In the winter the jiggers cut
through the ice and scrape along the bot
tom
An important opinion on coal leases was
handed down by Judge Woodward, of Lu-
zerne county, Tuesday. In 1879 the heirs
of Hendrfak b. Wright leased to the Le-
high and Wllkes-Barre Coal company
about seventy-five acres of coal land IN
Plymouth said lease to continue until all
the merchantabe coal should be mined,
royalty to be 25 cents per ton, with q
field minimum annual royalty of $4,000
This was paid until July, 1883, when the
company refused to make further pay
ments, alleging that the minimum roy
alties already paid aggregated more than
ali the coal covered by the lease The
heirs determined to forfeit the lease
The report of the master was to the ef-
feet that plaintiffs had mined 1900 tons
and has paid for 100000 tons, had paid for
1851 tons more than was minable under
the tract, that the grant was a sale OF
: all the coal In the ground and the $1,000
I'm annual payments was the purchase
: money. and had been all paid and there
could be no forfeiture, that plaintiffs are
entitled to a reasonable time to take out
the remaining coal without further pay.
ments. Therefore, that defendants be re.
strained from forfeiture Of lease or pre-
yerftion of mining. Judge Woodward de-
crees that failure Of coal does not dis
charge Qessee from payment Of rent
The obligation means what 1t says. II
, is therefore decreed that the finding Of
the master be overruled, the prayers OF
the bill refused and the bill be dismissed
at the cost Of the PLAINTIFF