coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

IDLE CARS CONTINUE TO
SHOW SLIGHT DECREASE
The report of the American Railway Association
issued March 21, giving the car surplussages
and shortages shows:
Surplussages
March 15, 1914 132,010
March 1, 1914 159,480
March 15, 1913 57,99s
Shortages
March 15, 1914 7,145
March 1, 1914 5,573
March 15, 1913 20,223
These figures show a net surplus of 124,865
cars, as compared with 152,907 cars March 1;
197,052 cars February 14, and 37,775 a year ago.
WILL RETAIN GARDEN
FEATURES AT ITS MINES.
As has been the custom for many years, the
Keystone Coal & Coke Co. officials will this year
give each and every one of their miners at their
plans, a garden patch on which at their leisure
they can raise their own vegetables. At many
of the mining towns the houses are built on large
lots and this gives the residents big gardens.
Where they have small gardens or none at all,
the company will give employes ground on which
to raise the -desired vegetables. Furthermore, the
grounds will be plowed, harrowed and fertilized
for the miners.
At Bovard (formerly Crow's Nest) every ten­
ant has a large garden and many of the men are
expert gardeners. The company also encourages
its men in this line of work by awarding sub­
stantial prizes at each plant to the employe hav­
ing the finest garden.
The sanitary arrangement of this mining town
in particular is up-to-date and residents are pro­
hibited from keeping pig and cow pens on the
rear of their lots. Stabling is provided and cows
can be kept in barns located at either end of the
town. Many persons keep cows in these special
stables.
The Elkins Coal & Coke Co. has protested to
the West Virginia Public Service commission
against the plan of a hydro-electric company to
build a big dam on Cheat river, alleging that
certain of its property of great value would be
ruined.
The Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Corporation has
signed a contract with the Penn Central Power Co.
for electricity to run its Nos. 11, 12 and 13 mines
at Hastings, Pa.
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 55
The Lehigh Coke Co. is to construct a new
by-product coke plant at South Bethlehem, Pa.,
to supply fuel for the Bethlehem Steel Co., and
otlier Schwab operations at that place, at a cost
of $4,000,000. The new plant is to consist of 424
mens, with a capacity for carbonizing 5,000 tons
of coal daily. The first two batteries of 212
ovens will be built during the next 300 working
days, and the completion of the other two bat
teries is to follow within a similar period. One-
half of the present plant, which has not proved
successful, is to be torn down to make way for
the new ovens.
The Illinois Central Railroad Co. has filed a
petition with the Kentucky Railroad commission,
asking that it be freed from the operation of tho
long and short haul clause of the Kentucky rail­
road law as to rates from the western Kentucky
district to Princeton and other points, a 60-cent
rate being asked. The request is made in order
to permit Illinois Central mines to compete with
those on the L. & N,, which have a 50-cent rate.
The Melanio Coal Co., of West Virginia, held
its annual meeting March 17, at Uniontown, Pa.,
and the following officers were elected: Presi­
dent, G. Orval Rush; vice president, James Craig;
secretary, W. H. Helmey; directors, W. H. Helmey,
G. Orval Rush, John B. Shirey, R. H. Brown,
George W. Morris, C. S. Gause and James Craig.
The commissioners appointed to examine the
Hazel mine of the Pittsburgh-Buffalo Co. at Canonsburg
relative to the need for the use of per­
missible explosives in the mine, March 20, filed
their report, declaring the law is being complied
with, and that the exclusive use of permissible
explosives in this mine is not necessary.
The combined report of the American Coal Products
Co. and subsidiary companies for the year
ended Dec. 31, 1913, shows net earnings of $2,191,-
985, against $1,553,601 in 1912. The balance after
preferred dividends was $1,148,780, equal to 10.79
per cent, on the common stock, as compared with
10.55 per cent, earned the previous year.
For a consideration of $31,000 Roy Wilhoit at
a bankruptcy sale March 19, bought all the property
of the Wilhoit Coal Co. in Harlan county,
Ky. The property is now leased to the Moss &
Sons Coal Co. at a fixed guaranteed minimum in­
come of $10,800 per year. It is understood all
of the debts of the company will be paid.
The office of the Davis Collieries Co. at Bower,
W. Va., was destroyed by fire recently, with a
loss of $25,000.