The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-03-21

ton OF the coal and coke Of this region
Undoubtedly. The demand Is contlnl-
ally Increasing aud the means OF supply
always diminishing. Not IN the sense'
nerhans. that coal is becoming exhaust
"a hf,f in the sense. that IN many OF the
older mining sections. owing to the nisn
price OF coal LANDS. and the eAnAunt iy !,
OF the nelds In which mining cah nc
chcapiy and conveniently carilee ~
the cost Of production v constantly ~
creasing. and Is Compelling consui,,lels
10 look TO newer neius ~ 49, VI.
these Disadvantages do not obtain. LOT
their supply OF cheap and satisfactory
fuel. illustrative OF this TACT, II Is WV
known that the coal in the lower pools
Of the MonnnEaheia is already pracu-
cally exhausted. and that even fit ~
Durgh. before many years, VIII be pron-
ably looking TO the upper regions OF tne
Monongaheia for the immense fuel sup
ply necessary to operate her vast m
dustfies.
lvni Make Coal Cheaper.
Certainly with a free river and the
completion OF the improvements to
Falrlnonf. the coal of this section can
be produced and shipped at such cost
as To cheaper. materially, fuel 70 the
people OF many states who can be reach.
ed by wnter transportation. This point
was recognized twenty years ago py
Col. Thomas p Roberts, associate ems
Rineer In his very able and exhaustive
report upon the survey Of the Mouoga-
heIa river Between Morgantown ana
Fairmofit. He says:
'.It strikes me that, no matter what
may be the rate of tolls established on
any slack water Improvement reaching
the Fairfnont coal fields from the ONO,
II would at once afford q better outlet.
The fact that this place (FairmonD has
already demonstrated its possession OF
! a good article (coaD in universal de-
mand, which cannot at present ne
brought into general use on account OF
the cost OF transportation by rail, y an
excellent argument in favor of cheap
transportation by wateI. the question
now coming up Is, whether, in the event
OF slack water to Fairnont, this coal
will compare favorably in quality ana
price with that found on the river be-
low, which already enjoys not only
reputation for good quality but the
cheapest rate OF transportation known
In the United States Basing an opin-
ion on the large shipments made by rail
to distant points from this region, ] am
tempted to believe this upper river. coal
is equal in aiirespects TO the best found
near Pittsburgh. The
main point claimed for II In comparison
with Pittsburgh coal, Is that the vein Is
more than twice as thick and Is, conse-
lquently. much more easily worked.
Near Pittsburgh the ACREAGE daily pro-
duction per hand Is 100 bushels, for
which three cents per bushel Is paid.
The average daily production In the
Fairmont mines is 800 bushels for
which one and one-fourth cents per
lblishel Is paid. This Is a difference In
cost of mining in favor of the upper
river coal of one and three-fourth cents
per. bushel, and at the same time better
wages are made by the miners.
Purchases Of coal privi-
leges could doubtless be made along the
river for from $40 to s25 per acre. Put
ting 1t at $50 an acre; II has already been
stated that coal privileges near Pitts
bnrgh, In the lower pool of the Monon-
gaheia, are valued at 5000 per acre; this /
showes the advantage of the Fairmont
region in cost of land.
APhenomcnaI Growth shown.
The same conditions still exist that
were pointed out by Col. Roberts at that
time, except that as coal has become
scarcer in the lower pools, the price OF
coal privileges has advanced, and e&-f
cept that the demand for Fairmont coal
has increased beyond the hopes of the
operators who were at that time en-
gagged In shipping the coal Of this re-
3gion. Illustrative of that growth the
following table OF shipments taken from
mines OF one company will. show:
STATEMENT OF ANNUAL OUTPUT
isig AND SHIPMENTS OF COAL
ist, "a AND COKE
From mines operated by the Montana
ftsaaf n ,,d Catfa- ftntTtffu
Va. Summary Of all mines, Montana Coal
and Coke COMPANY. ~ 49,