Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-19
SOFT COAL is SHY
There May Be a Coal Famine
in the City.
DEALERS FORCED TO HUSTLE
To Meet the Demands Of Thar Custom
srs-Ths shortage Due 70 the
Trunk Llnes-Outlook-

Grand R4piss IS IN danger Of soft
coal famine. Every dealer Ia the city
l. snort and nas O. hustle 10 supply
hs regular Customers. fne railroad
companies nave no coal to spare. aud
unless the weather moderates before
many days the public will have Al ef-
fectlye illustration Of what u means 20
be out IA the cold.
The responsibility for the shortage
seems 10 rest with the trunk lines
They are badly bsocksded and have all
they can DO 10 handle their passenger
trains and take care of their fast
freight. An illustration OF their con-
diton u seen ia the action OF the Mich
Igan Central IA abandoning two OF lts
through passenger trans until there
shall DO a change for toe better IA the
weather. IL tne trunk lines cannot
take care Of their passenger trans. u
< e without saying that toe freight
service must suffer. The roads n the
ONO valley have met with an unusual
amount OF trouble. aud Il - % their III
affinity 10 handle their trains that the
G al shortage is due. The Wheeling q
Lake Ere. the Columbus, Hooking
Valley x To edo. and the roads OF the
Pennsylvania system are the parLeu-
lar sinners n that respect.
plenty OF Hard Coal
The present shortage IN the city Is
confined exclusively TO bituminous
coal. The coal yards are full of
anthracite. None u the dealers have
g. We. been unable To supply their Gus.
TONERS Win some kind OF soft Goa
but the consumer - forced 10 take any
brand he can get. Yesterday there
Was not ton of Block or Jackson Hill
coal ia the city.
The manner OF handling soft coal in
vltss a shortage IN case OF series OF
severe storms. The coal Is not I'M
loaded, but IS sold from tile car. In
case the ears are not empu,sd within
i've days. car service charges are made.
BltumlnOus coal is sold on = very
small marg.n, according 10 the state
ments OF the dealers, and they cannot
afford 10 pay any charges for the de-
tsntiOn OF cars. IL the coal be IN.
loaded, the cost OF rehaudllng and the
waste, eats up the margins. Conse-
auently the dealers keep standing or
deEs foi enough coal {, supply their
regular customers and meet the estI-
mated outside demand. In case the
regular consignment Is delayed, the
dealer has TO hustle. If MS hustle
isn't effect We, the customer has 10
make the best OF II. That IS the pres
ent condition OF things.
The Railroads Troubled
"We have not been troubled for coal
YET" said W. b. Simpson, superln-
tendsnt OF the G.. X. " L., yesterday,
"but We have no coal 10 spare. The
trunk lines seem unable to meet the
demand. The cold weather mas in
creased the consumption. We can
handle all the coal We can get, but it
Is almost impossible TO get any"
the West Michigan u bothered a
great deal Tor COAL said Gilbert APP
peihof. chief clerk IN Superintendent
Agnew : office. 1--WE have not been
compelled to abandon any trains, but
tur supply has been uncomfortably
short several times. liz there are no
more Big storms we exgect to pull
through without any serious trouble"
The railway Offices are besieged by
local dealers. VINO demand to know
tGt Ica.Ou Wuy sucsk SOat uOcS lOt az
rive.
seized by the Railroads.
ave received eight car loads OF
III ckgng Valley Coal this morning."
said L. ". Sesmens of the Central Coal
company. "come OF u was shipped
over two weeks ago. If this weather
holds Oh another ~eek or 81 there will
be come lively scranibling for coal mere
IN Grand Rapids. We supply the
Il railway company. That re-
Qui.es about thirty tons of coal day,
and we must keep up that. The great
danger lies IA the railroads getting
short. IL they do they will inme-
distely seiZe our coal and use II. A
railroad company always looks out for
Itself trst. T0ey will burn our coal
and report the matter afterwards.
That - what they are already doing IN
Chicago. The dealer and the public
simply have TO make the best of IT."
The Bennett Ice and Coal company
the Grand Rapids Ice and Coal com
psuy. the Valley City and the Collins
c0Tnpsny all report that they are liable
to run snort Of coal any day unless the
trunk lines begin to handle more cars,
A. vet there has been 90 attempt TO IN
eroaaa pr-rss IN the city