The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-25


psf,ss siyes and yer. thrown OIL, on the dump
hanks. To-day this old refuse ~ vash"ry
coal i. beins worked oyef. screened and sold
Tor factory uss ~ low prices \ certain pro-
portion ~ the coal In these si,es dos come
directly from the breaker, and Il superior
10 the washerv coal because, not having lain
exposed 90 wind and weather. I, has not lnst
a. much ~ ls infammsble quality or Ito
Plant. like the New York Steam Company
and tho Metropolitan Street Railway Com.
pany use this rico and pea coal. and tho dr.
forcnce In cos, means much Ia them because
Of IA. enormous quantities ~ fuel 'hcy con
.um- tn. New York Steam Company uscs
about 1890 tons Of coal In a year The Met
fopolltnn company uses n full 10000 tons
Tho Manhattan Elevated Company goes ahead
Of both and burns on an average, ?oo.or tons
OF coal yearly This company uses egg coal.
which Il moro expensive than tho smaller
varieties, but has the advantage OF producing
higher steam pressure. Al the ordinary rate
OF about q q ton. tho 200. 600 tons represents
q yearly expense item Of about tsoO.ooO The
hotels also consume large quantities OF coal
and are among the coal dealers best custo-
mers. One city hotel used last year $4,000
tons OF coal.
The most srpensive GOAL In tho market 10
EnKuan Cunnel, AT vlA y UDn, Dut NSTy llttle Ol "
IL imported and It Ia used only for open fires In
homee vhere money Ia q matter Of mail mo-
nsnt Ohio and Kentucky camel coal are a
trino leas expensiye than the English product
and ara almost its equal In quality. but they do
not hold their form In burning 50 we'll as the
Rnsush and they make more smoke and SCOT.
After the camel GOALS. the Lykens Valley red
ash GOAL Ia the most expensive In the market,
but the u,pply "a limited and II, too, q burned
chiefly for open nres.
The apartment houss janitor 10 an important
factor In the New York coal business. He
! usually has charge Of buying and cling the
coal supply Of tho tenants. and the arrange
ment omen. 10 ylstas OF possibility, II the janitor
happens TO be unprincipled. Ordinarily the
~,anitor's profits como out Of the coal dealer
who gives him a discount for buying In large
, Quantities. Fairly enough tho janitor looks
! upon this discount a. one Of his peruuisit>s, and
! does not give the tenant the benefit OF II. The
existence Of this rake-off accounts for the siren
uous and tyranrical fashion In which the average
! ,anltor protests against any pet idiosyncrasies
| which a tenant may cherish In regard 70 coal
| Any conslderate and well-trained dweller In
apartment houses will resign himself to using
whatever coal the other tenants prefer. for. by
buying one kind at one price. the janitor Is able
TO drive a better bargain. and woe to the tenan,
who socks to indulge his own peculiar taste In
the matter OF mixed ooal.
When the Ianitor Is dishonest the GOAL per
! ouisites do not stop with a legitimate discount
but the GOAL In the private bins dwindles mys
teriously. and tenants are called upon TO buy
, with sirprising frequency. As q protection
against this evil. IL IL a wiss precaution TO buy
only a small quantity OF coal at Q time. watch
L. carefully, and md out how long II viii last
| then. In the, future. always buy that sam'
amount and insist upon It. lasting for that sam'
length Of time. When ono lives In an apart
ment. laying In q large supply Of coal Is q de
fusion and a snare.
In the old DAYS large fortunes were nad'
out OF tho coal business. Even to-day mer
grow rich In the busin ess. but in spite Of tn
lack Of Coal Trusts. the profits OF the GOAL mel