Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-04-10

! production i'll the United States in net
tons of all grades Of coal is set forth by
| him as follows:
Tons. Tons.
$50 ....... ll,:E'3s22 1860 ...... 2f9, 6Sl .O2l
| 1870 ........ 81, S07 800 1862 sol $50. t,9
$50 ........ I,4>l.570 1901 80 i37 uhJ
| $50 ........1 al 90 G3
| The output of coal in the United
States last year is thus shown to have
been 3l5 800 tons, worm at the pits
mouth $500 100000, while the value Of
| rig-iron produced was, perhaps, $780,
0Co000. and the value of gold produced
Was about $1,000 900. Mr.. Saward SAYS:
'PrObably the most Interesting fact
brought out is the growth of the pro-
duction of coal on per capita basis.
1t is shown that while in 1880 the pro-
duction Of coal per unit OF population
vas but one-fortieth OF a ton, it is at
| the present time on q basis of four tons
,,cr capita. a huniredroid increase, or
ten thousand per cent. In 1910 the per
'-apita tOnnag" was .i05: 1850 .27S: 1860.
| .114 ana not until 1870 did it approach
one ton per capita, the exact figure,
| then being SO. Since then rapid
strides have been made For 1880 the
|
1860. 1894; FOR 1902. 1883. and at pres
ent, it is safe TO say, at least four tons
per capita. With a steady growth in
population practically assured by the
great natural resources OK the United
States and IN its wide area of undevel-
npcd territory. it is easy to calculate
that should the per capita increase in
output continue il anything like the
in ind a T. JA np h.,
past, an enormous increase in the coal
business can safely be predicted. Our
recent prophecy of an annual output of
800. 0hO, 900 tons per annum III the course
of a few years will soon come true. and
that tonnage will form n starting point
FOR still greater records.
Picking out typical ccal-producing
states in the South. their tonnage de
velopment in recent years is shown in
the following:
1870. 1900 1904.
Virginia .......... 6loO 2.&a3 ,oi 3,Iou,ooo
West Virginia ..f'S@1 22.6ii 200 5000 800
Tennessee ........ 49, 400 3.-h3.50J 4.IG,O0o
Kentucky 800 5,3-S,900 1905 coo
Alabama ......... 110W S.34,200 H., 0o)
Commenting upon manifestations in
these States, Mr.. Saward says: "In
Alabama there has been most recent
extensive development. and. therefore.
1t is not surprising to lean that the
output has gone beyond the 10000. 900 |
ton mark. Work on the Warrior River
navigation is progressing, and il is
claimed within two gears that there
will be six feet of water at all times. 50
that harges Of 500 tons capacity can be
loaded at the mines alongside its banks
and foated 20 Mobile. and that the to-
tai cost of coat f. o. b. there. will not
exceed s. a ton, making it the cheapest
fuel import in America.
Greatest in Importance is West Viz
Sinia. and the outlook is greater than
elsewhere. The recent purchases by
large Pennsylvania firms are an index OF
the ensuing growth in West Virginia.
Virginia contains a very large and i'm |
portant district in the southwestern
counties, and the tonnage is a good one.
This is one of the most important feed
ers OF the Norfolk x Western Railway
system. The principal districts are TaZc |
Well ana Mise counties.
"kentucky is growing rapidly, ana the |
returns at hand show that last year there |
We're something over L0U0,U1 tons shipped
To market, and this is an INDEX OF what
could be done under good arrangements. |
For ten years ago the total was not one
half OF the quantity named.
1t is only within the past few years |
that one has heard much Of the devel |
Opment of the coal resources of TcnneS-
see. and growth there has been due to
the enterprise of Northern capitalists. |
who are now likely to make n showing
in the output of the coal resources OF
Tennessee. There is an abundance Of
good coal there. and it can be read |
lily mined and disposed OF.
Mr. Saward does not think that petro
leum will ever jeopardizc the coal inter
ostS of the country. Still, in some re-
srrctS. the petroleum output in the South |
is keeping pace with that of coal without
detrimcnt to either. Typical Of this is i
review in this weeks issue of the Manu- |
facturers' Record of the first three |
months Of the year in the reXaSI4Ouisi- |
ana oil fields written by Mr. Holland 5. |
Reavis, an authority on Southwestern oil. |
lie estimates that in January, February |
and March, 1865, the production in the |
Texas districts was 5,1S0,0U barrels. and |
in the Jennings district 3SlO.00 barrels. |
or Il total of 100000 barrels, an increase
the first three months of 1904. lie dwellS |
upon features of development At B;Itson |
Sour Lake. Spndletop and Saratoga in
Texas. at Jennings, La, ana on Caddo |
Island in the same State where he re- |
ga .dS the recent oil discovery as the most |
encouraging find in the Louisiana field |
and referring to the consumption last |
year of nearly 9000,O0J barrels Of fuel oil |
in Texas and Louisiana, he says:
"There arc signs of wider fuel Oil |
market, an extension of the industries OF !
Texas and Louisiana and greater oil |
business. The present year promises 10
break all records in the oil industry of |
the Texas Louisiana district With a |
lead of more than 100000 barrels over |
last year at this time, it looks as i the |
q. COO barrel mark of 1904 will he |
passed With the rapid extension of the
markets for Texas and Louisiana fuel OIL