The state herald., 1891-01-30
WHENCE CHARCOAL COMES.
Now II Il Mads-3igusss Of the Cost saA
the PsoAts.

Now It Il Mads-tigussa Of the Cost sa1
the Predts.
There Is probably not one person IN
a thousand, even here Ia Delaware, says
letter from Georgetown (Del.) to tho
Philadelphia Ledger. who has an idea
Of the extent Of the charcoal business
in Sussex county, of which this place
Is this county town. Within the Last
fifteen or twenty years tho Industry
has been steadily increasing until tho
revenue from burned wood amounts to
at least 800. 900 yearly. To certain
charcoal-burnlng has taken tho place
of peach-growing. Tho A.iluro OF the
crops was keenly felt by the small
farmers and those who depended upon
them. Charoonl came to tho 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 tho timber
''lumpus, which means that they give
90 much for tho trees as they stand;
still others buy the timber by the cord,
estimated after it Is cut and piled. Tho
RAtSCo VA ttmopt hVfStutuS " VII
cumstanccs, from 10 to 40 cents cord.
Much Of the profit Of the business lies
In buying the timber to advantage. II
man is hard pressed for money no
will dispose Of his timber for what no
can get. Then the quality of the tim.
ber aud its proximity to shipping
point nro taken into consideration.
After the wood Is cut aud piled in
cords preparations are made for burn-
Ing. First stake about ton feet high
is driven In the grouua, and around
that the wood Is piled In q CIRCLE. tho
pieces being stood on eud. Whom the
circle is about ten feet high and about
twenty feet In diameter Il tho base, tho
whole pile. which contains anywhere
from ten to twenty cords. is covered
with pine skaters, which are the fallen
lenves or needles OF the pine tree. On
top of these shots" as tho burners
call them, Is placed thick coat OF
earth. packed hard; then the centet
stake Is pulled out and fire dropped
In the hole thus left. When tho fire is
started the opening at the top Is closed
and the work Of burning begins al
once. II takes from two to three weeks
to burn a pile Of charcoal properly.
aud. like burning bricks, the utmost
caro- is Necessary. Inc pile Is watched
day and night the burners living in
sheds built In the woods npd boarding
themselves. Air or drahght holes ara
made in tho burning pilc, and by the
smoke which comes from these holes
tho burner Judges Of the progress OF
his work Holes arc stopped up and
new ones made as tho color OF the
smoke changes. Like burners of brick.
the burners OF charcoal become OK.
perts. The great danger is in getting
too much fire, thus reducing the wood
to ashes instead of charrlng 1t.
After the wood 10 drawn It is taken
to tho nearest railroad station aud
stored In sheds to protect It from the
weather. Charcoal that becomes water.
soaked fctches a low price, as it is said
that il never dries. The New Yor,
dealers come direct here and make
their contracts. The price paid varic.
rs to quality and the quantity of Goa
In the market.
The coal, which is used In the arts
for refining purposes, etc, Is shipped
In cars Of three sizes. The largest. oil
| Jumbo cars, hold 1900 bushels; tho
next size hold 1000 bushels. and tho
next 7s0 bushels. In busy timcr two
trains n day are sent on the way tt
New York. For coed quality oil
coal the burner receives about sl0C
for Jumbo ear. the New York buyo
paying the freight of 10 IL cents l0I
pounds. The next size ears fetch t75
and tho smallest size sos, which l
equal to z l-2 cents and 3 cents a
bushcl. OF course these prices var,
up aud down. and recently burne
complained that he had received bu
$50 for carload Of loo bushels. whicl
cost him go 10 burn. The probabili
ties are that the man who sold Mt thai
rate was hard up and wanicd to 20
some cash. or else his coal was OF poo
quality.
| The ease attending the gcitinI
Of coal ready for market Il about Al
follows. the rates given being by thu
cord: Cost OF wood, 20 cents; cutting
40 cents; teaming to place Of burning
8 cents; wheeling" which mean
pilins the wood for burning. 20 cents
''blacking." the term for putting on
the iiro SKATERS and earth. 10 cents
attending to the burning. rs cents; draw
Ing the coal when burned, 25 cents
hauling to shipping point, 50 l-2 cents
slowing In cars. Is 1.2 cents. Thii
makes the cost per cord. or 81 l..
bushels. to get ready for the market
CLOG 2-3. The calculations are goncr
nlly made on n basis Of three cords. OIL
100 bushels. AT this rate tho cost "a
the burner Is almost O cents n bushel,
He receives IL cents for tho best
quality, which leaves small margin
Of l-2 cents u bushcl for Investment
bad bills. etc. or course this estimate
Of cost will vary up or down. accord
Ing to the business skill Of the burner
One burner alons shipped last ycaI
200 Jumbo carloads TO New York. oI
200. 900 bushels. The total shipment,
las, year were about 1900. 900 bushels
nearly all OF which WINS consumed IN
New York. II was only after III,
greatest persuasion that the New Yorl
buyers agreed TO take tho charcoal by
rail instead Of by boat, but now onr oI
tho largest burners, who has available
charcoal timber noar tho waterway,
can not prevail upon tho buyer 10 re'
coivc his product by water.
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