Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-12-06
The State Day by Day.
COKE FROM Ignite.
l.. z. Letter of Chicago Experime
ing with North Dakota Fuel.

L. z. Letter of Chicago Experiment.
ing With North Dakota Fuel.
The development of the great Ignite
coal fields at Wilton, N. D., on the line
of the Bismarck, Washburn & Great
Falls railway, is being pushed as rap
idly as possible. In the new mine, just
equipped with an electric mining plant,
the output at present exceeds 100 tons
per day, and this amount will be
doubled during the present week. The
DEVELOPMENT is not to stop at 200 tons,
as the company expects to increase the
capacity to 400 tons per day before
Jan. /.
The demands for the Ignite article in
North Dakota are far in excess of the
supply. Owing to inadequate facilities.
the company has made no attempt to
enlarge the demand created by natural
conditions; but with its improved
methods of operation it is hoped that
the local consumers will be taken care
of by Jan. 1. Just row the company
has orders for more than 100 car loads
on it's books, which cannot be filled for
some time.
Senator Washburn says that once the
local demand is satisfied, he will do his
best to secure favorable freight rates
that will enable the company to ship
the coal to Minneapolis and st. Paul.
With reasonable rates, he is confident
that he can furnish coal to Twin City
consumers at less price than coal
has ever been sold IN the Northwest.
A feature of the opening of the new
mines is the widespread interest eX-
cited by the reports of the quality OF
the Ignite found in such unlimited
quantities. l.. 2. Letter, president OF
the Universal Fuel company of Chica-
go. and one of the best known capital
| lists in the country, has become greatly
interested in the possibilities of an in.
dustrial revolution throughout the
West and Northwest by means of the
cheap coal at the Wilton mines. Mr..
Letter wrote Senator Washburn some
time ago, informing him regarding
new method of coking coal, which has
proved highly satisfactory. BY this
process, coal of a comparatively poor
| quality has been cooked satisfactorily,
the results obtained being a revelation
| to coal men, Mr.. Letter asked for a
supply of the North Dakota Ignite for
the purpose of making some expert
ments. A supply was sent and the re-
suits achieved were very satisfactory;
but, in order to satisfy himself fully
Mr.. Letter requested that full car
load Of average coal be sent to Chica.
60. Mr.. Washburn at once dispatched
= car to the cooking works of the Uni
yersal Fuel company, but the expert
ments have not yet been concluoeo
From Mr.. Letters favorable opsefVa-
| lions, however, he is certain liat 'iis
Ignite car be cooked.
If the ccal can be cooked SATISFACTORY
ly, it can be used extensively for pur-
poses of smelling, as we'll as for domes'
tic use Said Mr.. Washburn:
1T have Just returned from Wilton
where our new electric mining machin'
cry is in successful operation. The
company is gratifed at Mr.. Letters in
teresr in our Ignite, which is, unques.
tionabiy, the finest article of it's kline
to be found in North Dakota. In fact
it has no superior anywhere III the
country. With the new coking process
recommended by Mr.. Letter, we conf
IDENTIFY expect to accomplish wonders.
am doing everything possible to push
the DEVELOPMENT of the mines to mee1
the local supply, and when that is done
we will turn our attention to St. Pau
and Minneapolis. We feel that the
problem, of cheap fuel for the Twir
Cities, as we'll as the entire Northwest
is fast approaching solution. There il
no doubt about the quality of our coal
1t has been thoroughly tested by ex
perts, and the only thing we wish tt
be assured of now is that it can b.
coked. If that can be done, there is
great field for us among the smelter'
of Duluth, Great Falls and Butte"