Free press., 1906-09-08
SIX AND HALF MILLION TONS
ONE YEARS PRODUCTION OF
KANSAS COAL.
One Of the States Largest industries
Principal Consumer Is The At
Gibson, Topeka & Santa Re
Railway.

Kansas always stands out big and
triumphant in the industrial reports
of the government Whether 1t be
corn, or wheat, or beet sugar, or -four,
or live stock, or salt, or petroleum, or
lead, or zinc, or cement. or gypsum.
or coal, or a score of other staple
products Of soil, mines, or manufac-
ture, the word "Dirigo" belongs on the
top line Of the story.
The coal production of Kansas Is
the subject of report for 1905 by E.
w. Parker to the United States Geo
logical Survey. Other states produce
more coal than Kansas does, but no
state has made greater increase OF
output, and so the phrase stands good
In Kansas even for coal production.
In 1905, Kansas produced 6,463, 1923
tons Of coal, worth on the spot So
410,632. This was an increase since
1895 of nearly 125 per cent.
To mine this production in 1905,
1905 men were employed an aver
age of PIP days. The average pro-
duction per man was 1888 tons, and
the average daily production per man
was 2.54 tons. OF course. this in
the mines of the state, and since, in
new or undeveloped coal territory, the
mining is done in a desultory way,
and by inexperienced men, the daily
average per man here stated is not a
fair estimate of the full earnings Of
the miners. For the coal miners Of
Kansas, with few exceptions, belong
to the United Mine Workers of Amer"
lea, and are workmen of the highest
order of intelligence and skill.
The coal produced from the Kansas
mines, except the comparatively little
which is sold in Kansas City, st. Jo-
seph, Joplin and other border towns,
is burned by Kansas families and
Kansas industries, and by railroads
operating in Kansas and Oklahoma.
In addition the western part of the
state obtains large quantities of the
| production Of Colorado mines.
The largest consumer of coal mined
in the state is the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe Railway. To establish a
supply of coal for its locomotives, the
Santa Fe has opened or caused to be
opened more coal mines in the state
than any other institution or individ-
ual. The marvellous growth of the
city of Pittsburg and the congestion
of population in the mining camps
round about that splendid city may
be traced directly to the money In
vested by the Santa Fe in coal proper
ties there.
From the coal mines OF Kansas the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe takes
daily 1900 tons, monthly 1850 tons,
and yearly $50, 900 tons. This is 13 1-3
per cent. of the states annual pro-
duction. To mine this share of the
states production, using Mr.. Parker
averages, 1000 men were employed
In 1906
The Santa Fe consumes in its loco
motives. within the state of Kansas,
daily 1873 tons monthly 55,583 tons,
and yearly 666,996 tons. OF this
total, 200,136 tons are bought in Colo.
rado. The Company operates approx
imateIy 500 locomotives within the
state. Based on the law Of averages
for the entire operation of western
railway, locomotive consumes a ton
of coal in a run of about Is miles, or
about five tons a day. This average
includes heavy road engines and the
lighter engines used on branch lines.
Counting two men to an engine,
1000 men (engineers and fremen)
are employed in burning the coal
which the Company buys for Kansas
consumption. Added to this are the
1000 men employed in mining the
coal
Mr. Parker's report is full of inter
est outside of the figures above given,
but an exhaustive article on the sub
ject would occupy more space than
we have to spare