The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-08-05
COAL IN TEXAS.
Geological Surveys Report on 1908
Output.

L
Parker, of the United States Geo
logical Survey, was 1,S95,377 short
tons. having a spot value of So
.4l9.4S1.
Texas was one of the few states
which exhibited an increase in the
production of coal in 1908 over
1907. Part of this increase was due
to the continued decrease in the
production of petroleum and in its
use for fuel purposes within the
state. this decrease amounting to
more than a million barrels, or
about 10 per cent, in 1908. Other
reasons for the increase in coal pro-
ducts have been the rather rapid
growth of the population of the
state and the prevailing prosperous
conditions which were not in any
material degree adversely influenced
by the general depression through
out the country. The output OF BIZ
Z
luminous coal increased from 94o,-
1897 short tons, valued at S2,062,91S
n 1907, to 1,047,407 short tons,
valued at s2,58O,991, in 1908,
gain of ia per cent in quantity and
of 251 per cent in value. The aver
age price for bituminous coal adj
vanced from s2.19 in 1907 to s2.46
in 1908. There was a decline of 2
cents ton in the average price Of
Ignite but the production increased
from 7o7,732 short tons to S47,97o
tons in quantity and from ST 5,S9S
TO $S3S.490 in value. The total In
crease for all coal in 1908 was 247,-
eos in value. The total increase for
all coal in 1908 was 247,30S short
/ tons. or 1901 per cent, IN quantity
and $64O,67O, or 23.06 per cent in
value.
A branch line of the Wichita Falls
and Southern Railway from Wichita
Falls to the bituminous coal areas
of Young county was completed III
1905, and that county entered the
list of producers with a total output
of 900 tons. The bituminous coal
mines in Mccullough county were
idle in 1908, however, so that the
number of producing counties-l6-
was the same as in 1907. The coun-
ties producing. bituminous coal were
Erath, Maverick, Palo Pinto, Park
er, Webb. Wise, and Young, and the
Ignite producing counties were Bas-
trop. Fayette, Hopkins, Houston,
Leon, Medina, Milan, Robertson,
and Wood.
Operating Conditions.
The coal mines of Texas gave en-
ployment i'll 1908 to 400 men, who
worked an average of 254 days,
against 4.227 men for an average OF
242 days in 1907 The average dali
ly production per man i'll the blum
nous mines was 123 short tons and
in the Ignite mines 3.23 tons. The
average daily production per man,
for both bituminous and Ignite, was
II tons in 1908, against l.6l in
1907 The average annual production
per man in ! sos was 421 short tons,
against $50 tons in 1907. In the BIZ
luminous mines the average annual
production per man in 1908 was 80 6
short tons and in the Ignite mines
it was ia tons.
There We're six mining machines
in use in the coal mines of Texas in
1908, a decrease from thirteen in
mage decreased from $1,000 to 49,
900. In most of the bituminous
mines of the state the men worked
eight hours day, but in the Ignite
mines the rule was ten hours.
Coal Reserve of Texas.
NJ. X. Campbell's estimate of the
coal areas Of Texas place the blum
nous fields known to contain work
able coal at s 200 square miles, with
$500 square miles of area not SC
well known that may contain work
able coal. The known Ignite areas
cover 1000 square miles, while there
are $4,000 square miles, extending
from Sabine and Red Rivers on the
east and north to the Rio rande or
the southwest, which may contain
workable beds OF Ignite. The esti-
mated original supply Of bituminous
coal in Texas is placed at 5000,
900, 900 short tons and that of lig
mite at $4,000, 100000 tons There
had been produced to the close OF
1908 a total of 16,340,325 short
\ tons, which represents an exhaustion
approximately 25,00O.000 tons
08 per cent Of the original sup
khA coal left in the ground al
lose of 1908 would be equal tc
DO times the production of that
Alderman Thompson is chairman