The herald., 1897-12-15
OFFICE OF THE HERALD,
Los Angeles, Dec. IA, 1897.

The domestic production Of coal is
treated of in the following. compiled by
the Bulletin Of the Iron and Steel q $50
citation from a paper prepared by Ed
ward w. Parker for Mineral Resources
OF the United States:"
THE total production Of coal of all
kinds in the United States during 1896
amounted to III. 416, 800 gross tons Of 224O
pounds. equivalent to 49,, 1856. 1857 net tons
Of 1000 pounds and having total value
1t the mines of $196,64O.1e6. With the
exception of 1895. this was the largest
eected in the face Of the most adverse
conditions. In anthracite circles there
existed combination among the larger
interests Of sufficient strength to con-
troll the production In some proportion
TO the demand. The result Of this COM
bination was a reduction Of 1921. 1886
gross tons, or $685. 66 net tons. as COM
pared with 1895. Bituminous production,
- the contrary, exceeded that Of 1895
~ little over two and half million
tons. for which the operators received
nearly a million dollars less than they
did for the smaller production in 1895.
There has been no reaction in the de-
riining prices Of bituminous coal since
1887. In that year the average for the
United States was $112 per ton. In 1889
and 1889 1t was about 81 a ton. The next
three years It was fairly steady at %
cents. The panic Of 1893 brought the
price down to 90 cents, followed by drop
Of cents more in 1894 and another
cents in 1895. A further decline of s
cents In 1895 brought the average price
down to SO cents, the lowest ever re-
corded.
I'm considering the coal product these
reports include not only the coal mar
keted either by shipment to distant
points or sold locally, but also that con-
sumed by the mine employees and by the
mine operators themselves in locomo-
tives. under stationary boilers, ETC., In
working the mine, and technically known
~ colliery consumption. Coal consumed
cluded in this report.
Excluding the colliery consumption,
the product In 1896 was 165. 0O1. 1862 gross
tons. or 1874, S01,5 25 net tons. This may
be, and usually is, considered the mar
ketable product.
1.-THE product Of Pennsylvania anthra-
cite in 1896 was 4S,523,2S7 gross tons, or
N.346.0S1 net tons, valued at $S1, 74S, ISL.
against 81. 7S5.122 gross tons, or 81, 999, 33C
net tons in 1896, valued at $S2, 019,2 72, in
dicating a decrease In output Of 1891, 1886
gross tons, or S.653.255 net tons, and in
value of $270,621. 1t will be seen by this
that the value Of anthracite coal mar
keted in 1895 was comparatively more
than that sold in 1895. The better prices
obtained in 1895 were not due to i'm
proved trade conditions, but to the Or
ganization Of anthracite operators in
q combination to restrict production and
maintain prices. In order to accomplish
this result the mines were operated only
three or four days in the week, but,
even with this restriction, the supply OF
coal was lessened only about per cent.
I'm addition to the anthracite produc-
ton Of Pennsylvania In 1895, there were
1892 net tons mined in Colorado and
New Mexico, making the total output of
anthracite coal In the United States
H,425,573 net tons. The anthracite pro-
duction Of Colorado and New Mexico,
tor convenience. Is included in the btu
minous production. The number Of men
employed in the anthracite mines of
Pennsylvania In 1896 was las, 991, who av
eraged TIA working days, against 1927
men for 1876 days In 1895 and 131, 603 men
for 100 days in 1894.
1.-THE production Of bituminous coal
as collated In these reports includes, in
addition to strictly bituminous Goals.
lignites or brown Goals. camel. splint
block, semi bituminous, semi-anthracite
and the anthracite production Of Colo
RADIO and New Mexico. The aggregate
output Of these in 1896 amounted to 49,
e40.276 net tons. valued at s114,ss1. 515.
against 1876, lis. 1893 net tons in 1895, worth
Sis, 779. I'll, an increase of 1922, 0S3 tons In
amount and a decrease Of $8SS,256 in
value.
Both the British admiralty and the
war department are testing under vari
GUS climatic conditions the new method
Of conserving flour. One objection to
the establishment Of national granaries
has been the difficulty of storing wheat
for any length Of time. The grain ger
inmates and Is ruined, and to keep
vast quantities in sound condition has
been pronounced by the royal commits
sion impracticable. Experiments are
being made with a system of compress
sion into bricks by hydraulic pressure.
The trials show that flour so treated Is
hot affected by damp even under unfa-
vorable conditions, Is free from mold,
and is sweet and wholesome. Moreover,
compression destroys all forms Of larval
life, and flour is thereby rendered safe
from the attacks Of insects. The saving
in storage is enormous, as the cubic
space occupied by 100 pounds Of loose
flour will hold more than 300 pounds of
the compressed article.
= 4 =
Prospective investors in Klondike who
think Of making personal explorations
might do worse. than listen to the fol-
lowing advice from so weighty an au-
\thority on this coast as the Mining and
Scientific Press, which says: Inquiry
3 still received at this office from possi-
ale and probable Klondike adventures,
skiing for information as to prospects
connection with that new Ell Dorado.
othing good can be said that Is new,
nd nothing new can be said that is
Ltood. disappointment awaits nine hun
! dred and ninety-nine out Of every thou
sand who start. There Is no use to go to