Frostburg mining journal., 1895-10-05
The Coal Trade.

Shipments of coal from the mines of
the Georges Creek coal region were
in long tons
For week ending Sept. 2S, 1895. 69,47O
year to same date. e..............2,4 ,426, ,146
Increase compared with last year,. 29S, ,564
OF the New York market the En-
gineering and Mining Journal says:
There has been little more activity in the
soft coal trade this past week, due chiefly to
increases on old contracts. This has not
made competition in the market, as in near
ly all instances the contracting consumers
have applied directly to the producer, with
out entering the general market for it. This
will have the result of keeping the producers
going for longer amount of time than was
expected, as before these additional amounts
came into their hands it looked as if there
might be some reduction in the tonnages
going forward. There is no change IN the
large output mined and all of the producing
companies are endeavoring to get as much
coal forward at the low ocean freights as
they eau.
There is no change in the placing of coal in
various consuming territories, the east SEEM
ing to take still small amount proportion
ately to that taken by Sound ports One of
the reasons for the large tonnages is that
there has been, this summer, shortage in
the water-supply producing power, and this
has caused the use of more coal for the pro-
duction of steam. New York harbor trade is
quiet, and the coal going forward is all on
contracts. All rail trade is fair A few
South American orders in the markets are
delayed in shipment by the great difficulty
in chartering at this time, but it is thought
that the first touch of cold weather will re-
move this difficulty. Competition is not very
keen on account Of the lack of new trade
coming into the market to be bid upon, and
the nominal prices are the prevailing ones.
Transportation from mines to tide is at this
time better than at any time that can be re-
membered in the history of the trade on
most roads, In some cases full train loads
must have been taken from the mines to
tide unbroken. 1t is hoped that this will
continue, but if much grain begins to come
forward, the effect will be at once felt in the
coal trade, and blockades will begin.
These paragraphs are condensed from
the Coal Trade Journal:
Ne~ York.-Bituminous coal does not seem
| to come up so well as the anthracite, and
while the rumors of low prices for this fuel
are not so numerous it is still possible to buy
the best coal at about $40 per ton at the
shipping ports near New York. This may
| be due to the fact that while the domestic
sizes Of anthracite are scarce and bring good
prices, there is no scarcity of the smaller sizes
which naturally come in competition with
bituminous coal
Ihiladelphia,-T shortage Of cars in the
bituminous trade is already causing consider
able delay, and as demand has increased on
account of the prosperity of the iron busi,
ness, it would be well for all large consumers
to put some coal in stock for future
| emergencies
Boston.-rhe soft coal situation is very un.
satisfactory, as tar as prices are concerned
Cleariield Goals are selling at the lowest prices
of the year, with Georges Creek and Poca-
! hontas steady at about S3 on cars.