Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-15

The only obstacle TO what gives
promise of being very active season
with the coal interests of Wheeling and
vicinity is the dearth of transportation
facilities and the fact is retarding
progress not little at the present time.
Very few mines in Eastern Ohio and
in the Panhandle district of West
Virginia are running up to more than
half their capacity for want of cars with
which to move their product. Those
in a position to know say it is not for
want of market. for trade is brisk
and the demand heavy, but is due solely
to inability upon the part of railroad
companies to carry the output seeking
an outlet through these overland high
ways. The only means for meeting
this condition consists in increasing
the rolling stock of the transportation
companies and this several of them are
already fastening to do. Before the
coal season, which theoretically opens
to-day, is far advanced, the new 50-ton
steel cars which are now much in
vogue will have made their appearance
upon the lines entering Wheeling, and
their advent will be the signal for new
impetus in this very important branch
of industry. With ready market for
the product and the wage scale prac
tically assured for months in advance,
the outlook for the summer for both
operator and miner is considered fairly
satisfactory.
Although the coal trade via the lakes
opens to-day business will not be re-
sumed with that flourish which is SO
much coveted by operators in this vi
cinity. Neither insurance premiums
nor freight tariffs have been ABUSED
in advance this season and the fact is
likely to cause delay at the outset.
Basing their demands upon losses oc-
curing during the past year insurance
companies have exacted a higher rate
from shipmasters and the latter in turn
desire to compensate themselves by
charging the coal merchants additional
freightage. While it is afogeter likely
the pressure of business will force an
understanding between the interested
parties at an early day the failure to
yet do so will impede the work of un-
loading cars at these important ter
mini and will delay the transportation
service accordingly.
A movement of no little Importance
to the coal miners of the Wheeling dis
trict will soon be inaugurated when an
effort will be made to thoroughly or
ganize them. While the employees of
most of the larger works have in the
past sustained locals the organization
has upon the whole been unsatisfactory
and insufficient. This is partially due to
the isolated position which the locality
sustains towards the other miners
throughout the State of West Virginia.
For while the Panhandle mines were
in district by themselves, but later
this territory was transferred to the
Seventeenth district, since which time
organization among the men has gradu-
ally Jagged. The Seventeenth COM
prises all the mines of West Virginia
and those in this locality being cut off
from the main field appear to have been
neglected by their officers. To remedy
this the national officers have conclud-
ed to include the Wheeling mines in the
Sixth Ohio district with the hope that
their proximity to the fields of East
ern Ohio will insure their interests be-
ing better looked after. This will in
clude the mines at Moundsville, Boggs'
run. Glendale. Gilchrist's, and others
in Marshal and Ohio counties in the
over-the-river district. President Has
kins, of the Ohio Miners Association,
is expected here in about two weeks to
devise a general plan of organization,
but the details of the work will be
looked after by Secretary Treasurer T.
L. Lewis. At this time meetings will
be held at various points with the view
to invigorating locals already in exist
ence and the formation of new ones.
The miners out the c., L. & w. rail-
road are making about half time, which
is all the supply of cars will afford
them. Saturday was the semi-monthly
pay, and the disbursements were about
OF par with those of the past two
months. The 275 employees at Wheeling
creek make 8 days in two weeks, which
means an output of between and Z
thousand tons. At the three Barton
mines the product represents daily
output of between 500 and 900 tons.
Something like $4,000 was distributed