davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

could supply the world with fuel for
centuries. They are the largest and
richest known, and they are so Sill
uated that the coal can be shiDpe1
from them long distances by water.
From Pittsburg coal can be carried
for $4,000 miles on navigable streams.
and the CRATE fires of the South blaze
with the rays from the black diamonds
from Pennsylvania. The Ohio river
is the great chute for the Mississippi
valley. The coal is carried down il
IN great barges pushed by little steam
ers, and so fastened together that a
single steamer will push acres of coal.
Loads of 10000 tons are taken. A vast
amount of coal is carried on the ca
nails and the great lakes form one Of
the chief highways of the coal traffic.
The amount of coal carried on the
railroads is almost beyond conception.
The Philadelphia and Reading has
more than $4,000 coal cars, which are
dragged by 900 coal locomotives. These
cars are kept busy in carrying anthra-
cite coal The Pennsylvania railroad
employs more than 10000 cars for the
movement of its coal and coke trade
and the Central railroad of New Jer-
sey carries about 100000 tons of an
thracite coal every year. More coal
is handled at New York than at any
other place in the world except London,
more than $4,000. 900 tons being used cr
transshipped at that point annually.
One would think that there would be
a lot of money in coal for the miners.
There is not, and it is a question
whether the present strike will mate
rally better matters. AS far as strikes
have gone in the past, they have been
against the working man. Some years
ago Carroll d. Wright, the United
States commissioner of labor figured
up the profit and loss of ten years Of
striking in all branches of labor. He
estimated that the employees during
this time lost $59. 900 900, an average
of $40 to each striker involved, while
the employers lost a little more than
half that amount. or $50 1000 600.
The coal miners live poorly as any other
Class of workmen in the country. For the
most part they are in dirty villages. with
narrow streets. their houses blackened by coal
smoke. In MANY mining districts the houses
belong to the company owning the mines,
and the miners pay rent for them. that
when a strike occurs and they are out of
money they are given orders to leave. Many
of the houses have nothing more than two
rooms and kitchen, and in some places thS
only stores at which the miners can trade
are the company's stores. With all this the
American miners are far better off than the
miners of other countries. The coal miners
of Japan receive only few cents Il day. Both
women and men work in the mines, and the
foreign ships which get coal at Japan are
always, loaded by women, who pass the coal :
up the sides of the ship in baskets.
Prank G. Carpenter.
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01
Our Black Diamonds.
Queer Facts About the Coal Fields and the Coal
Miners of the United States

Copyrighted, 1897, by Frank G. Carpenter)
WASHINGTON. D. c., July 81
have spent the last few days at the
United States geological survey look
ing up facts about coal and coal min
ing. The biologists know more about
coal than any one else. They can tell
you just how the world looked when
Goa! was made, and they describe how
there were ages of luXuriant growth,
consisting Of pine trees, fir trees and
all kinds of moses and plants, which,
dying down year after year, became
great matted bed of vegetation. They
tell you how this bed was bottled up
by being covered up with rocks and
how it finally turned into coal. They
can tell you just when this happened
and how long it came 70 pass before
Noah was baby or Cain killed little
Abel outside the Garden Of Eden.
HOW COAL WAS DISCOVERED
Men lived for thousands of years
upon the earth before they knew that
coal was good to burn All the iron
made before the days of the mid
die ages was with charcoal, and a
fairy tale is told in Belgium of how
a poor blacksmith discovered the first
black diamonds. He found that he
could not get along, for it took so much
time to make his charcoal for his fur
mace. He was just about to commit
suicide when a white-bearded old man
appeared at his shop and told him to
go to the noun tains near by and dig
out the black earth and burn 1t. He
did so, and was able 70 make a horse
gian story of the discovery Of coal. The
first coal found in America was near
Ottawa, III. 1t is mentioned by Father
1Iennepin, a French explorer, who Wis
tied there in 1879 The first mines
worked were about Richmond, Va This
coal was discovered by boy while out
fishing.
lie was hunting fer crabs for bait in
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

