The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-05-28
COAL FIELDS OF MICHIGAN.
Production for 1912 Was 1906, Short
Tons-State Has Large Coal Reserve.

The coal fields OF Michigan occupy
an isolated basin covering, approximate
4 ly, II 900 square miles in almost this
exact center of the lower peninsula
They are estimated to have originally
contained 100000 900 tons of coal
from which the exhaustion to the close
of 1912 has amounted to about 10000.
| 600 tons.
The principal coal mining operations
are in Bay and Saginaw counties, but
a smaller production, chiefly from local
mines, is made in Clinton, lngham, and
| Tuscola counties
Output Valued at Nearly S2,5Oo,o0o.
The production of coal in Michigan in
1912, according to E. W. Parker, OF the
United States geological survey amount
ed to 206,230 short tons. valued at S..
399,45l, compared with l,467,074 tons,
valued at 1921 ,461 in 1911. The de-
crease OF 2d9,s44 tons, or 1873 per cent,
in 1912, was in close proportion TO the
inc lost at most of the larger mines
by reason of tine suspension from April
10 May q or June ~ or Is, pending
the renewal of the wage agreements
The tinIp lost by the suspension was
equal tued7.0 per cent. of the time made.
The decreased production was, more
over, partly Offset again by a gain in
price from an average of $3.50 ton
in 1911 to sl90 In 1912, so that where
as the decrease In tonnage was 1873
per cent, the decrease in total value
was only Ia per cent
OF the total production in 1912 more
than half t635 $50 tons was mined BY
49,. - II.
OF the remainder, 443.222 tons was re
ported az shot off the solid, and l20,637
tons as mined by hand
The number Of men employed in the
coal mines of Michigan in 1912 was
BIB, decrease from 1928 men in 1911, !
and the average number of working days !
decreased from 2ls 10 1888
Development of Coal Industry of Recent |
Date.
Coal was known to exist in Michigan /
,arly in the last century, and some min
ng is said to have been done in the
Jackson field as early as 1885. Other
mines were opened at Grand Lodge, in
linton county. in 1883. IL is known
hat some coal was produced at that
'lace in those early years. but there
5 no record of the output prior TO the
ensus report for 1850, in which Mich
gan was credited with production of
,320 tons. II is only within the last
2 years that the coal fields of Mich
gan have been worked to any consid-
rable extent, and their development
as followed in some degree the deple
ion of the forest resources. The lum-
er industry of Michigan has materially
eclined, as is exhibited by the Stats
les compiled by the twelfth and thir :
zenith censuses in cooperation with j,
he United States forest service. I'm ,
300 the lumber cut amounted to 1892 ,
y 900 board feet. and the state was
.eond in rank of quantity of lumber
At. In 1905 the lumber cut of MICA
AN had declined to 2,0O6.670 000 board J
,et, and the state was third in rank J
! 1910 Michigans lumber cut had fan |
i to Gsl 900 board feet, and the state i I
as ninth in rank. Formerly the re- r
Use from the lumber mills furnished .
lel, not only for their own operations
At for the salt evaporating plants that
ere operated in connection with the
ills. The exhaustion of the forests
ID the decline of the lumber industry
I'VE created demand for coal to sup Y
y the salt works and other manufac- J
ring establishments Of the state, q
Prior to 1896 the production had ex q
eded 100000 tons during four years "
ly. In 1897 it exceeded 100000 tons;
1899 it exceeded 600 600 tons; and g,
1901 il was more than 100000 tons. !
he maximum output of 1885, SIS tons :,
Is reached in 1907.