Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-10
harp COAL PRICES
ANTHRhciTETAkEs POSITION OF
PROMINENCE IN THE MARKET
AT THIS TINE OF YEAR.
RltuminPus Prices Are, Not Noticed
Much Just Now Except AS Regards
Steam Goal - Orders For Hard Coal
Are Manipulating.

Chicago, May 7.-(special.)- The
Black Diamond. Official organ of the
coal industry. reviewing the western
coal trade today says:
rs AS IS nsua4 at this season of the
year. anthracite occupies the position
OF prominence, bituminous coal taking
3 secondary position. except for Steam
purposes. Anthracite in western mar
kets continues to be very active, not
withstanding that it is now the second
month In the mining year and the price
mas been advanced ten cents ton oy-
er the circular in April. New business
Is not developing as rapidly as it did
lor the same week a year ago, but, ow-
Ing to the delay in lake navigation, the
demand is being filled from all rail de-
liveries, which are inadequate to meet
the situation. Many of the western
shipping agents report that they have
enough orders booked during last
month to take all the coal received in
May, unless labor troubles on the
great lakes should be settled in which
event there might be enough coal ar
irving to go around.
Rituminous Markets Unchanged.
Western bituminous markets are
unchanged from last week. There is
practically no demand from domestic
handlers Of this coal, most retailers
being engaged in cleaning up their
yards or In storing anthracite. Steam
business continues light, owing no
doubt to the condition of the spot mar
ket which has demoralizinG influence
inasmuch as large users prefer to buy
at ruling prices rather than take ton
mage on contracts which they have
signed or, if they have not signed con-
tracts yet they are holding off until it
will be to their advantage to do so
rather than to buy free COAL" East
Gin Goals are relatively firmer than
those produced in the west, which is
accounted for from the fact that they
are under better control as to ship
ments. Western producers, however,
are taking the cue from the develop
ments Of the last three weeks and in
some instances are not especial anxi-
Gus to produce coal to be sold at ruin
ously low figures. In the movement
of coal, lake and rail, to dock points,
there have been no developments
toward settling the labor situation.
The deadlock between the masters
and pilots and the vessel owners still
continues. the most encouraging pre-
diction being that by June 1 it may be
Strengthened out. This will mean "a
month more of idleness in the lake
trade and while. it, continues depres-
sion in spot prices at rail delivery
points Is to be expected. Coal that is
produced for lake docks must in the
meantime find an outlet at some point
unless there should be a suspension Of
production. This will have tenden-
cy to keep the markets more or less
weak until navigation opens.
Anthracite Orders Accommodating.
"In the anthracite trade May was
ushered in with small run of orders
however at this time of the year that
orders coming in on new account
should be rather light the first week in
the month, owing to the change in
prices. Present conditions are, there
fore, not true index to the actual
market Arrivals of anthracite for
the past three weeks at Chicago and
other large western distributing points
have been unusually light. Cars for
westbound freight are reported as in
light supply at the mines, while the
situation at Buffalo has been one of
more or less congestion, some Of the
railroads westbound having been en-
bargoed most of the time. During the
last half of April not anywhere near
enough coal came west to meet the or
ders which were placed with the lead
ing shipping companies. The conse-
quence Is that with the first of this
month there remained many Of these
untitled. There was such a large vol
une Of business Of this character that