The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-13
several Bic SCHEMES
Are Being Worked for Making
Use of the Culm Banks.
SOME QUIET INVESTIGATING
Agents of Three Syndicntcs Have Been
Diligently but Secretly Working in
This cSiOn-Plans NAV In
yOlvc Many Millions.

There are whisperings in Scranton cf
one or more proposed deals of great
magnitude, which, If carried to any
length. indicates a speculation of Suf
iicient extent to rival any of the SiEant-
ic speculative coups of recent years in
this country. n suspicion that Ameri-
can and English capitalists are inde
pendently of each other laying their
plans to buy many of the culm piles in
this vicinity and to contract for the
culm output for Il long term of years,
is the scheme in view. The investiga-
tions by agents of these parties are
known to have been going on for some
time but with such successful secrecy
that the details of their plans are
known only to the agents and the men
they represent.
The Tribune's information comes
from the best possible authority but
from Il source which for obvious rea-
sons cannot be divulged. 1t may be
relied upon as worthy of notice.
There are three sets of capitalists or
syndicates whose agents have for sew
eral months been at work in and about
this city. One syndicate is represent
ed by Nelson w. Perry, the Phila del
phia engineering writer who recently
wrote for Cassier's Magazine several
articles relative to culm in this region
and the possibilities of its use. His
employers are supposed to be New York
and Philadelphia men. Another Syndi-
cate is composed of Englishmen who are
represented by Mr.. Cassier, the publish
er of the magazine of that name but
who has been getting his inform a tion
through an emDlOye whose visits here
have ostensbly been for the purpose
of securing advertisements and sub
scriptionS.
The .hird interest is the most rnys-
teriouS of all. Its chiefly interested
parties are not known, but the two men
who are their agents have been here
more frequently than the others re-
ferred to and have been more exact and
diligent in procuring the data which
1t Is presumed is contained in their re-
ports to the men who employ them.
INTERESTS OF SYNDICATES.
To avoid confusion it would be well
to consider the three syndcates in the
order in which they appear mentioned
inf the foregoing paragraph
Mr.. Perry is known to represent a
body of capitalists which has in view
the manufacture of producer" gas, a
gas which is not affected by age and
which is equally adaptable to illumin-
ating and heating purposes. 1t is made
from coal and water. Until recently
the smallest size of coal for pra tical
use. in its manufacture has been
buck heat" but /. is claimed that II
process is more perfected whereby culm
can be utilized. 1t is this point which
Is important in the Perry syndicate's
Investigations. 1t is believed that This
syndicate proposes piping the gas pro-
duct in New York and Philadelphia.
Mr.. Perry has made at least eight or ten
visits to Scranton since he first came
for the puruose of producing material
for his articles in Cassier's Maga zine
with which publication, by the way, he
has no permanent connection.
The real Cassier agent is he who has
been here several times recently in the
oili ,lf iTi 10 hn i,-n
special attention 20 securing estimates
Of She amount of culm now lying out
side the mines and estimates of future
outputs. His employer, Mr. Cassier
goes to England in three weeks. In
that country the main CasSier publica-
ton is issued. and there appeared some
time ago the same culm articles by Mr..
Perry that We're published in the mag
azine in this country. The English idea
Is to use :hc culm in the manufacture
of com pressed fuel. This article is now.
being made and used in England in
several varieties of shapes and sizes
and n given quantity of 1t. 1t is claimed,
answers the purpose Of three or four
times the same bulk of ordinary coal.
PURPOSE OF THE MEN
But little is known of the purpose or
the identity of the men referred to as
the third syndicate, beyond the fact
that their agents have worked with
than the others These two men are
F'renc chmen whose conversation and
fund of information would indicate
them to be mechanical engineers of Il
very high order.
one fact has been true of all the
invest gations-the agents have kept
clear of the coal operators and own
ers. They have visited The mines and
by p!ausible explanations have obta ined
from the superintendents and forcmcn
most of the information they now pos
Sess.
Sufficient is not known of the whole
matter to even guess what would be
the course adopted by any one of the
interests in case d decision was afiirma-
lively made on the object it had in view.
but it is believed among the few who are
familiar with the facts presented in
this article that wholesale buying
of the culm insight and to be prod uced
would be among the probabilities.