economical of people, and in the diff
ferent Chinese cities coal is SO valuable
that it is ground to dust and then
mixed with dirt being sold in balls
about the size of a biscuit. 1t is inter
esting to know the coal fields of the
world, as estimated by the biologists.
Here they are:
China. 100000 square miles; United
States, east of the Rockies $4,000
square miles; Canada, $4,000 square
miles: India, $4,000 square miles; New
South Wales, $4,000 square miles; Rus
STA, 10000 square miles; United k1ng-
dom, II 500 square miles; Spain, $500
square miles; Japan, 5000 square miles
France, 1850 square miles; Austria
Hungary, 1870 square miles; Germany,
Ito square miles; Belgium, $40 square
miles.
ENGLAND'S COAL PLAYING OUT.
From the above table it will be seen
that the English coal area is small.
Still England has for years been the
center of the coal production of the
world and for years it mined more
than half the total amount used by the
world. The United States is now
probably ahead of it, and we are in
creasing our product every year. The
English coal veins are thin. The
miners have to lie on their sides to
work many of them. They have dug
out the surface coal and they are now
working at great depths. One English
vein. fourteen and a half inches wide
is already down over 1900 feet Such
a vein would not be worked to any
great depth in America. The Newcas-
tie coal field, which is the richest in
England, has veins from three to six
feet thick, while the Wales coal veins
are less than three feet in thickness
Some of our Pennsylvania anthracite
veins run from thirty feet to sixty
feet in thickness, while in Pittsburg
'bituminous coal veins are from eight
to sixteen feet thick. At the present
rate of mining it is estimated that
all the English coal will be exhausted
in 212 years if it is worked down to
1000 feet, and this will be 113 feet deep
er than any of the English mines now
worked. Notwithstanding the enormous
amounts of coal which we have taken
out of our anthracite region it is esti-
mated that we could go on at the pres
ent rate for GIG years.
AS England goes further down her
coal mining will become more eXpen-
sive, and her days as manufacturing
nation are, consequently, numbered
Already we surpass her a great deal
in manufacturing, and there is no
doubt that we, with our vast supplies
of coal and iron. are to be the CHIEF
manufacturing nation of the future.
Our Appalachian coal fields alone
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

125 miles from Philadelphia and not
more than 200 miles from New York,
which produces every year coal to a
greater value than all the gold mines
of the Rockies Canada and Alaska. It
is our anthracite coal fields which turn
out between 100000 and 1000, 600 tons
of anthracite every Year We have in
addition to this hundred and thirty
odd million tons of bituminous coal an
nually. We have, in short, the biggest
and best coal measures on the globe.
1t is estimated that our coal east of
the Rocky mountains covers 1872, 900
square miles, and within the past few
years coal has been found in many
parts Of the far West Colorado will
eventually be a great manufacturing
state on account of it's coal.
Utah has large coal fields, and 30
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01
9 @A%AA9
)

small creek, and thus stumbled upon
the outcroppings of the James river
coal bed. Our anthracite coal fields
have perhaps paid better than any
other coal fields OF the world They
were discovered by a hunter named
Nicho Allen, when George Washing
ton was president. Allen encamped one
night in the SchuylkiIl regions, kind
ing his fire upon some black stones.
He awoke to find himself almost roast
ed. The stones were on fire, and an
thracite was burning for the first time.
shortly after this a company was got
ten UP to sell anthracite coal 1t was
taken around to the bIacksmiths. but
they did not know how to use 1t, and
it was very Unpopular Some Of it was
shipped to Philadelphia by Col. Shoe
maker and sold there. 1t was not at
all satisfactory. and q writ was gotten
out from the city authorities denounc-
ing the colonel as a knave and scoun-
drel for trying to impose rocks upon
them as coal. Still Philadelphia has
largely been built up by anthracite
coal, and 50,000,000 tons Of this coal
were taken out OF the Pennsylvania
fields in 1896
Since then some Of these coal lands
have been sold as high as $1,000 an
acre, and the Philadelphia & Reading
company in 1871 paid $40, OO0 900 for 10O,-
600 acres of coal land in this region.
AS sample Of the amount Of business
done in anthracite coal, the Delaware
& Hudson Canal company paid $5,O00,-
900 in one year for mining, and their
coal sales that year amounted to more
than $1O,O00,000.
WE BEAT TIE WORLD.
1t Is hard to estimate the enormous
amount of money the United States
makes out of it's coal. We get more
than three times as much out of our
coal mines as out Of our gold mines
and the silver metal is not in it with
the black diamonds. There is a little
region in Eastern Pennsylvania, about
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

