The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-02
TRUST IS SAID TO BE PROJECTED
IN THIS CITY BY PITTsBURG
COMPANY
CONCERN is IN COMPLETE
CONTROL OF LOCAL MARKET
Emissaries Have Been Working Quiet
Iy With a View to Forcing All
Wholesale and Retail Dealers Into
combine-$12 Coal in Prospect
Strike Is Responsible.

With winter coming on st. Paul
householders are confronted by the
prospect of paying So a ton for coal
and being glad to obtain it at that
price.
In short, the partial fuel famine Gre
ated by the anthracite strike is being
taken advantage of by those who con-
troll the market to form consolida-
tion-a trust-in this city.
The Pittsburg Coal company, which
has holdings in the three largest
local concerns and which recently
merged the coal interests of Milwau-
kee, has had representatives in st.
Paul quietly working to the end OF
combining all Of the wholesale and re-
tail dealers in the precious commodity.
Monopoly Is Complete.
Stephen Russell. manager of the
Youghiogheny and Lehigh Coal COM
oany, said LAS far as I am personally
concerned there is no truth in it, al
though there Is q possibility that such
a deal Is on foot. I have not heard of
any representatives of the Pittsburg
Coal company being in the city, al
though they may have been without
my knowledge"
While the consolidation is denied, in
quiry at all the coal offices in the city
developed the fact that the companies
in which the Pittsburg Coal company
have an interest are the only ones
which have coal to offer for sale. Be-
tween them they are said to have 5000
tons of anthracite coal in their yards
and have refused absolutely to sell to
any of the other dealers. There are
several other individual concerns in
the city which have coal in their yards,
but it is already contracted for and to
be delivered on demand.
Strike Causes Trouble.
Otherwise there is not ton of hard
coal to be bought and with the exception
of those companies which handle the
Pittsburg coal all others have refused TIC
take orders, or, as they explain, will &C
cept the orders only on agreement to fill
them when the strike in the anthracite
region is settled.
The small coal dealers have no other
alternative but to close their doors un-
less an immediate settlement of the coal
strike is effected. They have been re-
fused coal where heretofore they were
abb to buy it regardless of quantity They
out of the business and the balance of the
coal companies unable to fill their orders
the Pittsburg Coal company regards 1t
an opportune time to secure the control
Of the coal market of this city.
SIP Coal In Prospect.
At present the coal situation is alarm
Ing All of the companies which are TAX
ing orders accept them on the following
condition:
1.-THE delivery Of this order Is not guar
anteed except so far as our stock of coal
may hold out and must take the price
in effect the day the coal is delivered. y
The last quotation ON anthracite was
$50. Dealers say it VIII go up to $12
a ton if the strike continues. Hooking
is selling at $535 ton and smokeless at
$6.55, with prospects of steady advance
in prices while the strike continues.
Price on Wood Rises.
Maple wood is selling at 81 cord and
oak at Sc. -
The demand for both wood and smoke
less coal is heavy. Not an ounce of an
thracite coal has been delivered during
the last three days except that which was
contracted for during the past summer
and which was to be delivered on demand.
The agents of all tho coal companies in
the city regard the situation as very seri-
Gus. Coal orders are piling up by the
thousands. Much concern is felt about
the city. particularly IN the manufacture
ing districts, where the supply is running
alarmingly close.