The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-03
news OF OUR Industries
iiappenings Of Interest to tho Staple
Trades aud Particularly to the Trade
In Iron. Steel and Anthracite Coal.

Senator H. ID. Heller, who operates
the Hellertown blast furnace and stone
quarries. has advanced the wages of
his employees 10 per cent.
1t Is now thought that instead of a
foreclosure sale the present financial
difficulties of the Erie system will re-
suit in a reorganization.
A coal strike is what is most feared
by the railroad companies at present.
A general cessation of business at the
mines would paralyze the freight bust.
ness.
The Crum Lynn Iron works. near
Chester, are preparing to start up az
ter a long and enforced idleness. This
will mean employment for about fifty
hands.
The inhabitants Of Hamilton town
ship, Monroe county, are greatly excit-
ed over prospects for coal. An expert
Is leasing lands, and the outlook is
said to be very favorable. Prospecting
+ expected to begin soon.
Some of the employees of the Lehigh
Valley company in New York state
recently received a circular letter
signed by Superintendent Esser asking
the reason, If any, why they do not buy
coal of the company's agent
The Beech Creek Railroad company
has ordered 1000 new coal cars. one
half from the Union Car works, in
Buffalo, one-quarter from the Buffalo
Car works and the other quarter from
the Milton Car works, of this state.
Engine CSC, George Blank, of Lehish-
ton. engineer made a passenger run on
Friday on the Lehigh Valley railroad
from Allentown to Mauch Chunk. twen-
ty-nine miles, in twenty-eight minutes.
During the trip Engineer Blank made
two stops and five slow-ups.
There Is In force on the Lehigh Val
ley railroad a novel rule governing
flagmen. 1t is intended principally,
however, for the benefit of engineers
who fall asleep on their locomotives
and TO prevent collisions. The rule is
that If brakeman is sent out to flag
a train and the latter passes the flag,
the fiagman Is to take ii for granted
that the engineer Is asleep and may
throw a stone or stick or in fact any
convenient missile into the cab window
to arouse the slumbering man at the
throttle.
Another important change has taken
place in the official corps Of the Penn
sylvania Coal company. Announce
ment is made of the resignation of
George Johnson, who has been agent
for the company for the past thirty
years, with offices in Pl.tston and Dun
more. Mr. Johnsons resignation took
effect Thursday. and president George
E. Smith stated that f. NJ. Beyea, Of
Dunmore, has been placed'in charge of
affairs of the Pittston land office of the
company. Mr. Beyea is a son of Henry
Beyea, of Dunmore, who has been en-
ployed by the Pennsylvania company
for many years as paymaster. The
chief office of the land department will
be in Dunmore, but Mr.. Smith said that
as yet nothing has been decided in re-
gard to Mr.. Johnson's successor as head
of the department.
Wilkes-Barre Record: From Pittston
to Northumberland the bed if the river
is lined with coal, ranging from three
to eight feet thick, under an average
depth Of water of about eight feet.
This coal is made up chiefly of the culm
washed from the breakers, and con-
tains all grades known to the market,
although consisting mostly of the finer
sorts. The wash of the river cleanses
it of all dirt and refuse. and when
taken out Of the river it makes an eX-
cellent grade of fuel. A great many
people have been engaged in shoveEng
1t out, and as high as 81 and So a day
have been made at this employment.
Arthur Squier. Of Tunkhannock. has
been observing this matter for some
time and has recently been expert
menting on a method OF raising this
cCal in places where the water is too
deep to shovel 1t out proiitably by
means of centrifugal pumps. and as
result of his experiments a business
which he believes viii be a profitable
one is about starting Mr.. Squier has
formed a partnership with ]. +. Broad
bent, OF Scranton, and the firm has had
built a large engine suitable for the
purpose of running the pumps and car
rying on the business of raising the
coal from the river bed, and an appara.
tus Is also arranged for screening the
coal as it is passed into canal boats.
The plant will be established near
and all sizes OF coal
will be shipped by the firm from there.
The SIN aller sizes of this river coal find
ready market al from $l50 to $3.50 per
ton, and contracts have already been
made with parties in Harrisburg and
other places for large shipments. The
plant will require an investment of
from 81. 900 to 81, 900. Mr.. Squer is quite
a genius in looking up unexpected
things, and has already had patented
several devices, some of which he has |
sold for several thousands of dollars. |
He seems to have a good deal of faith |