San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-06-20
WHENCE CHARCOAL COMES.
How Ii is Made-Figures Of the Cost
and the Profits.

and the Profits.
Georgetown tDelJ Letter to the Philadelphia
Ledger.
There is probably not one person IN
thousand, even here in Delaware
who has an idea of the extent of the
charcoal business in Sussex county
of which this place is the county
town. Within the past fifteen
or twenty years the industry
has been steadily increasing
until the revenue from burned
| wood amounts to at least 100000
yearly. TO certain extent charcoal
burning has taken the place of peach
growing. The failure of the crops
last year 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 sew
eral different ways, according to cir
cumstances. Some buy timber ''lum-
pus," which means that they give so
much for the trees as they stand;
still others buy the timber by
the code, estimated after it is
cut and piled. The price of
timber varies, according to circum-
stances, from 10 to 40 cents a cord.
Much of the profit of the business lies
in buying the timbe to advantage.
If a man is hard prer the for money
he will dispose of Kissed er for what
he can get. Thens timbality OF the
timber and its p the gu to ship
ping point are taroXimity considera-
rion.
fallen leaves or needles of the pine
tree. On top of these "shots," as the
burners call them, is placed thick
coat of earth, packed hard; then the
center stake is pulled out and fire
dropped in the hole thus left. When
A fter the wood is cut and piled in
cords preparations are made for burn
ing. First 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
in diameter at the base, the
whole pile which contains anywhere
from ten to twenty cords, is covered
with pine skaters, which are the
the fire is started the opening at the
top is closed, and the work of burn
ing begins at once. 1t takes from
two to three weeks to burn
pile of charcoal properly, and, like
burning bricks, the utmost care Is
necessary. The pile is watched day
and night, the burners living in
sheds built in the woods and board
ing 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 pro-
gress 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
experts. The great danger is in get
ting too much fire, thus reducing the
wood to ashes instead of charming it.
After the wood is drawn 1t Ia taken
to the nearest railroad station and
stored in sheds to protect it from the
weather. Charcoal, that becomes
water-soaked fetches a low price, as
1t is said that it 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, or
Jumbo cars, hold 1900 bushels; the
next size holds 1000 bushels, and the
next $50 bushels. In busy times
two trains day are sent on
the way to New York. For
a good quality of coal the
burner receives about 500 for a Jum-
DO car, the New York buyer paying
the freight of 10 1-2c 100 pounds.
The next size cars fetch So, and the
smallest S65, which is equal to l-2c
and SC a bushel. OF course these
prices vary up and down, and only a
few DAYS ago a burner complained
that he had but $50 for car load
of 1000 bushels, which cost him $50 to
burn. The probabilities are that the
man who sold at that rate was hard
up and wanted 10 get some cash, or
else his coal was of poor quality.
The expense attending the getting
of coal ready for the market is about
as follows, the rates given being by
the cord: Cost OF wood, 25c; cutting,
4Oc; teaming to place OF burning, &c;
wheeling" which means piling
the wood for burning, zoe; "black-
ing" the term for putting on the fire
skaters and earth, 10c; attending to
the burning, 25c; drawing the coal
when burned, 25c; hauling to ship
ping point. SO l-2c; slowing in cars,
i3 1-2c. This makes the cost per cord,
or 80 1-3 bushels, to get ready for the
market, Sl.9623. The calculations
are generally made on basis of three
cords, or 100 bushels. AT this rate
the cost to the burner is almost &c
bushel. He receives 7 1-2c for the