The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-14
ABSORBING SMALL CONCERNS.
The Big Coal Companies Buying Out
individual Operators.

4
WILKESBARRE. Pa, Dec. 13-It is be-
lieved among coal men here that in a
short time all the collieries and holdings
Of individual operators In the Wyoming
and Lackawanna Valleys will pass into the
hands Of some of the big companies, the
Erie. Delaware and Hudson. and Delaware.
Lackawanna and Western. The purchase OF
| the Pennsylvania collieries. which was
concluded today. the recent acquisition by
! the Hillside Coal and Iron Company OF the
| Butler mines, and negotiations, which are
| going on at present all tend to show that
the entire absorption Of the individual
| operators is the goal toward which the
| big coal carrying companies are aiming
| They will be able when this is done. to fix
the prices as high as they like and to be
| absolutely without competition.
It is said here today on good authority
that options are held on a number OF the
small operators Mines and that they have
been held for a week or more, and that
some OF the other operators who have not
yet given options have been asked to fix
price. The district In which are these In
divldual mines Is from Nantic0ke, seven
miles below this city, to Carbondale, thirty
miles above. comprising all OF the upper
coal field. which. during the recent strike,
was known as district No. l. 1t is the
richest in the anthracite coal field, and
communication with tidewater is good.
The individual operators are, 1t is said.
in most cases eager to sell, for their posi-
ton has not been satisfactory for some
time. Governed as they have been by the
big companies. which regulated their out
put many OF the small operators have lost
money, and as they are now compelled to
give their employees 10 per cent increase
since the recent strike. without getting
any increase in the selling price OF coal to
the big companies, they realize that the
best protection Is to sell at the best price
they can get.
Especially is this SO since the purchase
of the Pennsylvania Coal Company has
practically knocked In the head the only
plan they had Of competing successfully
with the big companies, that of carrying
their coal themselves by way Of the pro-
iected Kingston and Delaware road.
In case competition is shut off the big
companies will probably dispense with the
services Of the mlddlemen and sell direct
to the dealers
There are about twenty-five individual
collieries between Wilkesbarre and Car
bondale and the capacity is about 1000
tons day. The companies are the Dolph.
which 1t is said is about to transfer its
holdings in the Lackawanna region; the
Sturgis mines. Whitney & Kemmerer's
collieries, all north of Scranton; the Jer-
myn, Cornell. Mcclure works, at Sibley;
Avoca Coal Company Hudson Coal Com
pany. Clear Spring Coal Company. Wyom-
ing Coal and Land Company. Raub Coal
Company. Paine's Mine, Black Diamond
Mine. Red Ash Coal Company, A. ]. Davis,
at Alden; Alden Coal Company. Plymouth
Coal Company. Greenwood Coal Company,
the Spencer Mines. all in the Wilkesbarre
and Pittston regions.
Whether an attempt is 10 be made to
gain control of the mines in the Schuylkill +,
and HaZleton districts is not known.