Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-12-25
FUEL REMAINS SHORT.
Operators Hold out No Hope for Relief This
wlnter-Surplus Exhausted.

W'h'e''-ouIpluS EAnauSleu.
Philadelphia. Pa, Dec. l9.--OGicl-
ais of the Reading railway company
hold out no hope for relief In the an-
thracite coal stringency this winter
despite the reports Of the company
to mine and ship to its full capacity
"Under normal conditions, said
one of the officials, "the anthracite
production is never equal to the de-
mand during the winter months and
the Reading and all the other an-
thtacite companies have been obliged
to draw upon the stock at various
storage points to help out the de-
mands OF the trade,
This year there is not Il pound OF
coal at any of these storage points
aud consumers are dependent entire
ly upon the daily output of the mines
The big dealers in New England,
WIN usually have Ia stock at this
season OF the year from $4,000 to 100, =
600 tons, are dependent entirely upon
what is being shipped to them by
the various companies.
Practically all the leading COM
panys collieries are in operation.
The company shipped from the mines
during the last two days nearly 1900
cars of coal. This means daily pro-
duction of nearly 10000 TONS"
1t Is stated that the Pennsylvania
railroad has 600 Of the Reading
compauy's coal cars on its tracks In
! the western part Of the state as well
as 2 500 belonging to the Central
| Railway OF New Jersey, and these
are urgently needed IN the anthracite
trade. Their non-delivery, 1t is
claimed, is causing much delay In the
shipment of anthracite to points
west Of Harrisburg.
Reading company officials decline
to discuss the question as to whether
the advance OF so cents ton ma lie
in October would hold good during
1903. but they admit that IT will GER
tainly rule beyond January /, 1908,
the date fixed 10y Mr. Baer for re-
ductiOn tc the old rate.
An operator, who attended the
meeting Of the operators In New
York stated that the advance would
be retained during all next year.
Washington, Dec. ia material
increase In the number OF cases OF
pneumonia and severe colds among
the people of this city is attributed
by physicians to the coal famine.
They say that in most Of the houses
they visit only few Of the rooms are
heated, and even many well to do res
idents have abandoned their fur
naces.
The price of bard coal from tht
independent operators today wa
Sl2 ton. Soft coal at retail brough
SO a ton and many OF the dealers arr
unable to furnish even small lots t,
regular customers.
Bridgeport, Conn, Dec. l9.-At
| SSCIeU ulc6ulHR DC'C tpuuy VI lliC I've
tail Coal Dealers association Of Nev
England plans for protecting TIL
members were discussed.
The secretary, @ w. Sears of Ar
lington, Mass said:
"We are discussing plans to protec
the legitimate dealers against tn
encrolchment of companies and mel
who propose to sell coal direct non
the railroad cars. We, with expensiv
plants, cannot compete with them
Our association starts from Chicag
and takes In the entire east w
propose to notify members of the as
snciation OF sales TO companies doin
business from cars direct and the
will be guided accordingly. 1t Is
move for protection pure an simple