The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-10-29
GIRL DROWNSiIN WELL COAL TRADE REVIEW.
Outlook For Business Observed by
Black Diamond.

Chicago, ILL.,, Oct. 24.-The Black
Diamond, official organ Of the coal in
dustry, reviewing the western coal
trade, today says:
Transportation conditions in some
western territory have grown worse
during the past week and, had it not
been for the continued summer-like
weather, it is probable they would
have had a considerable influence on
the price situation. However, in the
absence of an active demand for do
nestle consumption they have not ex-
erted such great influence, and the
result has been that prices have held
very steady, with little change from
last week, on all of the leading de-
seriptions of bitumlnous coal.
The transportation conditions out
of Cincinnati on all-rail coal are in
about the worst shape of any in the
west. 1t is reported that practically
all of the Chicago lines out OF that
territory have enlarged the leading
West Virginia trunk lines where coal
and coke traffic originates, with the
result that shipments are being divert
ed to other points. The yards OF the
West Virginia roads in Cincinnati are
said to be overloaded with coal and II
looks as though congestion has been
created which will take three or four
weeks at the earliest to relieve.
St. Louis continues to be troubled
with a congestion of freight in the
Yards at East st. Louis and bituml
nous coal is selling there at from ter
to fifteen cents a ton over the price
| that is prevailing in Chicago on the
same coal on a comparative basis Of
freight rates. This is wholly the re
suit of the railroad situation, which is
apparently growing more acute In
stead of better. Railroad officials a.
st. Louis are almost inclined to give
up hope concerning the future Of tne
situation at that point. With the i'm
mense worlds fair traffic already IN
der way and likely to increase from
! rcv 49, year hence, there Is every
.-rr. .spect Of a continued congestion
, and at times a situation will be ere
| ated which is worse than the one to
| day. To the coal shippers, however
the outlook appears worse than II
other lines of trade, for the reason
that the quantity of coal shipped into
the st. Louis market to date is hardly
up to the normal point.
Western transportation out of thu
mining fields of illinois and Indian;
is Just 90 had as it has been any tins
this fall There continues to be com
| plaint over the shortage of cars a
| various points, and movement of Goa
is not thought to be up to the norma
point yet. The mining fields OF thu
two states are spotted in this respect
Occasionally an operating compan,
will report that it has been enables
to work on nearly full time, but thi
is the exception rather than the rule
/ Production in the two states will prob
ably average not more than four day
for the present week.
In the western anthracite trad
there has been a continued improve
ment during the week, and, while bus
mess is not yet up to the point, it i
so much better than it has been TO
the past three months that shippin
agents are feeling encouraged. TIL
demand is picking UP among city re
tailers, who are buying more freely a
the docks and are taking larger quar-
titles of all-rail coal. This show
rather conciusively that consumer
are buying more freely, because tn
wagon trade does not buy much coa
until it has received orders for it."