The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-08-20
WHENCE CHARCOAL COMES.
How II Is Made-Figures of the Cost and
the Profits.

How 1t Is Iade-Figures of the Cost and
the Profits.
There is probably not one person in
thousand, even here in Delaware, saws
a letter from Georgetown Del.) to the
Philadelphia Ledger, who has an idea
of the extent of the charcoal business
in Sussex county, of which this place
is the county town. Within the last
fifteen or twenty years the industry
has been steadily increasing until the
revenue from burned wood amounts to
at least 500, 600 yearly. To certain
charcoal-burning has taken the place
of peach-growing. The failure of the
crops was keenly felt by the small
farmers and those who depended upon
them. Charcoal came to the rescue.
A man who wishes to burn coal for
commercial uses goes about it in
several different ways, according to
circumstances. Some buy timber land
outright; others buy merely the timber
''lumpus," which means that they give
so much for the trees as they stand;
still others buy the timber by the cord,
estimated after it is cut and piled. The
prices of timber vary, according to cir
cumstances, from 10 to 40 cents cord.
Much of the profit of the business lies
in buying the timber to advantage. If
a man is hard pressed for money he
will dispose of his timber for what he
can get. Then the quality of the tim
Der and its proximity to q shipping
point are taken into consideration.
After the wood is cut and piled in
cords preparations are made for burn
ing. First a stake about ten feet high
is driven in the ground, and around
that the wood is piled in a circle, the
pieces being stood on end. When the
circle is about ten feet high and about
| twenty feet =, diameter at the base, the
whole pile, which contains anywhere
! from ten to twenty cords, is covered
with pine skaters, which are the fallen
leaves or needles of the pine tree. On
top of these Shots as the burners
call them, is placed a thick coat of
earth, packed hard; then the center
stake is pulled out and fire dropped
started the opening at the top is closed
and the work of burning begins at
once. 1t takes from two to three weeks
to burn q pile of charcoal properly,
and, like burning bricks, the utmost
|
day and night, the burners living in
sheds built in the woods and boarding
themselves. Air or draught holes are
made in the burning pile, and by the
smoke which comes from these holes
the burner judges of the progress of
his work. Holes are stopped up and
new ones made as the color of the
smoke changes. Like burners of brick,
the burners of charcoal become eX-
perts. The great danger is in getting
too much fire, thus reducing the wood
to ashes instead of charring it.
After the wood is drawn it is taken
to the nearest railroad station and
stored in sheds to protect it from the
weather. Charcoal that becomes water
soaked fetches low price, as it is said
that il never dries. The New York
dealers come direct here and make
their contracts. The price paid varies
as to quality and the quantity of coal
in the market.
The coal, which is used in the arts
for refining purposes ETC., is shipped
in cars of three sizes. The largest, OF
Jumbo cars, hold 1900 bushels; the
next size hold 1000 bushels. and the
next 7S0 bushels. In busy times two
trains day are sent on the way tc
New York. For a good quality OF
coal the burner receives about $10C
for a Jumbo car, the New York buyel
paying the freight of 10 1-2 cents 10(
pounds. The next size cars fetch SO
and the smallest size $65, which il
equal to7 1-2 cents and s cents a
bushel. OF course these prices vary
up and down, and recently a burner
complained that he had received bu
$50 for Il carload of 1000 bushels, which
cost him $50 to burn. The probabili
ties are that the man who sold at that
rate was hard up and wanted to ge
some cash, or else his coal was of poo
quality.
The expense attending the gettin:
of coal ready for market is about a
follows, the rates given being by tn,
cord: Cost of wood, 26 cents; cutting
40 cents; teaming to place of burning
cents; wheeling" which mean
piling the wood for burning, 20 cents
''blacking," the term for putting oil
: the fire snatters and earth, 10 cents
attending to the burning, % cents; draw
/. ing the coal when burned, 25 cents
; hauling to shipping point, 33 1-2 cents
slowing IN cars, 10 IL ccnlS- III
makes the cost per cord. or 33 l.
,, bushels, TO get ready for the market
$1.96 2-3. The calculations are gene1
ally made on a basis of three cords, o
100 bushels. At this rate the cost t,
the burner is almost cents a bushel
He receives 1-2 cents for the bes
quality, which leaves a small margin
of 1-2 cents bushel for investment
bad bills, etc OF course this estimat
of cost will vary up or down, accord
ing to the business skill of the burner
One burner alone shipped last yea
200 Jumbo carloads to New York. O
260, 600 bushels. The total shipment
last year were about 800, 900 bushels
nearly all of which was consumed i
New York. 1t was only after tn
greatest persuasion that the New Yor
buyers agreed to take the charcoal b
Y rail instead of by boat, but now one {
+ the largest burners, who has availabl
\ n charcoal timber near the waterway
J. can not prevail upon the buyer to II
S ceive his product by water.
e Bismarck on Contentment.
AS at a leisurely pace we were stroll