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" SIXTY MILLIONS " FOR THE OHIO.
The statement of Chairman Burton, of the rivers
and harbors committee of congress, that the people
of the Ohio valley could get $60,000,000 for river
improvements if they went about it the right way,
affected the poetry machine of the Pittsburgh
Leader's "All Sorts" man as follows:
Sixty million plunks, says Burton,
Sixty million solid dollars.
Thus he paints in glowing colors
As a thing that's sure and certain
Paints in tints of warmth surprising
Hopes we shrink from realizing.
Sixty millions! Only fancy
Pittsburgh's jubilation frantic
Could we nail that sum gigantic
By ingenious necromancy.
And upon our rivers blow it;
Gracious goodness! How we'd go it!
On to Cairo? Yes, indeedy.
Very soon we'd be equipping
Every blessed kind of shipping.
And, although we're nowise greedy,
Still without a bit of trouble
All the river trade we'd gobble.
Not content with that, by jingo!
We'd go further, to La Guayra
And to Rio de Janeiro,
Trinidad and San Domingo,
Ev'rywhere with vigor trading
And remotest points invading.
Maybe, too, we'd take the notion
If it should be, to our liking
Gallantly to go a-piking
Clear across the mighty ocean
And do business with the Russians,
Frenchmen, Germans, Turks and Prussians.
Warships? Sure, we'd turn out plenty
Armored in the latest fashion,
Fit to give an awful " thrashin' "
To one hostile fleet or twenty.
Pittsburgh battleships and cruisers
Never, never could be losers.
Ah, what dreams! 'Tis Burton's doing,
With his promises like honey,
With his talk of endless money
To be had just for the suing,
Yet these things would not be banal
If we had a nine-foot channel.
Which we may. Meanwhile, however,
Let us gently draw the curtain
On the promises of Burton.
Which may find fulfillment never,
For while he to hope attunes us.
Congress—congress just harpoons us, ,
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 45
Illinois Coal Lines Again Cut Rates.
The Illinois coal line's are not adhering to the
tariffs recently agreed upon for the haul from the
inner and outer groups of mines to East St. Louis.
The last conference of the lines interested was
called to meet the competition of the Gould-Illino:s
lines, and a reduced scale was adopted to place
all lines in a position to get their share of the
tonnage. From the inner group of mines, in­
cluding the Belleville district, the rate for shipment
per ton to East St. Louis was reduced from
40 cents to 30 cents. From the outer group, the
Carterville district, the rate was reduced from
62Vi cents to 40 cents per ton. From the Duquoin
district the rate was reduced from 47V1> cents to
37y, cents. From the Murphysboro district the
rate was reduced from 57 Vi cents to 40 cents per
ton. The rates apply only to East St. Louis. On
May 22 it was announced that the Mobile and Ohio
had made a cut below the agreed rate, quoting a
rate of 20 cents per ton, and the cut was followed
by the Vandalia with a rate of 17% cents. These
figures were met by the other lines. The cut
rates do not cover contracts. The Illinois Central
made the lowest cut announced—15 Vi cents.
PITTSBURGH CBt, WASHINGTON COAL CO.
The annual meeting of stockholders of the Pittsburgh
& Washington Coal Co. was held on May
23 in its offices in Pittsburgh. The conipany is
a new one with coal properties at Pryor, Washington
county, on the line of the Wabash railroad.
The entire output of the mines, about 2,000 tons
a day, has been sold to the Pittsburgh Coal Co.
The company's officers are: President, E. J.
Kent; vice-president, W. L. Dixon; and secretary
and treasurer, George E. Turner. Its board of
directors consists of E. J. Kent, W. L. Dixon, G. E.
Turner, J. R. Murphy, W. C. Temple, John Graham,
George A. Harwood, W. B. Bennett, Lawrence
Barr, V. M. Moss and B. M. Blake, the latter
of Altoona.
To Merge Soft Coal Interests.
Formal announcement is made that J. P. Morgan
& Co. have under way a consolidation of the Kanawha
& Hocking Coal & Coke Co. and the Continental
Coal Co., two companies operating in the
Ohio field. Circulars have been issued to stockholders
of the Continental Coal Co. asking a deposit
of stock with J. P. Morgan & Co., for which
an exchange of securities will be offered. The
scheme in view, it is said, provides for a rounding
out of the soft coal properties along the Hocking
Valley and Ohio Southern. The capital of the two
companies aggregates $5,500,000.