Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-02-26

active one for the industries of Wheel
ing and surrounding towns and the
fact of the river again opening up has
been beneficial to manufacturers who
use that great highway as source of
transportation for their product. The
only topics out of the ordinary that
have been discussed are the formation
OF the new combine by the sheet mill
men of the country and the taking of
options by the promoters of the glass
combine These movements as might
be expected have caused some excite
ment among stockholders interested in
the various concerns and has afforded
a fruitful theme for speculation by the
public generally. The success of the
pottery combine is still trembling in
the balance and the status of the in
dustry is somewhat ambiguous and its
future plans are yet in doubt.
On Wednesday representatives of
thirty sheet mill plants in West Vir-
ginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana,
met in Pittsburg for the purpose of
considering a proposition to organize
the trade into common company to
include the concerns inside and out
side of the association. If the corpora
ton is formed it is said that it will not
be absorbed by the joint owners of the
American Tin Plate Company, who will
take firm stand in the matter of prices
on its raw material, and will insist that
the National Steel Company furnish
sheet bars at the sheet mills at the
same price as to the tin plate combine.
The proposed combination is to en-
brace thirty mills throughout Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio West Virginia, Indiana and
Kentucky, which have an aggregate
capacity of between 1000 and 100000
tons year and capitalized at about
$2S,000,000. A committee composed of
]. G. Battelle, of Piqua, o., A. w.
Brown, of Cambridge, O., and N. E.
Whitaker, Of Wheeling, was appointed
to outline a plan and arrange details
for the proposed consolidation. The
mill owners will again meet at the call
of the committee.
During the week the glass combine
which is to include all the manufacture
ers of table ware and tumblers, took
an option on the West Virginia works
at Martins Ferry and it is understood
made overtures to other plants in this
vicinity. Contrary to first reports re-
speeding this new corporation, it does
not aim to include all branches of the
glass industry, but only those plants
making the lines alluded to above. 1t
will, however, attempt to control all
product of the kind designated, both in
the United States and Canada, and
will be international in its scope.
The effort to secure the consent of
all the stockholders of the Crystal to
sell to the combine has been pushed dill
igently during the past six days and
party who is familiar with the situation
gives the assurance that a majority of
the capital is agreeable to the deal and
that the sale may be expected to be
consummated.
The cause of the slack times at the
coal mines out the G. L. & w. and w.
e L. E. railroads is said to be found in
the plethoric condition of the COM
panys' yards on the upper division.
Previous to the Pittsburg convention
when all coal interests were apprehen-
sive of management between the
operators and the miners association,
the c., L. e w. road, along with others,
stored a great deal of coal at different
points and now that all danger of an
emergency has happily passed this ac-
emulation of the fuel will be worked
off before the mines are called upon
to supply more. The lake trade upon
which the mines are dependent for
market doesn't open until May 1, when
insurance upon navigation begins, but
the loading commences from the first
to the fifteenth of April and by that
time coal operatives will be more ac-
tive.
It is confidently asserted that Ohio
coal operators have reason to expect a
better freight rate from roads in that
State this season which will enable
them to compete more successfully
with the West Virginia operators. The
Ohio roads comprising the c., L. & W.,
w. & L. E., B. & O., and others, have
been hauling West Virginia coal as
cheap as that from the tipples adjacent
to their lines, and since the natural ad-
vantages for mining are greater in the
Mountain State than in the veins across
the river in Ohio, the Fairmont and
Monongah coal has had all the best of
it. But there is a good chance for a
change this season and Ohio operators
are banking much on it. Under the
tremendous pressure being brought to
bear upon the railroad companies of
Ohio they have been forced to the point
of making concessions which will mean
new life for the business in that State.
1t is not expected that the West Vir-
GINA mine owners will be unduly dis
eliminated against, nor DO the Ohio
men ask it. What they do want though
is enough difference in tariff rates to
counterbalance the superior natural adj
vantages for mining which West Vir-
ginia enjoys over Ohio.
A new hearth fender has been patent
ed by Mr.. f. G. Caldwell of this city.
and the article it is said will be a nota-