Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-02-12
RAIL ROADS PLEDGE
OPENS COAL MINES
Consolidation Company to Employ
All the Men II Can Get.
ROAD TO DOUBLE CAPACITY

Wsst Virginia Operators Predict That
the Present Year Will BE the Great
est In the History Of the Coal Fields
Railroads to Be Greatly improved
In Many Sections of the State to
Advance Facilities For Hauling the
Output of Coal Mined.
Baltimore, Feb. "a dispatch from
Fairmont, w. Va, which is confirm
ed at the Company's general office in
Baltimore, says that the order has
gone out from the Consolidation Coal
Company to fill the mines with miners
and rent all the houses owned by the
Company. This action was taken at
ter the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company agreed to take care of so
per cent more freight than had ever
been offered the road in the best
years ever seen in this section.
To Run at Full Capacity.
The mines of the Consolidated Coal
Company will be runNto their full ca
pacity, and an enormous tonnage
will be given the Baltimore and
Ohio. The mines have been running
slack for some time. The operators
will now take on all the men that
they can get The Coal Company
wants to be In readiness to take every
advantage that is afforded it in the
way of traffic facilities given by the
Baltimore and Ohio when the great
| improvements that the Company con-
templates are worked out.
Other improvements.
One of the plans that President Will
lard made known TO the shippers
when he met them at Baltimore was
that the Monongahela River Railroad
would be so improved that much of
| the coal would be shipped over that
road to Clarksburg and then on the
Short Line Railroad to the Ohio Val
ley Railroad. A bridge will be built
over the West Fork river at Lumber
port, and large yards will be put In
at Gypsy. This route will be only a
few miles farther than the route
/ through this city by way of Wheeling.
This, it is said, will be better out
let for the operators.
The outlook for great development
] in the coal business is brighter here
than it has ever looked and the year
| 1910 should be the banner year in
Fairmont's history.
Coal In Demand.
I 4 Vice-President Wheelwright of the
Consolidation Coal Company said that
the coal trade is in good condition
now and that the companies in West
Virginia are selling their product at
| good prices as fast as they can get
! it above ground and load it into cars.
THE demand in general" he said,
'and the tendency of prices is up
ward The percentage of our mines in
operation is larger than for several
weeks and we are increasing pro-
duction as rapidly as possible The
disturbance in Wall street Is not re-
fiected in general business. and | see
no reason why the trouble in that
center should extend to commercial
| lines.
Industrial activity is greater and
consumptive power more extensive
than for years. All to these trade
making factors, the abundance of
money everywhere and the desire OF
capitalists to further legitimate en-
terprise, and it will be easily seen
there is substantial basis for further
Improvement all along the line
! There is, however, one dark spot
upon the horizon, which is attracting
much attention among both coal pro-
ducers and consumers. This is the
/ labor problem and the probable de-
mands OF organized labor on April /,
when the present agreement between
operators and mine-workers expires.
Should there be disagreement and
the mines be forced to suspend even
fer few weeks, it wouli have a very
serious effect upon the industries Of
the country dependent on bituminous
coal for frel