The age-herald., 1901-05-26
CHEAP RATES ON
 COAL ID MOBILE Reduction Made to Meet Texas
 Oil Competition PIPE LINE WILL BE LAID Successful Test of oil For Fuel Made at MobiIe-several Companies Will Bore For oil In South
 Alabama.
PIPE LINE WILL BE LAID

Mobile, May B.-(Special) )-The week ending today has brought about some very important developments in the oil situation in Alabama, and especially in the vicinity of Mobile. Possibly the most important matter Is the relative value of coaland petroleum oil as a fuel. The solution of this, question Is of vital im- portanee to the coal mining industry of Alabama. Although the coal men seer and spoken to here speak lightly of the matter, yet 1t is of some gravity as is made evident by the fact that already the railroads have seen the probable outcome, and taken steps to reduce their freight rates on coal that the latter may have better chance to compete with the new and cheaper fuel. .6qrhe present rate on Alabama coal for consumption in this market is $1.75 per ton. the rate for ex- port coal being $1 per. ton. Effective June l, the Louisville and Nashville will put on a rate of s1.10 per ton for domestic coal, which includes all coal save that known as strictly export coal. The oth- CT railroads are expected to make their rates equal to this.
 The excitement the past week in the oil situation was caused mainly by the action of the. Fuel Oil Transport Company, a corporation composed of local capitalists. This corporation, whose members are largely interested in the towboat business here and at other Gulf points, has ar ranged to put on service of tank barges to transport Texas oil from Port Arthur to Mobile Storage tanks will be erected here and large quantities of the crude petroleum will be kept in stock here. The company has introduced into the council an ordinance granting them the right to lay a pipe line through certain streets of the city, especially Water street. It is on this street that the large number of mills and factories are located, which use large quantities of fuel
 oil Transport Line.
 The past few. days the company has been preparing to inaugurate it's trans port service, and had been bringing oil in barrels here from Texas for the pur- pose of making public tests. One of thf tests was made on the company's tug boat Adelaide, and was most successful. Another test was made by the Alabama Iron Works at their large plant, and the company has now announced that they will use the oil permanently, it shows a saving in fuel of about 30 per cent.
 The action of the iron works is applauded by numerous mill men here, and a number of these latter are now pre- paring for the change in fuel. The Elec- trio Lighting Company, both street rail- road companies, and the two cotton mills are also preparing to make a. test of pe- troleum and will be ready for the tests within a few days. The lumber mill men are desirous of adopting the oil fuel for several reasons, including which are cheapness, less trouble and delay, and less likelyhood of destruction by fire. The same boilers and furnaces can be used for the oil that are now used for coal, with only a slight and almost costless change. The Fuel oil Transport Company has ar ranged to bring the oil here by tank cars until the tank barges, three in number, are ready to enter the service, which will be in about sixty days. Conversation with number of councimen and aldermen leads to the opinion that the council will grant the company the right to lay the pipe line they have asked for.
 Will Bore for Oil.
 George s. Leatherbury, Jr., one of the largest timber exporters and brokers in the south, has closed an arrangement with MT. Charles Rich, of Rickburg and Hat tiesburg, Miss, to bore for oil some land owned by MT. Leatherbury near St. Stephens in Washington county. MT. Leatherbury, who has long had large hold ingS Of timber lands throughout the State, has increased his holdings by options on promising oil lands, and now has control of very large number of tracts MT. Rich has two boring machines at Hatties- burg. and will at once ship one of them to the site selected for the test. The necessary pipe Is now on the way to the site, having been purchased some days ago in Anniston.
 J. D. Hand the lumber man of Dofive, Do Huyft, txr xxyHa 1oxr purchased half interest in a tract at Jackson in Clarke county has been divid ing his time between Jackson and Mobile, making the necessary arrangements for the developme nt of the property in which he Is interested. He expects to be boring in a couple of weeks. A number of local capitalists have secured the services of an oil expert from Pennsylvania, who Is now looking about on their holdings In Choc- taw and Washington counties, with a view of deciding which Is the most promising site, on which well will soon be placed.