to supply the Pacific trade, and it's i'm
portance will be appreciated when it
is remembered that the largest fleet
that sails the Pacific is the coal fleet.
Most of the coal from that region comes
from Australia and Japan. Much Aus
tralian coal is brought to San Fran
cisco. During my travels in Japan 1
visited one coal mine which had fifty
miles Of tunnels under the sea, and
earned that the Japanese were making
great deal of money out of their coal
They were shipping it to China, not
withstanding the fact that the geolo-
gists say that China has some of the
largest coal fields of the world. I
doubt the extent of the Chinese fields.
The people are thrifty, and it is curious
that they do not use the coal If they
have 1t. They are among the most
The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01

have the states of Montana, Washing
ton and Wyoming We are now getting
something like 100000 tons Of coal
a year out of Indiana, Kentucky and
Illinois, and the great Appalachian
held produces more than four times
this amount. There is more good burn
able earth in the Appalachian noun
The coal is easy to get at, the veins
are thick, and in some mines they are
almost on the top Of the ground. They
are better than any other coal fields in
this respect, with bne single exception.
This is the new coal field of Alaska,
which, one of the geological survey men
TEL tells me, comes right out over the
and almost fall into the ships below
This Alaskan coal will probably be used
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-17
M'KINLEY's INAUGUR ALTON BIBLE.
will be the Gift of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church.

Bishop Arnctt, of the African Methodist
Episcopal church IL in Washington arrang-
ing for the entertainment of the members of
the committee appointed to present Major
Mckinley Bible for use in the inaugural
ceremonies.
"1he Bible upon which Major Mckinley
will take his oath OF office on the 4th of
March as President Of the United States will
be II very fine and elegant volume said
Bishop Arnett. The book will be donated to
Major Mckinley for this purpose as the gift
of the African Methodist Episcopal church.
1t is now being printed in Cincinnati by the
Methodist book publishing honse. 1t will be
handsomely bound aud lined front and back
with silk. with n suitable dedicatorv inscript-
ion upon the inside. On the outside there
will be II beautiful gold plate In the form of a
shield. on which the name Of the President,
the date and the name of the donors will be
handsomely engraved. The Bible Will be
inclosed in a handsome box made Of native
Ohio wood and gold mounted.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-17
DEMOLISHED THE STILL,
Two Brave Women Accomplished What
Revenue Agents Could Not

United States Marshal Wells force OF
deputies and the revenue department special
agents will be very sore when they find
that two women have accomplished in n
short time what they have failed TO accom-
plish in years. These women made the big
gest capture Of the season. On creek in
Raleigh county. ". Va. Noah Addair and
Giles Compton have been running an Illicit
still for some time.
They managed to conceal their where
abouts pretty well for while, but the wo-
men Of the community began to notice that
when their husbands aud sons went hunting
they invariably went toward Il secluded ana
.desolute mountain hollow. and that when
they came back they showed unmisthkable
signs OF having had more booze than beasts
or birds. AS wild bees are located by elm
ing" them to their trees, so Mrs. Louis Rife
and Miss Dncey Mullins noticed the course
persued by the crrant youths of the county,
and shrcwdly guessing the cause, they equip
ped themselves with axes and did little
hunting on their own account.
Just after dark they came up with the
SINNERS who were making merry on the
product Of their Illicit chemistry. When the
women marched In the moonshiners He'd in
terror, evidently thinking that Uncle Sans
agents were upon them. The heroines then
proceeded to demolish the still and 10 smash
up tubs and barrels OF mash and make
general wreck of things. Having ompletcd
their work. they quietly went home, and now
are receiving the praise of all the good citi-
zens of the community
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-17
THE LATEST FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE
THE CAPTURE OF BIDA.
Five Hundred British Troops Surrounded
by Twenty Thousand Fulahs.

