The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-09-22
NLAHOMA COAL
ELO DECREASES
ike of 1910 Causes Slump Of Nearly
Half a Million Tons From output
of Year Previous.

e Oklahomas coal production in 1910
$ IS 2,646,226 short tons, valued at
S67,947, a decrease of 473, Isl short
Is as compared with the tonnage for
l 90, according to Edward w. Parker,
the United States geological sur
y.
Oklahoma was one of the states
ost seriously affected by the pro-
nged strike of 1910. Naturally, in
iticipation of the suspension of op-
atio1s, the mines of the Mississippi
alley region were operated with un-
sual activity during the first three
Ionths of the year and about 80 per
aIt increase over the normal tonnage
as won during that time. After min
lg was generally resumed in Septem-
er there was a strong effort made by
9th operators and miners to make up
lar lost time. Thus although the
trike lasted for five and half months
Ind considerable additional time was
'equired to put the mines into work
ng order, the actual loss in produc-
ion was not in proportion to the time
ost by the strike. In Oklahoma the
production decreased from 3,119,377
short tons, valued at $6,259,367 in 1909
10, 2,646,226 tons, valued at $5,S67, ,947
n 1910, a difference against 1910 of
a73, ISL short tons or 1917 per cent in
quantity, and of 1886, ,420 or GIG per
rent in value. because of the short
age caus by the strike the average
price per ton advanced from So in 1909
to 1922 in 1910.
/ The suspension Of mining in the
southwestern states gave exceptional
opportunity for Goals from Colorado,
New Mexico, and Alabama to make
hew and hevy inroads upon the mar
.kets naturally tributary to Oklahoma
.and the adjoining states of Arkansas
and Kansas. 1t also gave substantial
encouragement to the development of
slignite in Texas, and to the expansion
of its use; but probably the most SER
Z ious effect, because more lasting, was
the migration of the miners to other
state where mining was not inter
lupted Consequently when mining
was resumed and demand was unpre-
cedentedly heavy the labor supply was
entirely inadeOuate
Dangerous Mining Methods Employed.
The industry in Arkansas and Okla
homa has suffered from other troubles
than the strike. There has been a
strong tendency on the part of the
miners to use increased quantities of
powder, and it is also stated that dy
Mantle is frequently used, practice
which is not only dangerous to life
and property but results in a largely
increased percentage of slack More
over. it is the practice in nearly all
the mines to "shoot off the solid" This
also is extra hazardous and has in
cerased the quantity of slack so that
it is now double what it was fifteen
wears ago. This results in the COM
plant by purchasers that coal which
appears to be lump coal on arrival
easily disintegrates as a result of the
: crushing strain to which it has been
subjected by the mining methods en-
ployed.
In addition to the other disorganiz-
ing influences, the coal industry of the
southwest has suffered from the con-
tinued competition of cheap fuel oil
and of natural gas.
The number of men reported as en-
ployed in the coal mines of Oklahoma
in 1910 was 1857, who worked an
average of 144 days. The number of
men on strike was S,213 and the av-
.erage time lost by each man was 152
days. so that the idleness was equiva-
lent to SO per cent of the time worked
The quantity of coal produced for each
ma Unemployed in 1910 was 306 short
tons for the year and 2.13 tons for
each working day
Coal Fields of Oklahoma.
The coal-bearing rocks of Oklahoma
form a part of what is known as the
western interior coal field They ex-
tend from what was Indian Territory
into Kansas on the north and into
Arkansas on the east. Within the
state this field has an approximate
area of 10000 square miles, underly-
ing the western half of the area for
merly known as the Cherokee Nation,
the whole of what was the Creek Ma
tion. the northern third of what was
tbe Choctaw Nation, and small por
tion OF the former Chickasaw Nation
The total area underlaid by workable
coal is estimated to be about 10000
square miles. The Goals, of which