Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1894-12-13

The coal mROe It's way into domestic use
very slowly. Bismarck aud Msndan gave
it q trial and adopted it, hut several years
elapsed before it made its way east as
far as jamestown. When Major Fleming
tried to get the people Of Fargo to burn
it three years ago, he was obliged to give
it away. Several thousand tons will be
used this winter in that town.
The cost in carloads on the track at
Fargo 10 1926 per ton. This is now the
furthest eastern point of supply, but it
will not be long before Ignite will cross
the Red River and become established
as the fsvorite fuel in the northern
Minnesota towns. At Msndan Ignite
costs 81; at Bismarck, S2.25; at James.
town, $255; at Darlington, $3.50; at
Leeds, 1925; at Oakes, $40; at Lisbon,
$3.l5. 1t is not possible to market it in
South Dakota by reason of the excessive
freight charges OF the railroads operat.
ing in that state. They demand as much
for hauling it from Oskes to Aberdeen,
about 80 miles, as they charge for haul
ing eastern coal all the way out from
Chicago, about ten times the distance.
Such rapid progress has Ignite made in
public favor during the past year or two
and so ample have been the demonstra-
tions OF the economy resulting frOmi is
use that it is evident that this home
fuel will soon almost wholly supplant
eastern Goals throughout North Dakota
except for locomotive use.
MINING OPERATIONS ON THE N. P.
The mine now working at Sims is on
seven foot vein. The owners say that
their coal compares with the best Pitts
bul, Gal IL the ratio of fourteen to
twenty and with Iowa coal in that of six
teen to twenty. The freight rates to
points of consumption is twenty five
cents ton less than that from the
Lehigh mines, which are seventy miles
further west, and this difference is added
to the coal, SO that the product of the
two localities comes into equal competi
ton at all places where it is sold. 1he
Minot coal, which finds Its markets along
the lines of the Great Northern and 500
roads. is sold at the mines for two dol
lars ton. It is of no better quality than
that mined at Sims and Lehigh. The
coal field worked at Sims is broken by
numerous ravines.
The Lehigh and East Lehlgh mines
at Lehigh, near Dickinson. work a
twenty. six foot vein. but only fifteen or
sixteen feet of coal is taken out. Rooms
are excavated IN the thick coal body each
side OF the entry and sufficient coal is left
above to form an arched roof, which re-
quires no timberlng. The pillars between
tbs rooms are robbed after the rooms
have been fully blasted out and then the
mass of superintendent clay, having a
depth of about fifty feet, caves in. The
process of mining is exceedingly simple.
Holes are bored with breast anger and
dyL;snlte shots put in to bring down the
coal. A track runs into each room from
the main line of the entry and the cars
are loaded with fork shovels which allow
the slack and fine coal to slip through
the tines. All this fine stuff, although
it is good coal. is left on the floor OF the
mine and only the lump coal is taken out
in the cars. About 10000 tons will be
mined at Lehigh during the year ending
the first Of June next, and the product
of the Sims mine will be about the same
At either place 100000 tons could be
mined annually il there we're demand
for that quantity.