Coal War Probable

The refosal of the anthracite coal carryiiig roads in New York to accedo to Reading's demand for 21 per ceut of fhe total ontput of anthracite coal has cansecï mnch oneasiness in coal circles, and it is uow thought that it will precipítate a coal war, vrbdcb has been averted so far only on the belief that something would be offered by the coal presidents which would give relief to the coal comiianies. Althongli there has been meeting after meeting arranged for the adjnstment of diffiralties, they have not been suocessfnl, and the price of coal has been greatly reduced, notwithstanding a few weeks ago it was officially etated that an advance had been inade in circular i prices. These, however, have not been I lived up to. There has been considerable talk ' among the individual operators in regard to closing up their mines, one or i two of them having done so. and if it I were not for the cost of keeping the mines clear of water and other necessary fixed charges nearly all of them j would follow suit. It is hoped by a ; nuniber of these operators that the price may be so greatly reduced that some! thing will have to be done to keep not only the coal operators, but the railroad companies, from bankruptcy, and the j sooner the price gets so low that there . will be a great loss tó all concerned the 1 sooner, it is thought, relief will be had. The retail coal operators are practipally without orders, and it is said that to insure the sale of coal a number of,, them are giving to each purchaser of a ton either a shovel or a bucket of linie, bnt even with this there are very few ders. -