The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-08
RAILROAD NEWS.
Rock Island Has Acquired Vast
Coal Interests.
To Furnish Bituminous Fuel to
Industries on Line.
10000 TONS DAILY.
Production win Run to $1,000
600 Tons Annually.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Chicago, June S.-To supply the
Northwest with soft coal is the vast
project of the Rock Island system, and
arrangements for doing it are now
practically completed. Through other
companies organized for that purpose
the Rock Island interests nave secured
a large number of mines in Illinois and
Indiana, have thousands OF acres of I'M
developed coal lands, and have options
on other lands.
It is now known that the Rock Is
land interests were back of the Con-
soIidated Indiana Coal company. which
was Incorporated last month at Augusta,
Ne, with a capital stock Of 81, O00, 900.
This company has purchased outright
10000 acres of coal lands in Sullivan
county, the producing mines of the fol-
lowing companies:
Hymera Coal and Mining company,
shafts 2, 3 and f.
Harder & Hafer Coal and Mining
company, Star City shaft.
W. S. Boyle Coal and Mining COM
pany, Glendora shaft.
T. c. Keller & Co., Virginia shaft.
North Jackson Hill Coal Mining COM
pany, St. Clair shaft.
Union Coal company, shaft 1.
Sullivan County Coal company, Hy-
mera shaft.
Can Produce 10000 Tons Daily.
These mines are located on the Ev-
ansvilIe & Terre Haute and the South
ern Indiana railroads, and have a pro-
ducing capacity of 10000 tons daily. In
addition to these mines are those of the
Rock Island Coal company at Cable
and Sherrard, Ill. The latter company
also owns and operates mines in Indian
Territory and the southwest.
The Rock Island mines in Illinois and
Indiana are now producing about 5000
tons daily, but within a short time ad-
ditiOnal mines will be opened and the
daily production increased to II, 900 tons
daily, or nearly 100000 tons annually.
The management of the Rock Island
system declares that the coal compan-
les will be under separate management
and will receive no favors from the
railroad company which Will not be
given to all the coal shippers along the
line. The Rock Island system has over
5000 miles of track north Of the Mis-
souri, state line and west of the Mis-
sissippi river, and it is this territory
that it proposes to supply with soft
coal. Heretofore the dealers in that
territory have had to depend mainly on
the lake lines for eastern soft coal and
the supply has been uncertain. while
prices have been excessive whenever
the eastern demand was great.
The Rock Island management be-
lieves that by supplying all the coal
needed at low rates., the Industrial de-
Velopment of Iowa, Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin, and the Northwest will be greatly
increased, with the result that the Rock
Island will make large gains in many
kinds of traffic, as well as coal.
To demonstrate what it proposes to
do in the coal business, the Rock Is
land has invited the principal coal
dealers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa,
and other states to inspect the mines
along the Rock Island and Eastern IL
linois roads. The coal dealers will be
carried in a special train OF ten cars,
which are here from st. Paul, stopping
en- route at the Marquette and La Sale
coal fields in Illinois. The special train
left here Tuesday night at 10 O'Clock
for Evansville, via the Eastern Illinois
road. Wednesday was spent inspecting
the coal fields in Sullivan county, just
acquired by the Rock Island company.