The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-05-25
COAL PRODUCTION
IN UNITED STATES
AMOUNTED 70 asi,isesss SHORT
TONS IN 1904.
VALUE or oOrpur s44s,c4,,sas.
While This 10 a Decrease over teo5,
the Failing or Was Due 20 The
Unusual Activity After the
Strike OF 1909.
Special 20 Daily Herald.

'bttthi w bNile IitThlus
Washington, D. c., May 2O-prac
tlcally complete returns 10 the Unit.
ed states Geological Survey for 1904,
as collected by Mr.. Edward W. Par.
her, statistician, show that the pro
duction OF coal last year amounted to
351,196,953 short tons, having a total
value Mt the mines OF s445.643,52S
Compared with 1908 this shows a
falling off Of 6,159,463 short tons In
quantity and of s~5S,OS0,s53 in value.
This decrease, although proportion.
ately large in the figures OF value.
does not Indicate any interruption to
the general prosperous conditions
which have prevailed during the last
eight years. 1t was simply a natural
reaction from the abnormal activity
which had been maintained through.
out the coal mining regions in 1903,
due to the exhaustion OF coal stocks
on hand by the memorable strike of
1902. In order to renew the coal
stocks and at the same time provide
fuel for immediate use. the coal
mines In 1903 were pushed to their
utmost capacity, or, one should pro-
badly say, TO the capacity Of tire rail-
roads to handle the output. AS a re-
suit, the enormous production OF
5 7.356,41G short tons was recorded.
Prices raised high by the famine OF
1902 remained high for q large part
Of the year. and the total value Of
coal at the mines, before any ex-
pense of transportation or selling
costs had been added, amounted TO.
$503,724, 1881, an increase OF $13G,600c
900 over that OF 1902.
THE production in 1904, while less
than that Of 1903 by G,169,463 short
tons exhibits q normal increase when
compared with the annual production
during the ten preceding years. The
average price for all coal mined and
sold In 1904 was Sf.27, az compared
with $1.41 in 1903 and $1.Z2 in 1902.
One of the interesting features in
connection with the anthracite trade
Is the constantly decreasing proper.
ton OF the large or more profitable
sizes OF coal sent TO the market, and
the equaily constant increase In the
proportions Of small or less profit
able coSE In 1890 IT per cent Of the
shipments from the anthracite re.
gions consisted Of sizes larger than
pea coal and 20 per cent represent.
ed the shipments Of pea coal ana
smaller. In 1904 the large sizes
made Up 62 per cent OF the total,
while the small sizes had Increased
to 3S per cent. Or, putting IL in
another way, the total tonnage Of
large sizes from 1890 to 1904 has In
creased rs per cent (from 28,154,67S
tons TO 35,G36,6G1 tons,) while the
tonnage OF small sizes has increased
1853 per cent, from S,460,7S1 long tons
in 1890 to 21,S55,S61 long tons in
1904. The recovery Of the disable
coal from the old culm banks by
washing has furnished some Of this
increase In the shipments OF small
sizes and the installmeht OF washer.
les at the breakers for the saving OF
small Sizes in the primary prepare,
ton OF the coal has done o
The statistics Of bituminous coal
production comprise ell varieties TX.
cept Pennsylvania anthracite, and IN.
clude Bemianthracite, and Include
semlbltuminous, camel, spliut and
block Goals and brown and black Zig.
mites. The smaff production OF an.
thracite in Colorado and New Mexico
is also included In the btu ninous
output. In 1904 the aggregate produc.
ton OF all these varieties amounted
to 7 8,040,24f short tons, valued n:
5000, 6G9, sos, against 2S2,749,348 short
tons, worth 1851, G67.933 in 1909, in.
dicatlng a decrease OF 4,709,1A tons
in amount and s45,01S,425 in value.
The average price a ton for all coal
mined and sold, including colliery
consumption, fell from $1.24 in 1903
10 $110 In 1904.
Among the 81 states included in
the report there were only 10 in
which there was increase Of produc.
ton in 1904, and these 10 include the
state OF Nevada. which is credited
with $50 tons in 1904, and had no
production during the preceding year.
OF the more important producing
States West Virginia, Indiana, Ken.
lucky, Iowa, Kansas and Wyoming,
were the only ones that showed an
increase in production in 1904. The
only important increase was made
by West Virginia, whose output in
1903 vas curtailed by labor troubles,
and whose gain in 1904 amounted 10