The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1906-05-18
COAL is KING.
Leads All Other Industries With
Yearly Value of Sl,44O,OOO,OOO.

Eastern KentuclSians should read
the following from a New York paper,
and then they may have a pretty
fair conception of the worth OF the
vast region from the mouth of the
Big Sandy to the Cumberlands:
We have long been accustomed TO
asserting that iron is the king OF
American manufactures. The total
annual value Of iron and steel manu-
features is now about 5000, 100000, or
500 100000 less than the capltaliza-
ton Of the United States Steel Cor
poration. We have heard also Of
King Cotton. With crop Of lS,000,-
900 bales at an average price Of 8
cents a pound, this king is worth
1854 100000 There is King Corn.
One Of the almanacs gives the crop
Of 1904 at 92,4G7 ,4SO,934 bushels. If
we drop the 70" and make 1t 2,467,-
4S0,934 we may be about right. Value
Il ,OS7 100000. Our annual wheat crol
is worth little more than half a
billion.
What of old King Coal, jolly old
soul? The output last year was in
round numbers SGO,OOOOOO tons, worth
at the pits mouth sl.S5 ton. Sup
pose We pay 81 ton for it? There
is a value Of s1,ilO,00O,0 900. Our total
annual gold output is only baga-
telle CT some $SO,000,OOO. And gold,
The most precious of metals, Is sell
dom worth more than its intrinsic
mining value. Coal? IL Is the foun-
dation Of all the sciences and arts;
for without it there would be no
manufactures. no iron, no steel, no
corn, no wheat 10 speak of Without
II where would we get gas, electricity,
railroads, steamcraft and a thousand
other necessities Of civilization? Coal
surely is king. There is no estimat-
ing its potentially.
Coal was burned freely in King
Solomon's time, but is must have
been charcoal. The first coal used
in America was discovered in 1919
Some of our ancestors mined ii in
175O. Anthracite was discovered first
in Rhode Island. The little state is
well supplied with It to this day. but
the mines are not importation
Most of us old fellows can recol-
lect when coal was shipped by the
ark load. An ark was a sort Of in.
verted log cabin, about 100 feet long
20 feet wide and feet deep. Thai
is, II was pen, floating in the
stream. 1t was pointed at both neds
and steered by an oar % feet long
II took two men TO handle the ark.
oar. The crew consisted Of four mer
usually, and they were seven days
In navigating a load Of coal from IN,
mines to the seaboard. The cost O
the trip was about $50. The ark wa
worth $40. As It could not be brough
up the river again. IL was sold witt
the coal for SIG or SIS.
In the early days coal was sold Il
the consumer just as It happened Il
come out of the pit-all sizes al on.
| price, about SIS ton. The cost o.
transportation was s. ton. An arl
held about 65 tons of run-of-min'
coal. The river men called their ark
"gondolas, after the pretty boat
In use in the Venetian archipelago
When the railroads captured the Goa
business on broad scale the cur
) used were notm UGH larger tina.
wheelbarrows. By and by, as thei
size and carrying capacity increased
they We're called "gondolas" aftel
the arks and the Venetian pleasure
craft.
We who pay $3.50 a ton for stow
coal today ought TO look back to tn
days when the cost of Transporting
1000 pounds from the mines to Phil
; adelphia by horse and wagon was $50
The first canals in general use II
the United States were dug for tn
conveyance of coal. Who invente'
the railroad? The coal diggers in tn
! North of England Their little tram
ways were the origin of all the rail
5 road system of the world. Stree
/ cars in England are still calle'
tramcars. Yes, coal is king.