The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-12-07
ENORMOUS INCREASE
IN THE COAL OUTPUT
In the Year of 1910 as Shown
by Census Bureau
Figures.
(From tlle- Sun Burean. J

orators IN the United States for the
year 1909 was issued today by Di-
rector Durand of the bureau OF cen
sus Of the department of commerce
and labor. 1t gives summary OF
acreage owned and held under lease
by anthracite and bituminous coal
mine oerators in the United States,
comparing the statistics for the
United States and the principal
coal producing states for 1889 and
1909, and giving the percentage OF
increase. The statement was pre-
pared by Special Agent John D. A.
barrow under the direction of I. A.
Hourwich, expert special agent on
mining, bureau of the census.
The percentage OF increase was
much larger in West Virginia than
any other state, whore in 1889, 1917
1851 acres were controlled by oper-
Iators, whereas in 1909 1,147,527
were under control of mine opera
tors, an increase of 967 per cent.
Pennsylvania comes second with
an increase OF GIG per cent while
she was first in the number Of acres
controlled by the operators. In
Pennsylvania there were 230,S86
acres in 1889 as compared to 1885,
$40 under supervision of operators
in 1903. Therefore from the acre
age standpoint. Pennsylvania is in
the lead with West Virginia q close
second. The gain for the whole
United States was 2s7 per cent.
OF the total acreage Of anthracite
under control of operators in 1903
all but $50 acres were in Pennsyl-
vania, the increase from 1889 toI
1909 was but 2S per cent. In Penn
sylyania, in 1909, there were 274,-
o10 acres of anthracite coal land
under CONTROL by operators, an in
crease of so,oT2 acres from 1899.
In the United States as whole,
the number of acres of land owned
by the coal operators increased
from 1,24S,S7S in 1889 to 4,7S2,17oI
or 2s3 per cent in 1909, while the
number of acres of land held by
them under lease increased from
49311S to 2,134,s93.
1t is significant that the only in
crease in the acreage of anthracite
land has been made in the division
of lands owned by the operator.
while the number o: acres of land
developed under lease has de-
creased. This is explained by the
fact that the large producers of an.
thracite bought large acres Of coal
lands several years ago to hold as
reserve supplies. Since royalty
must be paid continuously on coal
lands under lease, whether coal is
mined or not, the leased lands are
not conserved, but are mined out
steadily. This in part accounts for
the decrease in acreage of anthra-
cite lands held under lease, and 1t
i is in part accounted for by some oc-
casional purchases of leases by large
operators, thereby changing the
form OF tenure from held under
lease to owned property. The in
, crease in the number of acres OF
mineral land reported as owned is
due not only to lands acquired, but
also in part to the4 classification as
mineral lands OF lands previously
held by large producers, but not de-
termined as coal producing areas.
In the bituminous coal fields there
has been an increase in lands owned
by operators from 1,141, OH acres
in 1889 TO 4,59g, 026 acres in 1909,
or 3O3 per cent, while the increase
in acreage held under lease has
been from 3S5,s22 to 2,OS2. 1s2
acres, or 427 per cent. The varia,
tions in the relative increase of the
number of acres owned, as com
pared with the number of acres held
under lease in different portions Of
the country, are due to different 10
cal conditions.
In Pennsylvania an increase o.
1,198y57O acres or 500 per cent, i.
reported in the coal lands owned
by the operators Large increase:
are also shown in the bituminous
coal lands so owned in the othe,
five principal coal producing states
AT the census OF 1889. West vir,
ginia reported 1881 acres, Will,
I5sO,sS5 acres were reported in 1903
The increase was 529,354 acres
$50 per cent. Alahama's acreage
in 1883 was 216,129 acres, a,
against 5Ss,122 acres in 1909, {
gain of a21. 1893 acres or 100 PEI
cent. The land owned by operators
in the bitumluous fields in Illinois