The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
VIEWSOF SENATOR ELKINS.
STRIKING DISCUSSION OF THE
PROBLEMS OF PRoDUCTIoN
AND TRANSPORTATION.

The TartG HRfIl-The Question of WaEes-
sIuItipiIcatisn Of ssppiy Of Gota Win settle
silver Administrations for shipping.
WASHINGTON. Apr1 y4.-steohen Benton
Elkins. Senator from West Virginia, has been
the C. P. Huntington Of politicians. recross-
ing the continent to take root in the Oldest Of
our colonies.
OF Pennsylvania stock, born In Ohio In 1s41,
he grew up in Missouri. nod was graduated
from her university at 10. aud. cast on the
Dor Ter. suffered from the guerrilla spirit OF the
war there. went out to New Mexico thirty
four years ago. and p~ractised Law in Spanish
and English. until cent to Congress Just as
Blaine was beco ming Speaker. He and Blaine
cultivated each other, and Delegate ElNins
married the daughter Of Henry Davis. Demo
cratic Senator from West viTxiniA, who vas n
relative Of Senator German OF Maryland.
Davis had set on foot timber, town. and coal
Developments IN West Virginia among the Ale
Ehsny Mountain submits. and Eikins exam
ined and erpanded them. also taking a hand in
mines, ranches. and whatever came " play in
the far West, having his mercantile Office In
Sew York for years. rs we'll as his residence.
He operated BIaine's Presidential campaign
and espoused Harrison as the successor. by
whom Mr. Elkins was maze Secretary Of War.
He worked 40 Yves, Virginia through years
/ until IE.tdtrN ] ~. lI- u '@-
Kinley and landed Elkins In the SeLate as
Nr. Crmden's successor.
The rise OF Albert Gailatin in tie same gem
eral region may be recalled. GaliG:in was 4
Swiss. who plunged into tie wilderness from
Richmond. ard his Blaine was Jefferson. Like
Elk!n. lie kcpi.store and bank. married a sec
ond time into al American Official family,
and dropped into the serate while a frontier
delegate. EIkins's presentation has been more
orthodox. ual!at!n was a pure ahvrnturer and
rabble-rorser when he nrst appeared. and his
constituency was a. tough as that which Elkins
LEFT for santa FG.
The Quaker elements seem TO be in Elkins,
but among his accidental Missouri chums were
the YounEers. who robbed hanks and wanted
sixteen for one until the law caught them.
His exrerIeuces OF cmi-ciyflIzation have not
roughened Elkins. He lives in one OF the noblest
houses ever built in Washington. seventy-two
by CITY feet square. its walls OF gray white
brick. { music hall in the main story. break
fast and BANQUET roor,s in II. and three Offices.
stsirw ay and bays like a lords town house.
and, as the master can declaim in Spanish. so
bis wife Is q decorative u. tist and entertairs
as the old Virginia and MARYLAND Senator's
families never could. with their cherries ken
mel halls. According to MY notice Mr.. FL
kins has the best senatorial residence ever
/ p-AAS a. " ~ wa n N~ofN 1900 = $3.50
philetus Sawy-rs.
The Senator from West Virginia has q larre
head will clean-shaved. long. iudentei feat
ures. set upon l lofty. square frame. He is a
big. mt stout man. with gray eyes and hair
once fair. now gray. He is as big and fresh
locking Is John McCCok. who refused 20 many
appointments.
Elk.ns is a rapid talkor. free and generous in
manners, q sear hing general reader, Of wide
personal acquaintance. moving among emf
nent men and women. Of chaste and correct
habits. and OF Office dcspatch. w!thou; afec,a-
lions. !ervid but natural. He sees all things
In their American relations. is not wAstcful.
aad has come to much OF what he possesses by
saving aid diligence. though he was also a pro-
moter and specula:or.
Mrs. Elkins is q distinguished and handsome
woman. Tae- are Presbyterians. Their sum-
mer home is on the head waters OF the Moaon-
cahels. where they 1--we across the Allegheny
divide In such style as Burns described:
Wildly here without control
Nature rciEns and rules the whole.
She plants the forest, pours the food
Where waters fnw and wild ~oois wave,
BY bonnie Castle Gordon.
Mr.. EIkins. how is the coal trade:''
"A cost rate war. for the first time, lie de-
clareG all overthe East. It embraces the Norfolk
$500 - tN~ $500 ''.tNs -ANA-
more and Ohio, Pennsylvania. and Beech Creek
railroads all SO { coal carriers. The antlra-
cite coal field is not in contention and that lets
ont the Erie. Reading, Lehigh Valley. &c"
What caused the coal rat" war;
The entrance Of new coal-feids into the
market. an overDroduction was the couse-
quence. Such railroads as went into rece!v-
ers' hands. like the Norfolk and Western. and
were reorGaaized. having little else but coal
tn carry, broke out against the pool. As a
hundred American railroads are bankrupt,
their bonds virtually their only stock. they are
bound to haul for all they are worth. The
Norfolk and Western Is now largely wned In
France. ~Bituminous coal, therefore,. which /
mine at the headwaters OF the Potomac, rams
four hundred miles. or 20 Philadelphia, for SO
cents a ton. We get but a mill and q half 10
two mills a ton per mile. whereas It was OF old
ccntended that nne cent per ton per mile was
the lowest which would pay. Soft coal 10
put down beside steamers and vessels for little
over 81 per ton. This is ruinous, but such 10
the fact.
And still We do net export coalf"
"Wo send to Canada from one million to
one and n half million tons per annnm OF an
thracite and bituminous. say three million
tons OF both. We do not export coal to Eu-
rope because we have wages against US. and
that IS tho kernel OF the whole coal trade"
You think wages must go DOWN"
Inevitably. as everything else las gone
down. Wage carriers do not wish 20 see II or
believe It. but It is SO. In the article of coal
wages Is about all. Coal yields TO ROYALTY:
the railroads get one cent for hauling "a tou OF
coal five miles, for one hundred miles twenty
cents; less than coal shovellers get for putting
a ton o. coal Into your chute from the cart.
Wages In America stand against any revival
OF business. The nation OF Japan. where
wages are eight TO twelve cents a day. is put.
ting coal into San Fran cisco from japan.
Think OF that
you have developed a great coal field just
in time 10 meet this gorge ard WARP"
Our coal deld is SAID TO have $50. 900. 900
tons in It. We deliver this coal to the
b. and o. at Piedmont. to the PENNSYLVANIA at
Cumberland. We coke Il also. and forward
the cox as well as the coal. Having 10 di.
vide the rate Of ~ cents per ton for four hun
dred miles tn seabOard. the yield to our rail
road is almost atmospheric. Yet here steps in