The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-24
GENERAL NEWS
OF INDUSTRIES

Apropos of the fact, now we'll as
sured, that the present year will wit
ness the incorporation of a greater
number of electric railways in this
state than at any time since the adop-
tlon of electricity as motive power
the Philadelphia Stakeholder perth
nently questions whether there is not
danger lest this one branch of indus
trial activity should soon be overdone.
OF course. many Of the charters
granted for alleged electrical pur-
poses exist for the most part of the one
purpose Of attracting capital out of
competitive pockets. But all this duly
discounted, there yet remains in many
quarters proneness to exaggerate the
earning capacity of trolley street rail-
ways. Our Philadelphia contemporary
opportunely points out that in several
localities duplicate or parallel roads
are contemplated, and in case they are
built 1t will mean fight to the finish |
"a survival of the fittest." The fear
that too many new lines are being built
has already had an effect upon capital
at interior points; it is less ready to go |
into such schemes, and efforts are now |
being made to secure outside capital |
At present this is comparatively easy |
matter, because electric railway Sc
curities are just now regarded as safe
investments. Caution, however, should
be used in supporting these new roads,
as electric railways pay only where the
traffic exists.
The old Fuller breaker at Wyoming
which had been idle for five years, will
again resume. 1t is owned by the
Delaware. Lackawanna and Western
and was drowned out about five years
ago and has not worked day since. |
The breaker has been leased by the
Wyoming Valley Coal company, which
was recently chartered at Harrisburg. |
There is a large tract Of coal land here |
which the Wilkes-Barre Record says |
has not been touched, and it is the in
tention Of thes company to mine this |
coal. On Wednesday gang OF men
were put to work cleaning up around
the breaker to get it in readiness. John
Morgan. of Wyoming, has charge OF
the men.
Among its interesting scenes in the
coal regions the Coal Trade Journal
prints this week half-tone view OF
Oxford colliery. concerning which it
says: THE mine was opened by S. 1.
Scranton & Co, They named 1t Oxford |
after the town in New Jersey, where
they then owned extensive iron works. |
They conveyed the property to the |
Delaware, Laekawanna and Western
Railroad company in 1868. 1t is oper-
ated by two shafts. The breaker is
somewhat smaller than the more
modern plants Of the company, having
a capacity of 800 tons daily, The coll
liery employees All men and boys. The
coal is mined from the Rock, Big and |
New County veins. "
1t is expected, on all hands that
there will be revival Of industrial |
pursuits at an early day. In many
lines of business the wheels are. once
more in motion. All this, says Saw
ward, should help to the consumption
of fuel
The Reading railroads excursion
business this year is reported to be con-
siderably heavier than it was last sum-
mer, and will compare favorably with
1892 Six excursions were run within
the last ten days, which netted the
company no less than $50, ,O00 and they
were only "a drop in the bucket" and
did not include any short distance ex-
cursions whatever, Of which there were
daily large number. The compauys
business has not only improved on this
line of traffic, however, but shows a
general increase, in freight as we'll as
passenger, and the indications are for
still heavier movement from this time
forward. Any material improvement
in the anthracite markets means that
the company will end the year con.
siderably ahead of 1893.
The statement of shipments of an
thrscite coal approximately for the
week ended Aug. 1S, compared with the
corresponding period last year is as