Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-09-29
VALUE OF coal,
Col. E. L. Crow Sees in Lignite Fields
Vast Sources Of Wealth
for the Slope.
Capital Becoming Interested ID the
Development Of the Ignite
Mines Near Here.
a Few Years, He Says, Viii See the
General Use Of Ignite ID
the Northwest.

The value of the Ignite coal depos-
its on the Missouri slope is just corr
ing to be realized, z said b. 4. ,Graw OF
Grand Rapids, Mich, who came down
from the north yesterday. "a have
just looked over the coal fields with
A. c. Stewart and Mr.. Leiferman of
the Monarch Elevator company and iss
they can make satisfactory terms they
will use 5000 tons Of the coal annu-
ally. These gentlemen came out at
their own expense to look over the coal
fields That they think enough OF the
coal to consider the matter Of contract
ing for enough for their needs is pretty
good evidence that the coal is all right.
This is only a step. Other concerns
will become interested The imnne-
diate future of the coal business in this
section is assured except for one thing,
railroad rates. AS soon as these are
obtained, l will ship a trial carload Of
coal to Grand Rapids, Mich. have
| no doubt that it will be extensively
| used there after it has been intro
dueed The same is true of ST. Paul
| and Minneapo4-s. All needed is a
fair rate ON the railroads
There has always been a prejudice
against Ignite COAL fostered by rail-
roads, eastern coal barons and capi-
talists interested in the eastern coal
fields. The development of the Hg-
mite fields means SO much money taken
from the eastern coal mine owners
But the use of Ignite is coming just
the same. The present strike is hav-
ing its effects. People of the west
will not always consent to be at the
mercy of eastern coal region disturb
ances. -~ -
| Look at the value of the coal fields
of the Missouri slope. On a quarter
section ofland belonging to General
Washburn there are, it is estimated,
100000 tons of coal. What does
| that mean in money to the Missouri
slope, when fifty cents ton is paid
| for mining it, ten cents ton for roy
| atty, forty or fifty cents ton for haul
ing and say, a dollar a ton for the
coal, net 1t means that quarter Of
a section of coal land is worth mil
lions TO the country. 1t is an indus
try that isn't dependent upon the
weather. Wet or dry, the income
from it is assured. 1t is safe to say
that in a few years, there will be little
| if any coal shipped into North Dakota.
| Instead of that, North Dakota will be-
shipping coal out. Then there Will
be a steady source of income to the
slope country. Capital, which is al
ways the last thing to follow, will in
| terest itself and the Missouri slope
Will have a source of wealth greater
| than it ever dreamed Of Think OF
buying coal land, such as there is in
| this section, for $5 an acre, when in
few years, and not very many either,
it will be worth hundreds
These gentlemen who came out to
look over the coal fields are not wast-5
ing their time in something in which
they have no confidence They are
busy men, but not too busy to see a.
good thing and they believe the coal
fields of the slope to be richer than is
dreamed of here
Mr. Craw left for the east yesterday
afternoon and will return to the CITY
before long, #