The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-10-30
WONDERFUL
GROWTH IN
COAL BUSINESS
West VirgiirliaMorD
Ranks High on
Prediction

NEW YORK, Oct. 3O.-When you
enter Number One Broadway the first
skyscraper building put up In New
York. you are impressed first OF all by
the long rack of firm names with al
most every firm announced as dealing
I'm coal. A general look. around, along
with a few questions gives you the
information that every important coal
mining corporation tin West Virginia
and adjoining States is represented
under this one roof. Once you reacb
the third floor an look In upon the
Hon. Clarence Watson, OF Fadrmont,
talk with him on the West Virginia
product and the prospects and then
conclude the conversation with his
sales manager Frank Wiltshire you
are impressed with what the State is
doing in business way.
On the Wiltshire table found a
volume of which only 200 copies were
prepared for the edification OF. coal
producers and thedr chief patrona
This book was gotten up by the
Bituminous Coal Trade association. l.
N. Lowell, chairman; H. s. Fleming,
secretary, and while the book is not
bulky 1t tells much and mostly in
figures.
tne West Virginia report the state.
ment that in 1901 the State shipped
21, ,599,121 gross tons of coal. Then
we Jump the figures telling the total
tonnage of intervening years and md
tnat in the last year something like
fifty million tons were mined and
shipped from the State and this does
not include the coal used within the
The prediction was
made in the Watson offiees that the
coming year Will show a. decided In
crease and that present business war
rants such a prediction. Now, in the
midst OF these figures, showing sucl
a wonderful increase and DEVELOPMENT
in years, let us turn to an old re-
port and find that in the year 1868.
the total amount OF coal mined in
West Virginia was $4,000 tons. or
course the war was on IN that year
and labor a mighty uncertain quar-
tity but some coal mining had TO be
done and West Vdrginfl WAS doing
mighty little of 1t. The comparison
of figures between the year of 100.
and the last big year of mining la
the State, speaks volumes as to the
growth of West Virginia
and OF the thousands of worf1men
VINO are earning wages. Our coal
magnates who got out tae limited
OF books showing bituminous
coal production in the country. took
posns to divide West Virginia into dis
tricts and the first two districts COM
prise the counties of Ohio, Brook,
Hancock. Marshall, Harrison, Lewis.
TJDshur and Marion. These counties
Drodlced 7,422,390 gross tons of ex-
Dort last year. The third and fourth
districts comprising the counties OF
Barban, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor
Grant, Mineral. Randolph and Tucker,
cent out 4,115,622 tons. The fifth dis
trsct containing the counties OF Bra&.
ION. Clay, Fayette, Cpart) Gilmer, Ka-
nawna (part) Mason and Putnam
niled upon the cars 3,107,STS tons.
The sixth district comprising a part
Of Kanawha put out 1,9S7,934 tons.
The seventh district comprising part
of the counties above mentioned ana
with Nicholas addlsd brought forth
and sent forth 1,7sT7S7 tons, whiie
and Greenbrier showed out
2 ,32O, 1856 tons. The counties OF NC
Dowell and Mercer or rather parts
of them put out 5,S37 SIT tons, the
greatest OF any one district in the
State, The counties of Lincoln, Lo-
gan. MInEo and wayne produced and
shipped 3,I29,238. These figures
while showing a wonderful increase
are not satisfactory to the great coz
of West Virginia and they
are anxious to make a much better
showing in the next few years. That
ali producers OF coal in West Nr-
ginia are hopeful, even enthusiastic.
is indicated by the great investments
which are being made in new terri
tory.
associates of a million dollars worth
OF coal land in eastern Kentucky in
dIcates a faith dn future business con
ditions, the more so when 1t Is known
that three million dollars VIII De