Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1903 — Odds and Ends of the Struggle for Fuel. [ARTICLE]

Odds and Ends of the Struggle for Fuel.

Cocoanuts are being burned for fuel In Baltimore. The coal situation at Canton, Ohio, is becoming serious. A scarcity of cars has stoped all the big mines at Danville, 111. In Philadelphia the coal famine is increasing pulmonary diseases. The American Steel and Wire shops at Sycamore, 111., closed for lack of coal. Several of the schools at Aurora, 111., have been forced to close for lack of coal. The coal dealers in Jeffersonville, Ind., limit the orders to twenty-five bushels for each customer. The board of trustees of the Toledo (Ohio) workhouse released all prisoners sentenced for stealing coal. Loading toft coal into grain cars and marking it wheat is the scheme some of tbe coal operators have adopted. Ths Novelty Wood Works at La Crosse, Wis., laid off its large force on account of being unable to get Coal. The Western Tube Company at Kewanee, 111., employing 3.500 men, phut down its plant because of coal scarcity. Mayor W. C. Maybury of Detroit issued the call for the reassembling of the "get coal" convention at Washington. The House of Representatives of the Illinois General Assembly adopted u resolution for the appointment of a committee to Investigate the coal situation in ths State. No relief from the present Kansas coal famine is In sight. Dealers are helpless and the people are without coal. An effort will be made to have the Legislature take action at once looking toward a correction of the evil. The Chicago grand jury investigation has had little effect on the price list for coal. The following wholesale prices were quoted: Illinois and Indiana, mine run $4.50; lump, $4.75; eastern soft coals, f1j.50 to $5.75; hard coni, $lO. The public heating plant at Ackley, lowa, experienced trouble in getting coal and the managers have raised the price of service 50 per cent. No anthracite coal Is procurable in parts of lowa and farmers are hauling wood twenty miles. Punk soaked In coal oil is even better than a brick to make heat with, If jou can get the punk. Saturated with the oil it produces a fine, steady flame. Burglars ransacked the residence of Mrs. Adelaide Anderson in Minneapolis, Minn., and carried off 400 pounds of anthracite coal in sacks. They did not touch the jewelry or plate. Chicago people paid $112,000 more for the 87,500 tons of coal used in the city Wednesday than they would have paid a year ago. The greatest increase has been in tbe cost of ths common Indian* and Illinois Coals.