The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-09-21
LeaYenWOrth Is Suffering From
a Coal Famine.
Two Manufacturing Companies
to Shut Down.
Is CAUSED BY A TRUST
Prices Advanced 10 Per Cent
Since Sept. l.
Operators Now Agree to Ship
In Some Coal.

Leavenworth, Sept. 21--The coal sup
ply of the city, owing to the shutting
down of the mines on account of the
strike, has been seriously curtailed. 1t
is understood the shortage of coal has
so affected the Great Western Manu-
featuring company and the stove foun-
dry that they may have to close down
until coal can be procured. The local
dealers are out of coal and many other
institutions are having to ship coal in
to the city.
There was a meeting of the operators
and dealers of the city last night at
which the operators agreed to snip
coal in from the outside TO supply tIleil
customers. Where the coal Will come
from has not been given out. Prac-
tically all that IS used in LeaVenWorth
will have to be brought here by the
railroads, as almost none IS De4hs
supplied by the mines.
The price of coal will be advanced
materially over what it was before the
strike and when the local mines were
supplyine the city with fuel. A dealer
said last night that the coal which -
shipped in will cost not less than $3.5O
per ton, while it formerly sold at 50
per ton.
1t is reported there is a gigantic
combine of the coal dealers OF MIS-
souri,. Kansas, Arkansas and the 1ndlan
Territory which controls the prices OF
this product throughout the territory
of these states.
The office of the trust is said to be
in Kansas City and the tangible eVl-
dence of its existence is in notices sent
out of prices which have been known
to take effect throughout this terri
tory simultaneously
1t is said the trust is very careful
to keep itself hidden and acts through
it's secretary, G. B. Beatty.
1t is said the advances in the price
of coal which took place in July ana
August and again in September 1,Were
5ofo Cd q
was generally over all the territory
named.
The notices sent out quote the prices
to be charged by the various mines,
f. o. b. at the mines. to jobbers at
Kansas City, and to dealers.
The Leavenworth coal companies are
said to be in the trust and to act as
it directs in fixing the price Of It's
coal both in Leavenworth and on the
markets elsewhere
The latest rise in the price of coal,
which it is said the trust agreed upon,
took place September 1, and as quoted
by notices sent out by the trust were
as follows;
Leavenworth mines, carloads f. o. b.,
mines S1.75 per ton; carloads f. o. b.,
Kansas City jobbers, $1.95; carloads [.
O. b., Kansas City retail dealers, $40
To prove that the Leavenworth COM
panies We're in this combine and ra1s-
ed the prices as dictated by the trust,
a letter from one of the mines to It's
customers has been published. The
notice to raise the price to the figures
given above was sent out by the trust
on August %, and the letter which is
here published was sent out on the day
following:
tlemen: on and after September 1 our
prices will be as follows until further
notice. All quotations f o. b mine:
Lump coal, Sis per ton.
Egg coal, S1.75 per tom
The above letter from a Leaven-
worth coal company was one. of
course, sent out to it's customers. That
is. on August 20 the trust said from
Kansas City. put coal up to $1.75."
and the next day small dealers were
receiving letters saying coal was up to
s175 a ton Such is some of the docu-
mentary evidence of the existence of
the trust and of its methods.