The evening world., 1894-05-28
MINE OWNERS LOSING
Southern Operators Getting Cen
trail Pennsylvania Business.
Prices Of Hard Coal May Be Raised
To- Morrow.
No Resumption Yet Reported in the
a. ~ 81. Clearfield Region.
nx As.nciatsd Prssa.l

- 13BSh&s1
PHILADELPHIA, May 2s.-This is
day fxed upon by the bi-
luminous coal mine operators In the
Cieerfield aud allied districts Of Central
Pennsylva-ia for tine resumption of work
In the mis- en-. So far as heard from
shere hal not been any resumption +;
neither has there been any trouble of
eny sort. As predicted by men In a posi-
ton to know, when the operators, on
Monday last, issued their ultimatum Of
~ cents q ton, the strikers have re-
manned away from the mines. and the
commencement OF the sixth week Of
their strike finds them apparently as
determined as ever to await the orders
cf. President Mcbride, Of the United
Nine Workers, before resuming.
s1sMeanwhiie the coal situation, as far
a. this region is concerned. grows more
serious every day. Soft coal is extreme
~ scarce and operators are compelled
70 pay almost exorbitant prices In order
10 an their contracts. Agents who are
lucky enough to have control Of coal are
making profits OF from 81 to $3.50 a ton.
whereas 10 cents was considered n fair
profit before the coal famine set in.
Another serious result OF the strike that
promises to be more lasting in its effect
y the permanent loss. of business, be
cause of the inability of operators to full
Ill old contracts or enter into new ones.
The regions that compete directly, with
miners are the Cumberland. in Mary
land. the West Virginia fields, and the
F~ocahoatas. In Southwestern Virginia.
Information from the Cumberland re
gfon. Is to the effect that men are going
to- work every day and coal is being
turned out rapidly. Evidence Of this
u seen IN the releasing By the Baltimore
been confiscated. and the delivery Of
cumberland coal In portions OF the East
that hitherto depended entirely upon
Central Pennsylvania for soft coal.
One reason for the return OF the Cum
berland miners to work Is said to he the
TACT that when the last great bitumin-
Had miners failed to stand by them. and
they are nov settling the old score.
IN the region the mines
ern Railroad Is said to lave hired all
the locomotives and cars they can get
from Southern railroads. and is at the
Il an un ame edasnteGg rSta 'h From m0F Nor.
foik this coal is shipped by water to
points on the New England coast. Com
Tor the reason that since the coal goes
hy water. 1t costs very little to carry II
further along the coast. ard the prices
better.
The activity OF the P~ocahontas opera
tors and the gradual resumption in the
Cumberland region Ia a bitter pill for
the Pennsylvania operators to swallow
The coal mined by them is brought in
direct competition with tho Pennsylvania
COAL n vet the miners employed by
the latter ask for wage at the rate OF
70 cents a gross ton. whereas the Cum
1berland miners work for 40 cents. a ton
n the Pocahontas men. mostly me-
Eroes. receive only q cents n ton. or
90 per cent. less.
While the scarcity Of coal continues,
the producers and shippers of anthra-
cite are reaping a harvest. Shipments
have Increased enormously. and II Is
probable that the coal sales agents at
their regular monthly meeting in New
York. tomorrow. will advance the price
on all sizes at least % cents a ton. 1t
- expected that a large proportion of
the hfty-two collierles controlled by the
Reading Railroad, which were drowned
out" last week. will resume work In a
day or two. They will be worked ten
hours a day for some time to come.
One effect of the scarcity of soft coal
has been the increased use of what is
known as washed culm." This IL the
line coal. formerly wasted, which. by a
patented process, Is now washed free ot
dirt and utilized in connection with bi.
tiInnfUnfa nnal