Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-06-09
PENNSYLVANIA ANTHRACITE
Tonnage of Last Year Exceeded by Six
Million Tons That Of Any
Previous Year.

The year 1903 STANDS as the nign-
water mark of prosperity in the
anthracite coal trade. as the tonnage
for that year exceeded by more than
.OOe. 900 tons that of any previous
wear and the demMd for coal was SO
good as to make it possible TO dispose
Of the product at prices winch
brought fair return to all con-
cerned in the industry. Some signlrl-
cant figures in connection with the
production of Pennsylvania anthra-
cite during 1908 have been collected
by Mr.. William w Ruley, special
agent of the United States geological
survey. and will be sincluded In MI
Z. w. Parker's report on the proouc-
ton of coal in 1903, which is a regular
feature of the surveys annual volume
on the mineral resources of the United
States.
At the commencement of 1903 there
was practically no anthracite in stock,
as the amount which had been mlne1
after the strike of 1902 had gone
directly into consumption All tina.
could be mined during the first three
months of 1903 was in immediate de-
mand.
With the opening of navigation and
reduction in price on April /, dealers
at all points endeavored to lay in an
ample supply of coal to meet their fall
and winter requirements. This made
brisk demand for the product dur
-, fpnnfhC
with the resultant accumulation OF
stocks in dealers hands. The early
arrival of cold weather, however, ard
the prolonged severity of the winter
created an unusually brisk demand
for coal.
In connection with the large Fro
duction, il is interesting to note the
increase in the shipments of the small
sizes of coal during 1903 over those OF
previous years. This is especially
noteworthy on account of the opinion
generally expressed at the close of the
anthracite strike, that bituminous
coal had largely supplanted anthra-
cite for steam purposes, and would
continue to hold this trade to the
exclusion of the small sizes of the lat
ter product. On the contrary, how
ever, the consumption of these smaller
sizes of coal increased 2,46S,694 tons in
1903 over 1901. 1t would seem that
the only cause which would seriously
affect the prosperity of the anthracite
business is the general condition of
the entire country. AS long as the
people at large are able to buy anthra-
cite, it will not want market.
1t is also of interest to note an
increase of Is cents in the average
value per ton for coal at the mines
The total production was 66,S51, 713
tons, valued at $152 ,036,44S. The aver
age price per ton was $3.50; the num-
Der of men employed was 150,4S3; and
the average number of days that eacli
| man worked was FOG.
Tables are given in the report which
shows the production by counties for
the years 1902 and 1908; also the ship
ments of anthracite and the proper
ton of sizes shipped. A tabular ar
rangement of the various sections of
the anthracite fields is given, with a
! list of ten railroads that enter the ter
ritory.
The anthracite fields comprise an
area of somewhat over 4S0 square
miles. and are located in the eastern
middle part of the state, in the coun-
ties of Carbon, Columbia, Lacka-
wanna, Luzerne, Northumberland,
Schuylkill and Susquehanna They
are classed under three general divi-
sions, namely, the Wyoming, Lehigh
and Schuylkill regions. Geologically
they are divided into fields or basins,
which are again subdivided into dis
| tricts.
The Befnice field. in Sullivan coun-
ty, is not included in any of these re-
! gions. The classification of the prod
uct of this field is a matter of some
contention. The fracture of the coal
| and some of its characteristics are
more like those of some bituminous
or semianthracite Goals than strict
anthracite. but on account of its high
percentage of fixed carbon and low
percentage of moisture it is classed as
anthracite by the second Pennsyl-
vania geological survey. and the
product is so included in this report