Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-01-29
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
The Fuel Problem for Farmers and II,
Solution.

Solution.
In n large section of tbs country the
question whether wood or coal shall be
burned. even by farmers, has long since
been settled. The timbercd districts
are mainly east of the Allegheny Mount
aims. and from all the arabic portions
the bulk Of timber for fuel or any Other
purpose has been cleared of. In the
great West, the larger portion of that
vast empire was originally treeless.
Through the prairie States, planting Of
trees for fruit or protection has greatly
increased the original stock. but they
are generally too valuable to be used as
fuel in competition with the abundant
supplies of coal near the surface, under
lying thousands of acres in nearly every
state.
The coal Of the Western S;atas is all.
or nearly all. Of the bituminous or soft
variety. Its abundance and c-hcapness
offset the objections which the Eastern
people, accustomed to hard coal, are
apt 10 raise on account Of its c~leanli-
ness. In all Western cities a majority
Of the people use soft coal on account Of
lis c%heapness. 1t is, Of course, the fuel
generally used by farmers. many of
Whom are able to take a supply by max
ing very slight excavations on their own
land. line area of cnuntrAin-whieh
farmers are made independent by the
coal supplies on their farms is much
larger than Eastern people are apt to
suppose. Many Of the Western States
are 50 largely underlaid with coal that
were IL worth while nearly the entire ter
ritory could be used for mining purposes.
IL is "A significant indication Of the
future Of the United States that its coal
supply is greater than that Of any other
civilized country. England owes It's
greatness to the fact that It has more
coal in proportion 70 its territory than
any other country in Europe. But tho
supply of England Is known and can
not largely, II at all, be increased.
Statisticians have rcckOned that ut the
present rate OF consumption the supply
Of coal in England, at a depth that win
pay for mining, must be exhausted
within a definite time. IL Is some hun.
dreds Of years distant. but there has
been a scare raised which thoughtful
men view ~ a matter Of the very gravest
Importance. Here no such npprehcn-
sions are possible. So enormous is the
coal supply Of the United States that il
is practically ineXhaustable.
II Is not certain by any means that
the consumption of coal will 20 on
either in this country or in Europe In
an increasing ratio. Electricity will
probably be used as motive power for
manufacturing and railroad uses. With
this change there viii be a decrease in
coal consumption which we can now
scarcely estimate. There Is no need TO
borrow trouble for the future. The
revelations Of Providence In regard 10
human needs have always been sufi-
cient TO meet the eNigencies OF human
necessities. just at the time when the
Whale fisheries were on the point Of tx
haustion, the use of petroleum for
lighting country homes made all other
iluminatiOns s~uperluols. Should our
petroleum supply ever fail, Of which
there Is no present indication, Il is
pretty certain that electrical light will
be so far perfected az 10 take lis place.
Undoubtedly the same truth will hold
good, not only In regard TO our fuel,
out also TO our timber supply. There
has been a needless and causeless scare
on this subject Our forests have dis
appeared rapidly, but before they are
all gone we shall have learned TO do
without them much better than we
could now suppose possible. Paper
hLs been made TO take the place Of
woodwork for houses. and, stranger
still. OF iron for car-wheels aud other
places requiring the greatest OF strength.
Much OF what Is written on the absolute
necessity OF tree plant ny Is now aDpar-
emily true, and yet IL needs oniy a
slight acquaintance with the present
course Of events 70 prove that Il Is based
on fallacious reasoning.
For the great majority Of farmers In
tho older states, the wood-lot, as il now
exists, with all is best timber cut out
and the remainder q scayiDg faster than
II grows Is a useless and expensive in.
eumbrance. II Is certainly so wher
land Is 50 located a. TO b. valuable for
cropping. In sections where the farm.
Ing land Is dear, LET the wood-lot be
cleared OIL. rs rapidly as possible, and
the wood sold or burned, as Il Is most
advantageous. Before II i disposed Of
there Is almost a certainty thai the land
will be more valuable for other use than
growing timber. IL not, q can be re-
planted with kinds Of trees. whose
growth viii be live or tea fold TIA year.
y Increase In value under The preseni
system american CFativqfqr