Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-07-13
WEST WRGlNfA's
GOOD COAL YEAH
Little Of the Fuel Utilized Within the
State and Prices conse-
uuentIY Are LOW

state and Prices Conse-
quentIy Are Low
Washington, July 9.-The produc-
ton OF coal in West Virginia in 1911
according TO r. w. Parker, in d
statement issued by the United States
Geological Survey was 59,S31,5 $50
short tons, valued at s53,670,515.
West Virginia, for the last three
years the second in rank among the
coal-producing States, stands almost
alone in one particularly low av.
erage price at which it's coal, some Of
il the highest grade bitumlnous coal
produced in the United States, brings
to the producer. The only State that
compares with West Virginia in this
particularly is Virginia, whose coal
areas In the southwestern part of the
State are contiguous TO those of south
ern West Virginia, the conditions af-
fecting the production and marketing
OF the product OF both States being
similar. Neither State has any well.
developed local markets, and at least
50 per cent of the output is shipped to
distant points for consumption. The
highest average price for West Virgin
- coal recorded in the last eight years
was in the boom year, 1907, when ii
reached 90 cents short ton. In 1911
the average price for West Virginia
coal was 80 cents.
Illinois An Object Lesson.
A comparison OF these prices with
those obtained In some OF the other
important coal-producing States plao-
es West Virginia in an unfayorable
light. Illinois which until displaced
by West Virginia In 1909. was second
in rank of output, supplies fuel to i'm
portant manufacturing communities
within its borders or in the iinme.
diately adjacent territory. Although
the grade of it's product is consider
able below that OF West virginias.
the average price for Illinois coal has
ranged from $1.05 to s114 a short ton,
about 20 per cent higher than that
obtained for West Virginia coal. Com
PARSONS with Alabama are still more
striking In its important iron indus
try Alabama has local outlet for the
most of its coal. During the last eight
years the average price has ranged
from Ito In 1909 to s1.34 In 1906,
more than 80 per cent better than
West Virginia prices. In its high
grade, cheaply mined, low-priced fuel
West Virginia offers advantages to the
development of manufactures that
should place it among the leading man
ufacturing States, As matter of
fact however, 1t stands twenty-nlnth
Production In 1911 Was Normal.
West Virginia, like the other coal.
producing States outside of the Mis-
sissippi Valley region, prohted by the
strike in that region in 1910. Its
production gained nearly 10000, 900
tons over 1909, with an increase In
value of more than s12.000,O00. With
uninterrupted work in the other
States in 1911 the decrease In the
production OF West Virginia was to
be expected. The decrease a,S39. 439
tons) was relatively small, however,
and the production, compared with
that of the years preceding 1910,
shows substantial increase. In the
40 years since West Virginia became
a separate State there have been
only years in which comparison with
the preceding year was indicated by
the minus sign. They were 1859, 1876.
1881, 1896, 1908, and 191l-only three
in the last 80 years The decrease in
1911 was merely a return to normal
conditions.
The number of men employed in
the coal mines of West Virginia in
1911 was 66,350, who worked an aver
age of 221 days. The average pro
duction per man was 800 short tons
for the year and 40S tons for each
working day.
~ Praiseworthy Mining Methods.
In one respect the record of West
Nirginia's coal production in 1911
stands out as a shining light-that is
In the exceptionally low percentage
OF coal shot off the solid. The re-
turns to the Geological Survey show
that practically 80 per cent of the
output was properly mined, either by
hand or by the use of machines: for
2029,S00 tons the mining methods in
practice were not reported, and the
amount shot of the solid was only
626,295 short tons, or a little more
than l per cent. This is record of
which the miners, the operators, and
the mine-inspection service of the
State Department of Mines may well
be proud If the methods of market,
ing and consuming West Virginia coal
were as praiseworthy as the methods
employed in its production the Noun
tain State would hold an enviable po
sition in industrial progress.
FIND EA5Ys BONES IN WRECK