East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-08-14
WASHINGTON LEADS
Is THE GREATEST PACI-
FLO COAL PRODUCER.
Coal Was First Discovered In the
State I'm 1S4S-F1rst Shipment Sent
Out in 1S8O-Total Production for
1904 Was S,1S7,6si Tons-Number
of Men Employed 52s7,

The state of Washington leads the
west In coal production and the geo.
logical survey in a recent bulletin
gives some entertaining statistics OF
that industry in the state. The report
in part Is as follows:
Coal was first discovered In Wash
ington in 1S4S, when a Ignite of
rather low grade was found in Cow
litz valley. Four years later bitumin-
Gus coal was found in Bellingham bay
and the first mine in the state was
opened on this bed. Shipments did
not begin, however, until 1860.
This mine was operated continu-
ously from 1860 to 1878, when, be-
cause of fire caused by spontaneous
combustion, the workings were aban-
doned and they have not since been
reopened. Shipments were not re-
sumed from any of the mines in the
northern district until 13 years later,
1901.
Coal was discovered in King coun-
ty in 1859, and mining began near the
present Issaquah in 1862. Shipments
to San Francisco began in 1871, since
which time the Washingtonians have
been an important source of supply
to the San Francisco market
About the same time the Talbot and
Renton mines, which are in King
county, began shipping, and rail con-
nection between the Talbot and Rem
ton mines and Seattle was obtained
in 1877. Production in the Green
river field began between 1880 and
1885, and the Pierce county fields
which had been opened up in 1875.
Men Employed.
The number of men employed in
the coal mines of Washington increas-
ed from 476S in 1903, to 52S7 in 1904,
while the average number of days
worked decreased from 2S5 to 243.
Owing to the large number of men
employed in 1904, the average pro-
ductive capacity per man for the year
shows decrease from $40 tons In
1908 to 593.5 tons in 1904, while due
to the fewer number of days worked
the average daily efficiency shows an
increase from 2.35 tons per man in
! 1908 to 2.44 tons in 1904.
OF the total number of coal mines
| in Washington there were seven
mines, employing 110 men, that re-
| ported eight hours as the length OF
the working day, II mines, employ
ing 4042 men, reported eight hours
! for miners and either nine and one
/ half OF ten hours for "day" men
four mines, employing 70 men, re-
ported nine hours and six mines, EN-
ploying 757 men, reported 10 hours
Out of the total production of g.
1851 tons of coal in Washington
in 1904, 1,21O,230 tons came from
King county. 10000 tons came
from Kittitas and 531,5S9 from
Pierce. The remaining 46,462 toni
were scattered over the state,
Decrease Is Shown.
Compared with 1908, the coal pro
duction of Washington in 1904 snow
a decrease OF $500 short tons, or l.
per cent. The value of the rroduc
at the mines fell off from $5,3SO,e7
in 1903 to s5,120.931 in 1904. los
of $259,749, or AS per cent This De
crease in production and the proper
tionately larger decrease in value
were due to the much increased use o
fuel oil in San Francisco and othe
California cities. which form one q
the principal outlets for Washingto
coal.
"There were only two cases of sus
, pension of work by strikes In the cos
mines of Washington in 1904. In thes
a total of $50 men were idle for
; average of 365 days, the total tim
lost being equivalent to per cent {
i the total time worked, and not suff
cient to affect the production of tn
vaar