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March, 1905
C O A L A N D T I M B E R
15
WHEELING
LETTER.
By W. H. Woodruff.
The long-anticipated taxation of coal by
the West Virginia legislature at its regular
session has not materialized, and the probabilities
are there will be no extra duties
imposed upon this highly beneficial West
Virginia product. The tax legislation bills
have been so bandied back and forth, so
utterly befuddled by criss-cross motives and
influences, that it is hard for the average
West Virginia legislator to determine where
he is "at" on the coal question. First, it
was a special tax graded according to the size
of the mine, ranging between $100 and the
Lord knows what maximum, then it was an
inspection tax, under wdiich mine owners
were compelled to pay according to tonnage
and finally some other features were suggested.
Coal tax legislation went the way
of the proposed special tax on oil. When
that was broached, subtle wires were pulled,
the legislative manakin jerked spasmodically,
and the next thing the audience knew oil
and coal taxes had shifted from view as the
little pellet beneath the shells of the country
fair fakir. The legislature's regular session
is a thing of the past, and unless the coal
tax bobs up in an extra session, there will
likely be no further effort to place a financial
embargo on the state's most valuable
output. Thus endeth the first chapter of
tax reform in West Virginia. Friends of
coal men assert there will be no further
installments of the story.
Little is doing in coal transportation
circles, besides the usual shipments of fuel
for immediate consumption, manufacturing
and railroad. Shipments westward are heavy
considering the source of demand. The
roads running out of this state are taking
large orders to Cleveland and Chicago,
points of increasing importance in distribution,
and the situation is one that is easily
gauged. General demand for coal is better
than usual, but since lake shipments are not
the vogue, roads are not congested. It is
therefore anomalous that there is still heard
clamorous complaints against alleged unfair
furnishing of cars. The operators along the
Ohio, particularly those known as independents
on the Ohio state side of the river,
are claiming usual shortages, and some
serious squabbles are on hands, smaller
dealers threatening to sue. The governor's
recommendation, made to the West Virginia
legislature, that there be some method devised
of regulating car supplies, is having
the effect of stimulating the independents to
new- action, and they have taken heart, In
the Federal courts of this district one or
two suits are pending the determination of
which will show conclusively what relief the
Federal statutes can afford, and just how far
the railroads may go in any attempt, real
or imaginary, to cut down a mine's car supply.
The Lorain Coal & Dock Co., which owns
several valuable properties in the Wheeling
district, it is announced, has just purchased
another important mine—the Conesville,
near Coshocton, Ohio. The company has
offices at Bridgeport, opposite this city, and
has a large output in the immediate vicinity
of Wheeling.
Among the new coal concerns just formed
in the Panhandle is the H. L. Seabright Co.,
of Wheeling, to lease, hold and operate coal
properties. The incorporators are all well
known coal men—H. L. Seabright, W. J.
Hoburg, Charles A. Seabright and Henry A.
Nolte, all of Wheeling; and R. M. Gilleland.
of Bellaire, Ohio. Mr. Gilleland is one of
the most versatile business men in the valley,
so far as variety of enterprises is concerned,
lie owns large glue works in
Wheeling, owns the Benwood & Bellaire
bridge concern, and has large coal holdings.
He is a type of the busy man in his most
strenuous phase.
In tlie Fairmont field conditions prevail
such as were features of last week. On
several days the first part of the month the
car supply fell far short of the average
and the officials announced that they would
take energetic steps to get more in tlie
future. The coal company's management
states that it has on the books large orders
which cannot be filled under any circumstances
with the car supply as it is now.
Were supplies anything like they should be
several hundred more cars daily would
sweep out of Fairmont yard.
The Friends of Homan Pitt, of the Huttonsville
Lumber Co., regret to learn that
his son, a 16-year old lad, met with a terrible
death a few days ago, falling across a circular
saw. The boy was so badly mangled
that he died in a few minutes.
The annual report of the shipments of
Cumberland coal shows an output of nearly
6,000,000. The West Virginia Central output
of coke is increasing amounting the past
year to nearly 300,000 tons. In the Cumberland
report is included the product of the
George's Creek, and the Cumberland districts.
Roy Zeek, who has been temporary superintendent
of the Mohawk Coal & Coke
Co., for the past 2 months, has returned to
Worth, W. Va., and resumed his post as
bookkeeper for the Indian Ridge Coal &
Coke Co.
J. U. Booth quits the commissary department
of the Indian Ridge Coal Co., and goes
in the mines in a responsible position.
Frank Gordan, buyer for the Roanoke
Coal & Coke Co. has recovered from a
serious illness.
The Zenith Coal & Coke Co. has just
installed a large air compresser in its Zenith,
W. Va., plant, and is fast adding other
new, improved machinery. The company
will begin construction of 100 ovens in a
few days.
T. S. Gosnay has resigned as superintendent
with the Zenith Co., and goes to the Mohawk
Company, where he will be mine foreman.
George Moody has resigned his position
with the Spring Coal & Mining Co., and will
enter business elsewhere.
Wellington Thomas has purchased the
timber of J. W. Shaw and Lewis Rice &
Sons, in the Cameron field. Thomas Bros.
will move their mill from Washington and
cut the timber on the tract.
The Moorhead Coal Co., of Pittsburg,
lias just acquired from D. H. Piersoll, of
Bentleyville, Pa., 3,000 acres of land for
coal purposes in Hancock comity, W. Va.,
for approximately $350,000. Big mines and
tipples are to be opened.
COAL COMPANY IN RECEIVER'S.
HANDS.
The Hart Coal Company, wdiich owns and
operates the coal mines at Franklin Station,
Ohio, a short distance west of Bellaire,
is now in the hands of a receiver, who
will take charge of the company's business
and wind up its affairs.
The mines were purchased by the above
company from Mr. Owen Median, of Bellaire,
some time ago, and they were operated
very extensively until about three months
ago, when they were leased by Columbus
parties, who have since kept them in operation.
The Hart Company has been in considerable
trouble for some time past, as a result
of a disagreement among the stockholders,
and it was finallydecided that the only way
out of the difficulty was to wind up its
affairs. A petition was presented to Judge
Hollingsworth in the Common Pleas court
at St. Clairsville asking for the appointment
of a receiver, which was granted, and Attorney
Chas. J. Lynch, of Bellaire, named.
Mr. Lynch will assume charge of the business
at once, but will require some time
to close up its affairs.
PHILADELPHIA
OPERATORS
Captare Order For 1,000,000 Tons For
B. & M. Road.
Philadelphia coal operators obtained one
of the largest coal contracts of the year.
The Boston & Maine Railroad bas placed
an order with operators here for 1,000,000
tons of bituminous for use in its locomotives,
and the greater part of the order
will be shipped from this port.
The names of the successful bidders have
not been made public but the contract was
taken away in sharp competition from West
Virginia coal operators, who use Newport
News and Norfolk as their tidewater points.
The Boston & Maine has 989 locomotives
and the consumption is estimated at more
than 100.000 tons a month. The order aggregates
about $1,000,000. Contracts for
transportation by water will be awarded
within a few days.
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