The Washington herald., 1909-08-29
TEXAS COAL OUTPUT
1t Was 1896, ,377 Short Tons
in Year 1908.
ITS VALUE WAS $S,419,481
Production Increased on Account of
Decreasing Use of Petroleum and
Demands OF Growing Population.
States Activities Affected Little by
Financial Depression in the East.

The total production OF coal in Texas
in 1905, as reported by E. w. Parker, OF
the United States Geological Survey. was
1.Ss5S7 short tons. having a spot value
Of SS41s.4S1
Texas was one OF the few States which
exhibited an increase IN the production
Of coal in 1903 over 1907. Part OF this in
crease was due to the continued decrease
in the production Of petroleum and in It's
use for fuel purposes within the State.
this decrease amounting to more than
100000 barrels. or about 10 per cent. In
1903.
Other reasons for the increase IN coal
production have been the rapid growth
OF the population OF the State and the
prevailing prosperous conditions. which
were not in any material degree adverse
ly Influenced by the general depression
throughout the country. The output OF
bituminous coal increased from s40S37
short TONS valued at S2.O62,9lS, IN 1907.
10 L047, ,407 short tons. valued AT s. $50 S9l.
IN 1908, gain OF IA per cent in quantity
and Of 25I per cent in value.
Sold for S2.19 n Ton.
The average price for bltuminous coal
advanced from 2.l9 IN 1907 20 S246 IN 1905
There was a decline OF cents a ton in
the average price OF Ignite. but the pro-
ductlon increased from 707.7S2 short tons
10 sf7.97O tons in quantity and from S7l5,-
ss3 TO SsSS 400 in value. The total increase
for all coal in 1908 was 2i7.30s short tons.
or 1901 per cent in quantity, and $40, 90,
or 23o6 per cent, in value.
A branch line OF the Wichita Falls
and Southern Railway from Wichita Falls
90 the bituminous coal areas OF Young
County was completed IN 1908. and that
county entered the list Of producers with
a total output OF 1.OO0 tons. The btu
mlnOus coal mines in Mccullough County
we're idle IN 1908, however. so that the
number OF producing counties (sixteen)
was the same as I'm 1907.
The counties producing bltuminous coal
were Erath Maverick. Palo Pinto. Park
er. Webb. Wise. and Young. and the lig-
mite producing counties were Bastrop.
Fayette, Hopkins. Houston, Leon, Me-
dina, Milan. Robertson. and Wood.
Operating Conditions.
The coal mines Of Texas gave employ
ment in 1905 10 400 men. who worked on
an average Of "a days. against 4.227 men
for an average OF 242 days in 1907. The
average daily production per man IN the
bItuminous mines was 1-25 short tons and
in the Ignite mines 323 tons.
The average daily production per man
for both bituminous and Ignite was II
tons in 1905 against 161 in 1907. The
average annual prodcuton per man in 1908
was 431 short tons. against 800 tons in
1907. In the bituminous mines the aver
age annual production per man in 1905
was S26 short tons and in the Ignite
mines II was ia tons.
There were six mining machines in use
IN the coal mines OF Texas In 1903 a de-
crease from thirteen In 1857. and the
machine-mined tonnage decreased from
3s,100 20 5000. In most Of the bituminous
mines OF the State the men worked eight
hours a day, but in the Ignite mines the
rule was ten hours.
Coal Reserve of Texas.
NJ. R. Campbeu's estimates Of the coal
areas OF Texas place the bituminous fields
known to contain workable coal at $500
square miles, with $500 square miles OF
area not so well known that may con-
tain workable coal The known Ignite
areas cover 2.0cO square miles. while there
are 5000 square miles, extending from
Sabine and Red rivers on the east and
north to the Rio Grande on the south
west, which may contain workable beds
Of ignite.
The estimated original supply OF btu
mlnOus coal in Texas is placed at 5000. .
nh lomee
%. 900. 100000 tons. making a total OF 81
100000. 900 tons. There had been produced
to the close Of 1908 a total OF 16.34O. .325
short tons, which represents an exhaus-
ton Of approximately 5000, 900 tons, or
0Os per cent OF the original supply. The
coal left In the ground at the close Of 1908
was be equal to 1890 times the produc-
ton Of that year.