A dispatch from Blda dated January 81,
gives additional details concerning the Roya
Niger .Company's expedition against tn
Emir of Nupe. The fighting In thc vicinity
OF Blda, the Fulah capital, which was stop
ped by darkness on the evening OF January
30. was resumed at daylight ON the morning
of January "a.
Hall of the British forces, which consisted
OF zoo troops. six Maxims, 2G mounted
officers and 900 carriers, were ordered to
cross fayinc As they crossed II was notic-
ed that the Fulah scouts were watching. The
troops accordingly formed In n half square,
the guns following. The rear half of the
force then closed on the front half, forming
complete square The British forces ad-
vanced steadily. halting every 300 yards for
the purpose OF allowing the guns 10 keep
pace.
The masscd forces Of the enemy soon mp
peared, even covering the surrounding
slopes, constituting n spleddid panorama.
their eastern or semi-barbarous costumes in
tho sunlight recalling SCOTS tales OF the
crusaders. The square of the Niger Com
pany's forces was completely surrounded by
10000 cavalry and footmen.
The troops continued to advance slowly
until they reached ridge commanding
Bida. Their forces were constantly har-
rassed by the Fulah sharpshootcrs, who dar-
ingly advanced within 100 yards of the
square. Swarms of the cnemys cavalry
charged, but were badly shattered owing TO
the effective use OF the Maxim gans. At
1890 the artillery began bomhardlng the
town, six Maxim guns playing ON the gradu-
ally retiring misses Of the enemy. At noon
the advance company Of the troops entered
Bida, which is Il town three miles square.
Bombarding Of II portion Of the town was
resumed, however. LASTING until O'Clock in
the afternoon, when one-half Of the Hausa
troops took possession OF the town. Only 10
OF the liausa troops were wounded.
The losses OF the Fulah forces were enor-
nous. The brother OF the Emir of Nupe and
many Of the princes were severely wounded
by shell which exploded among the mem
hers of the stan of the Emir, killing two men
who were standing within IA foot Of him. All
of the Fulah princes fed In the direction Of
Sokota.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-17
TRADE REVIEW.
Important Struggle Between Two Great
Ore Pr roducing Concerns.

n. q. Dun 4 Co.'S weekly Review of Trade
says: -..r
No other event of the week approaches
in Importance the disruption OF the steel
rail pool. In two days after Il greater ton
mage OF rails was probably purchased than
than the entire production last year. report
ed as 900 tons and instead OF S2S in
December, and s2j In January. sl7 is now
the price at which works East and West are
soaking orders, tho Carnegie Company even
selling ut Sl7, Chicago delivery. These sales
VIII employ many thousand hands. with nm
important decrease In the cost of track lay
ing or renewals to railroads
Even more important is the result that re-
construction OF the billet pool will he impos-
sible so long as the contest over rails contin-
ues, and the manufacture of structural FORMS
bars, rods, wire nails, tin plates and many
products has a chance to secure cheap mater
ial In the near future.
Also important is the struggle between the
two great companies producing Me1aba iron
ore, one allied with the Illinois Steel and the
other with the Carnegie Company, which is
expected TO bring about lower prices for ore,
and TO push many mines TO their utmost Gu
pacity. But in the war of rival interests
wages are already reduced by some large
concerns
Another event Of influence is the purchase
OF 100000 pieces OF print cloths by VI. G.. u.
Borden at 2.j6 cents, which has already
caused an advance 10 2.G9 cents with u
stronger tone for prints and other cotton
goods. The moral influence OF such pur-
chase maniiesting confidence in the future,
is apt 20 be great. The wooden industry also
meets an increased demand for the low and
medium goods, and dozen more mills have
started, against three stopping for various
reasons.
Except In steel rails changes In iron pro-
duets have been slight. with advance in gray
forge, wire ana cut nails. Competition re-
duces American tin plates to $500, against
$500 for foreign. Tin and copper are steady
but lead stronger at 80 7-l6.
Failures for the past week have been 2G7
in the United States against 32l last year,
and 81 in Canada. against 81 last year.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-17
EIGHT PERSONS INJURED.
Wreck On the West Virginia Central and
Pittsbure Railroad.

