The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1890-08-09
Cheap Coal.

ASS = W OAS>
zens visited Palmer g. Crabtree's real estate
Office on Sioux avenue to day to look at
some samples of North Dakota coal left
there by A. L. sivyer, who has just re-
turned from that region. Several persons
in the city who have lived in the coal re-
gions of Iowa, Indiana and Pennsylvania
have examined it, measured and weighed
it, and ell say it is as heavy as the Iowa or
Newcastle coal of Wyoming. In short,
John Douglass, who is an old Hills man,
says it is the same thing as the Newcastle
coal exactly.
Mr.. Siyyer informed Free Press repre-
sentative that he has purchased 400 acres
of coal lands lying along the Missouri river
sixty miles above Bismarck, on which, for
one half mile along the river bank is ex-
posed an eight-foot vein.
The coal of that country lies under an
area hundreds of miles in extent, and has
to day driven all the foreign coal out of
the Bismarck and Mandan markets, and is
the principal coal burned at Jamestown,
12O miles east of that point.
Mr.. Sivyer had consultation with Capt.
Talbot of the steamer Abner Oneal, and
asked him for careful estimate on ship
ping 400 tons to Pierre in three barges.
The captain finally gave him his figures,
which were SO cents ton delivered to
Pierre and rate of 25 cents ton to de-
liver the barges back to the coal field. Mr..
Sivyer thinks his estimate is too low, but
presumes Capt. Talbot knows better how
to fgue on the business than he does. Mr..
Sivyer says he can deliver tho coal to the
barges at 60 cents ton, which makes the
entire cost per ton $1.s5 delivered at
Pierre.
He says it is safe, however, to put it at
81 per ton delivered at Pierre.
Mr.. Sivyer's purpose is to organize q
company here to operate this b1g coal field
and if possible to deliver this fall few
hundred tons of coal. The river hardly
ever closes to traffic before December, and
if the matter progresses well there is ample
time to carry out the project. His idea is
to make Pierre a distributing center, and
the coal can be shipped and successfully
compete with Iowa and Illinois coal for a
distance of 100 miles. He says this coal
can go down as ..far as Yankton-but at
that point it comes into close competition
with Iowa coal.
Such men as Governor Mellette, P. f.
Mcclure, james A. Ward, ]. @. McManima,
]. d. Hilger, h. E. Cutting, Harry Wy
brant, Ben Ash and others of our citizens
who have lived more or less at Bismarck,
have used the North Dakota coal and speak
of it in high terms for fuel. It leaves a
clear ash and keeps fire over night as
well as hard coal. The only trouble with
1t is,, that like Iowa coal il cannot be ex-
posed to weather long without Stacking
and crumbling.
But this is obviated by keeping it in
shelter as all coal should be, and the longer
it is out Of the mine the better it burns.
4 Il 4 4 s.
Mr.. sivyer further states that if COM
pany could be organized to place few
hundred tons of this coal on the South Da-
kota market this winter, there would be no
trouble then to form company sufficient
" strong to purchase one or two boats at
Pittsburg Of their own, and sufficient
number Of barges, and drive all foreign
coal out Of the field. This, he says, win
inevitably be done sooner or later.