The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-09

charleston, W. Va, Correspondence OF
.nW. b. s." inst. Louis Globe-pemoera''
"If the strike was over" said Cover
nor Atkinson, sitting in his office at the
capitol and letting his vision roam over
the beautiful Kanawha hills, wed have
such a boom in the coal Industry OF
West Virginia as would amaze the peo-
ple Of the country, e.,
This strike" the governor eNplalhGu'
sis u fight for markets. we nave tHe
better coal, and we can mine II cheaper
tnan the operators in ohio ana fehn-
svIvania They can't mine and sell IN
the markets that we can. They nave 10
keen putting down prices and lowering
wages until they reach the point where
rho miners strike. That Is the secret OF
the present trouble. 1t is another ease
of the survival OF the flttest. our peo-
nile get better wages and mine easier
some of them claim thar they are not
getting what they ought, but my I'M
Outstanding is, the strike as iar as II
has extended In West virginia is an on
account OF sympathy with the miners
in Ohio and Pennsylvania our miners
who have stopped work have done II N
RESPONSE to appeals from the agltators
tndI IL - INNNoHahlg W AANAf
Of other states where the conditions are
not so favorable as they are here. The
fact Is the operators elsewhere are en-
gagged in death struggle to hold their
markets"
The governor did not say so, but 1t
is common talk through the coal re-
glons OF West Virginia that the opera
tors not the unions of Pennsylvania
and Ohio, are most active in sending
pnid agltators to this state to induce
the miners to strike. They are moved
TO such methods by fear of losing thelr
markets while their own mines are
shut down. Outside operators are more
Interested than outside miners In shut
ting down West Virginia mines. one
does not have to travel far in the coal
regions OF this state 10 discover that
there is none OF the usual aggressive
spirit in the West Virginia strike and
that those miners who are out nave
stopped work under protest.
I'VE have had no violence" said the
governor, "and no indications OF such
spirit"
The cheapness OF coal production in
West Virginia is almost incredible.
common sight in Charleston is to see
negroes, who own horses and wagons,
peddling coal in the streets at from nifty
10 sixty cents for all they have In the
load. These retailers go outside Of the
city limits a few miles, dig hola In the
side OF hill, shovel the coal into the
wagon and haul 1t into the city with
out saying "by your leave" to anybody.
Ex-Governor MacCoTkle startled a
committed Of Congress a few months ago
by telling them that West Virginia
coal was being mined and put on the
cars for from sixty to eighty-iiye cents
ton, and delivered on board ship at
the Atlantic coast for $3.50 ton, or at
the mouth of the Mississippi for Sl.55
per ton, with profit on mining and
transportation. He showed that this
was the cheapest coal production In the
world.
"The average price per ton at the
mines OF West Virginia" said eX-Gov-
ernor MacCorkle, rs seventy-five cents.
the cheapest In the world This is as
against Sl.A In Colorado, 1898 In Wash'
ington, ninety-three cents In Alabama,
Sl.S in Belgium, 1926 In Japan from
N.75 to S2.25 in New South Wales, and
from $l6j to S2.25 in Great Britain. The
cost of transportation 10 the mouth of
the Mississippi is eighty cents ton, the
cheapest inland transportation In the
world"
And then the governor demonstrated
that with the Nicarauguan canal com
pleted. the Appalachian coal field would
control the coal consumption of the
whole Pacific coast. His presentation
was n great revelation OF the POSSIBLE
tiles OF West Virginia development. 1t
becomes even more impressive after n
day and night In Charleston, beside
the Kanawhn. BY the expenditure OF
about Si,0O0,0O0 on eleven dams and locki
the government has made nearly ninety
miles OF slackwater navigation on this
river penetrating n great coal region.
The Chesapeake g. Ohio parallels the
water route. Trains and boats come
and 60 In quick succession throughout
the entire twenty-four hours. The
scream of the engine Ia stil echoing
from hill to hill when the hoarse toot OF
the stern wheeler ILLS the air. The traf-
nc " enormous. More thnn n century
ago George Washington had n plan for
canal from tldcwatCr to the Ohio. He
proposed to dam the ST. James to iti
headwaters cross the plateau OF the Al.
leghcn!cs and come down the Green,
brior the New and the HauawhH. II
was mighty prospect and stamped the
W ''" N"uiiS h' llF' ~ 'H'
t'FpTlse az wen ns several other things
IN after years Virginia damned the
james hlllt the canal 10 the hgadwa.
i'I' and incurred debt which has not
yrl been paid. Tho canal Is only 4
memory II was abandoned long ago
George Washington forosaw nothing
ABOUT coal or the locomotive. He was
surveyor and knew n natural route
Nn.n hr saw II. To-day the govern.
l,'nl rs bringing to completion this cn'
IVY waterway and making II possible
!" k't out to the world the wealth Of thu