North-bound passenger train No. . on the
West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Rail
road was wrecked shortly before noon Friday
at Barnum. W. ", about 80 miles south of
Cumberland, by wheel ON the rear truck of
the last coach bursting. The train was
moving at the rate of ~ miles nm hour and
the coach was thrown violently over an en-
bankment. II cleared the track so suddenly
that the latter was not the least torn. The
injured are
Daniel Lecklider. Of Elkins, W. Va. con-
ductor, bruised about the hips, shoulder and
back and hurt internally.
W. u. Holmes. of Elkins. W. Va, brake
man, bruised and cut by glass.
ID. \. AycoN, colored, of Thomas, w. Va,
seriously cut on the throat and head by
glass.
Blakeley Parsons, a one-armed lawyer, OF
Bayard, W Va. cut about face and head
sidney Murphy, of Schell. W. Va, shoulder
bruised
=. j. Rafferty,, Of Shaw, W. Va, cut and
bruised.
o. W. Housenknecht. of Willinmsport, Pa,
cut on the head. lie was compelled to re-
main at Barnum.
The name of the eighth person could not
be ascertained. All the passengers were
badly shaken up.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-17
FAREWELL TO Nix. BAYARD.
Leading Men Of Great Britain Eulogize
Him-All Fer Arbitration.

The archbishop of Canterbury. the mar
quis of Lorne, Lord Chief Justice Russell,
Dean Hole and Canon Wilberforce were
among the guests at the farewell dinner
given by the Royal Societies club to Ambassa-
dor Bayard In London. feature of the
speeches was the extreme cordiality with
which all references to the United States
were received. Sir Clement Markham, pres
ident OF the club, and Of the Royal Geog-
raphical society, proposed the toast TO Mr..
Bayard, and in IL recalled with pleasure his
meeting with John G. Fremont IN California.
Mr.. Bayard In responding spoke directly
OF the arbitration treaty, saying: at cannot
be permanently obstructed. 1t may be de-
inyed, but II connot be defeated. "
Continuing. Mr.. Bayard said: az leave
you In peace. and hope to learn that you
are always al peace with the world. have
laboted for u better understanding between
the wcll-tnennng men Of both countries |
do not pretend e speak for others. for am
glad TO say that I am not thrir accredited
agent. | have always worn my colors in my
cap. No one can doubt, then. IL plnin
speaking can make them believe. that the
real heart OF tho American people, for
which alone pretend to speak is for Il man
ly trust between tine people OF both coun-
tries
After the cheers subsidcd, the archbishop
OF canterbury, In responding to Mr.. Bayard's
address, said:
Ambassador Bnyard has won the
strongest regard of the people Of England
lie represents the side OF the American
character most like our own Nobody de-
sires tho prosperity Of the United States of
America more than the people OF England
We love the nation which is becoming so
powerful before all mankind. and we shall
always treasure Mr.. Bayard among our
recollection OF America and Americans "
Lord Chief Justice Russell eulogized Am
bassador Bayard ~ zone who truly came as
a messenger OF peace: one who while he has
In no way lesscned the rights and position of
great republic has found 1t consistent with
the loltiest patriotism to bring two great na-
ttons close together
In conclusion Lord Chief Justice Russell
said; There is not to-day and cannot sec
how there ever will be Just cause for quarrel
between the United States and Great britain.
Both nations being governed by the same
principles, they ought not to allow any in
terests to divide them in their work for
humanity
Prof. james Bryce, former president Of the
board OF trade, also paid similar high
eulogy to Ambassador Bayard