Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-09
COAL OPERATORS
Meet in Charleston to Arrange for Sc
curing and Holding Important Mar
Ratc
Special to the Register.

Special to the Register.
CHARLESTON, w. Va February S.-A
meeting of the coal operators of the New
River and Kanawha District was held in
the Hotel Ruffner last night and to-day.
Its object was the formation of an organ
ization for mutual benefit. This was
complished to-day. There were eighty
coal companies represented in person or
by proxy. Last night the meeting was adj
dressed by Prof. l. C. White State Geol-
ogist, who discussed the practical '"lue
of surveys to coal oper"t0ls' AN WIN
were nresent volpl,,tcered to assist IN Sc
curing q nreper appropriation for the pur
nose from the present Legislature.
To-day's meeting was very important.
II means that the operators in the two
districts will act as a unit in business
matters, and it means that the competi-
ton with the Pittsburg coal interests will
he even more formidable than heretofore.
The Kanawha Valley operators have al
ready made large inroads into the trade
of the Pittsburg river operators. All the
Kanawha operators are primarily rail
shippers but have taken advantage of
| the facilities for shipment by water, and
Will devote more attention to it in the flu
| ture. A few years ago no coal from West
Virginia reached Cincinnati and the
southern markets. In 1891 the Kanawha
Valley operators shipped 21,C0J 600 bushels
by barges. Last year-the banner year
the shipments aggregated 270G0,O00 BUSH
els, and they are expected to exceed these
figures for 1899
With the recent completion of three
locks on the Kanawha river the West
Virginia operators are afforded another
-IHsuu7d L!7Ql IaAo eSBluABApB louls!p
Vania competitors for the southern trade.
Continuous slackwater navigation is now
provided to Point Pleasant, and coal can
be shipped to that point at any season.
to await a rise in the Ohio.
1t is obvious that the cost of shinnnent
is less here, because of the shorter dis
lance to Cincinnati and other southern
markets. All other things being equal,
however, Pittsburg would be placed at a
disadvantage because of the ability of the
kanawha river operators to reach the
markets several days earlier that the
Pennsylvania coal
The meeting of operators adjourned to-
day after having agreed upon a plan of
consolidation
The organization will be known as the
Kanawha and New River Consolidated
Coal Company. 1t will be the largest con-
Germ of its kind in the world with daily
capacity of 40C00 bushels, which will be
increased within six months to $1,000
bushels.
1t will embrace eighty companies in the
two districts. The object is to pool the
product of all the mines individual ope-
rators to be paid at an agreed rate, and
all the coal to be made through two
agencies.
Most of the shipments will be made by
rail, as heretofore river shipments being
less remunerative to operators. The Ka-
nawha has principally served as a means
for shipping the excess product.
New River produces a firm coal suitable
for steamships, and IS technically termed
tide water Goa. along the coast 1t is
handled by the Chesapeake & Ohio Coal
and Fuel Agency, of New York. The
KanawIha coal is handled by the Chesa-
peake & Ohio Fuel Company, of Cincin-
natl. These two agencies will be retained
by the combine.
Gen. ]. V. St Clair, who is the attor-
ney for the consolidated interests, will
apply for a State charter next week. and
another meeting of the operators VIII be
held on Thursday. H. V. ARkLE.