The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-14

Ell and could get No. fully cents less
let US say at % cents buShel. by
having it shipped on the COB l could
save 10 3 cents a bushel, OF 80 fon-
By actual test il has been found that a
ton of corn viii yield IS per cent a ton
more heat than the same amount or
coal. With the rice of coal s4.2o per
ton in car lots in Chicago il will be
seen that corn would be the cheaper
fuel. II il is found practicable TO use
the corn here, what is TO be said OF ter
ritory west OF the Mississippi river,
with the freight on coal $3.50 from
the river?"
Kearney, Neb., Sept. 13.-The ques-
ton Of the feasibility OF using corn for
fuel has never been fully tested in
western Nebraska. Ii has never been
used extensively, even when cheap,
except by farmers. The general lesi-
ing is that il does not pay at all TO
burn corn and that il is better TO sell
at market price or hold for an advance
than to use It for fuel.
Hutchinson, Kan. Sept. 13.-In reply
to the question: rs the use o. corn
for fuel feasibie?" put TO half dozen
OF the posted in this city. the invariable
answer has been No"
No corn is being used as fuel in this
country now, nor has X ever been used
TO any extent. James McklnStry, one
OF the old early settlers here and man
thoroughly posted says there has never
been any regular use OF corn as fuel
Sometimes when farmers have had big
corn crops and no money To buy coal
they have used corn, corn stalks and
even hay, but in recent years that has
not been necessary.
Frank Vincent, general manager of
the Hutchinson Salt company, one OF
the largest consumers OF coal in this
part of Kansas, said that the talk of
using corn for fuel is foolish II has
not been done and never has been done
in this county.
Il feel safe in saying" he declares,
chat there have not been 200 bushels
of corn burned as fuel in Reno county
since its organization. The use of
corn as fuel for steam purposes or for
making salt is altogether impractical
bic. We can get coal delivered at from
6 to Z cents a bushel. and corn at 10
cents a bushel would be more than
twice as dear"
Other salt men say about the same
thing. AT some of the grain elevat-
ors corncobs are used as fuel 10 furnish
steam, but no grain is burned.
a good many farmers now shell their
they use the cobs for fuel, but none of
them use the grain.
Topeka, Kan, Sep. 13.-There is a
saying in common among Kansas farm
erS that it is as cheap to burn corn for
fuel as coal when the price of the two
articles are the same per pound. That
is, when corn is worth only IA cents
per bushel it is as cheap for fuel as
coal at 81 per ton. This is, however,
a fallacy, for a ton of ordinary soft
coal has been found by actual expert
ment 10 go as far as a ton and a half
of corn.
Corn makes a good, clean fire, and a
great deal of it is burned by farmers,
because it is handy and clean and they
prefer TO burn it rather than cart il to
town and then haul the coal back. The
time Will probably come even if corn
continues 10 fall in value when ii will
be used for fuel generally. 1t is not
used by manufacturers in this vicinity
and if there are any portions of the
state where it could be used to greater
advantage than coal it would be q
point far removed from railway cent
ers, which would bring down the value
of corn and increase that of coal.
There is no more pleasant fIe than
that furnished by Kansas corn, but it
is much more valuable for pork and
beef making purposes than for fuel.
Abilene, Kan, Sept. 13.-Cvrn has
never been used for fuel in this county,
except in extreme cases among settlers
remote from the railway. 1: is not
considered profitable unless below u
cents a bushel. AT that price Il COM
pares favorab1y with cheap sfades of
coal, but lacks the strength and heat
of better grades. II has never been a
success in steam Dl9ntS ave1 e1ayat~rS
importing coal rather than Use the corn
in their bins, claiming that more power
Is obtained from coal. Central Kan
sas Will not burn a bushel Of corn this
year, as there are enough streaks OF
drouth and consequently poor corn to
make local market for the entire crop
in many counties. In heavy crop Sec
tons spectators are cribing the PRO-
duct to hold.