, 1874-08-23
47,e Vast Quantity Of Coal Cc1suG1cd
in Chicago, and Whence
It Comes.
rs1rts Which Have Been Made 10 Rid
Illinois Coal Of Impurities.
Imncrfcct Combustion.

:
the interest Of all grades OF civilization. Thus
II is onv few years since tina. farsee,ng philsn-
thropist, John Stuart Mill, raised his volce IN
,hs Imperial Parliament Of Great Britain in
a,ruins that tho fucl~supply Of that country
xouid surely become exhausted, and her pros
,orty. in consequence, suffer md, as the states
n,sn and the patriot is never satisfied with mere
>rxYuine, his practical aud utilitarian MUD
.oonstraincd him to suggest that now, in
the DAYS of her< prosperity, she should
begin to pay her vast national debt
VA frontier settler, the adventurous traveller on
the Western plans, and the ''noble red man."
ma alike considerato Of the question OF the &C
disability of sufficient fueEsupply, in all their
various plans and operations.
This universal interest which this topic in-
.tcires is peculiarly c1i annually intensified in
III crest cities There is no home SO humble or
!, proud Is to be indifferent to that which is not
ony a,. element Ut comfort. but essential co1-
anon of existence The amount Of happiness
involved in al adequate and unfalling fuel-sup-
'n}J- is not easily exaggerated. Herein consists
nne of the strongest elements Of the perpetual
.nrosperity CT Chicago. fair understanding Of
the iuel-0ueetin involves many Interesting con-
.tniera.iols. The teachers OF our youth, il the
naus of science, divide tic earth aud its pro-
dgclions MO
ye,v Young children iu the public schools can
tel / good deal about the Animal, Vegetable.
md h!ueral Kingdoms. and speak with more
ecr:sii.y Of the bouidary-lines Of these king
iou,s ti.au Co some Of the sa1auts who have
ra.le such topics the study OF their lives In
lie e:o.y which these children tell Of articles OF
-frel We have tho comu1cnly-recelyea, aud sub
saatialy-colTect statements, that wood is
rerrtabIc. aud coal Inlnel Al production. While
pefAape lie schools do we'll to adhere to simple
dcsuitions. aud postpone to more mature yeal5
r,cre elaborate explanations and more exact IL
luE,,auons, it mas not be out Of place, here to
refer briefly aud without ,echnicallrles, 10 the
tile which
GEOLOGY USFoLDs
ii rstvrcnco to the fuel-supply of the world
Trht saperb and beuehceut sc1euce presents to
o1s 7es an earth growing out Of prlulordial
mineral barrcnuess through periods OF Gteat
pbyehal activity and chemical development into
1ls gorgeous LablOmeuts and tho prolific and
Triumphant sway of the vegetable kingdom.
Nlsa tie immense stores OF carbouic acid which
lad peryaded the murky atmosphere Of tie
promising plane, lad go far been absorbed into
ile vegetable 1o:ms, md its DEMONSTRATING o1v-
gen freed from its thradom III the occult labora-
toues of Mature. as to permit the existence
nf animal life. tho aui1nI kingdom be-
gan lts marvellous growth. and has not
Eet ceased to conteId against and subslst upon
ihat aatecedent kingdom. wbosc prodiglous
hbors made the existence OF the animal King
dom possible. Leaving aside the Nea of war
1are, and contemplating only the chauges that
ire continually taking place upon the surface Of
4be earth within the limits Of our own expert
nuee, whereby "1Gneous agencies are bending.
bursting, and uprising the strata that compose
it, crust, and aqueous agencles" are morlng
The fragments into new places. forming new
sr1ata, and imbedding therein existing animal
snd vegetable forms. the gco1oglst, with self
eyidcut nuncstY aud almost 1ufallbla certainty.
carries us back, esep by STEP through tho ages.
aad shoHs lis IN It's appropt1ate place 1he pro-
ductlons OF each. From no point OF view IS this
journey through tho ages ono OF more Interest
os usefulness than from its connection with a
sasloul understanding of our
FuEL-sCrpLr.
Iris scarcely necessary to intimate that all our
fnel il Y vegetable origin, 11 or passed through
tbs vegetable state. The man who buys load
Of cordwood, OF orders supply OF Whining
ton," OF invests il coke at the gaa-SoIks, or
takes bis chance With ~ Btler It'll, :. Bloss-
6drg," Or the glittcTt11S anthracite OF Eastern
PENNSYLVANIA hdlko secures Tor hlmseii guam
Ety 0fveritabie vegetable products. The lcca-
ton OF these pIeducis u the strata o1 the earths
eIlst, q eyen their appearance OUT OF II, enables
tie geosos!st to deterruue ther comparative
asc m and Character With as much certainty as
asans!essnan can tel ~ ITS appearance %hether
lead Of tcordwood IS sufficiently seasoned or Or
erca species Of WOOL as will make it desirable
q ECONOMICAL inel- lhe most fafnlfiar american
iaei' up 20 Within compasataYcls recent per1ou,
WIS &he
WOOD
ct tho primitive forests" The prodleallty
Nth which our early settlers swept from the face
Ct THE earth tBoss furests, and wastefnl1v con-
varied them to ashes, has been nlonrnea bY the
sentimental, ind IN yiew Of its injurious uetear.
poSical effects has neen regretted BY thol1ehtful
so6seEyeEs. Many Of the Western States. nota-
e7 Nisoonalu, have sought bT Legislative Oilers
q pecun:arg reward or exemption from taxa
sma; to encourage the restoration ct SOME or
c1e Iclts Of timber that in the early days exeI-
sst happy influence over the annual rainfall;
naite ChcaSol'as never been peculiarly blessed
n tlis way, her transportation facilities, and the
ae1nand created By her always iucreaslpg popula-
hc1: has made it az: important point for the
Consumption of wood for fuel. Even as late as
iast year, aud Notwithstanding the presence IN
4o immediate. neighbofhood almost OF 90 IN
ethauEt1ble supply Of coal, very nearly 20o,o0
eo:da Of wood we're brought to this market
Interesting as connected with the, study OF the
sealioEtna1laus, and possibly suggestive as to
Rse Ill ecE:a1a' mauufa curing operations, is the
kaajecr:of
FEAT OF Turf
laia Substance is commonly regarded as Illus
Ess:hS exactly former condition Of our pres
ent tuai-iIed5 It is cota1uoufy found in basins