Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1903 — The Coal Situation. [ARTICLE]

The Coal Situation.

Poor people at Kankakee helped themselves to.coal from ears unmolested by railway bftleials, who were nware of the proceedings. Managers of Indiana railroads were summoned by Gov. Durbin to a conference at Indianapolis to jUan relief. A Toledo grand jury is investigating an alleged combine of dealers. A congressional investigation of <lie entire coni situation lias been ordered by the national house. The committee assigned to work will begin the inquiry at once nnd learn tlie facts from every side. Twenty cars of coal were sidetracked in tlie railroad yards at Tuscola. 111., Mondny and eontisented. Bankers, lawyers nnd business men led the raid under a promise of protection by Mayor Roberts. All coal taken was paid for mid the money will lie turned over to the railroad company. Tlie situation in central Illinois is desperate, nnd reports indicate passing coal trains are liable to'lie held up en route to Chicago at any station. A door fell off a sealed freight car in Chicago by accident. The car was labeled “paper.” When tlie door broke coal f< 11 out. There were forty other cars —nil box cars and all labeled “paper"— in the tri|ln. Whether these contained coal was not known. Coal purchased at prices ranging from >1.75 to $N.25 during October and. November was sold for >2O a ton liy V. Baldwin Johnson, a Washington, D. C., dealer, according to his evidence before the Senate committee which is investigating conditions in the District of Columbia.