Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-20
ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK.
nipples on the Current Of Life in the
Metropolis.


Not since Chicago euehered Gotham out
Of the Worlds fair has New York put up
such a roar as is, now heard from Yonkers
to Coney Island about the price OF hard
coal. The roar II not Intermittent. Il lie
CONTINUOUS and increases in intensity as
the price ascends. Ordinarily the New
Yorker Will forgive a single touch ana
might even applaud the skill OF a pro-
fessional brother; but when the touching,
becomes a continuous performance. when
the touch digs deep into the pocketbook
and agitates the native conscience. the
roar which follows is painfully acute. The
coal touchers are touching the town for
double the normal price. and the prospect
for relief Is shadowy.
Coal is now retailing for 50 a ton. and
another advance, In all human probability,
Will be made September /. Dealers made
no secret Of this, and say consumers will
be glad to pay even $40 a ton In a fort
night. New Workers expect to pay dearly
for the coal strike. Whether II is termI-
mated during the next two weeks or not.
there Will be a great scarcity Of anthracite.
Dealers and consumers are beginning to
realize that they will have a serious sltua-
tlon to face. The coal bins in all the
apartment houses, fat houses, hotels and
other office buildings are empty. It has
been customary to fill them with the winter
supply about the same time Of year, but
this summer, owing to the high price. Of coal
and is great scarcity, the dealers have adj
vised their customers to wait in the ex.
pectation that the strike would soon be
over, the supply become equal to the de-
mand and the price normal.
The poorer classes Of people-those who
live in the tenements and must supply
their own heat and buy their coal by the
pail-will be the ones to suffer when the
warm weather ends. They have not felt
the s~tringency because they have no need
for fuel In the summer time, except for
cooking, and what they pay for that pur-
pose is not felt as a real hardship.
Since the scarcity Of hard coal the gas,
oil and electric stove manufacturers and
dealers have reaped a rich harvest. Their
business, It is said, has increased 80 per
cent and they have made preparations to
meet the great demand expected this fall.
Many housewives are taking UP the ques-
tion Of using some fuel other than coal.
In anticipation OF a great deal Of new
business and the. installation OF the new
electric appliances for cooking and heat
ing, the New York Edison company has an
nounced a 25 per cent reduction in rates,
to a k effect September 1. The sixteen
candle power lamp, which under the old
rate cost for power / cent an. hour, will
after that date cost three tourths of a cent,
and the cost of power for heating and cook
ing will be equally diminished.
Great strides have been made in per-
the heating and cooking apparatus.
The latter is said to be only Is per cent
than a gas stove and makes up
for the additional cost in cleanliness and
convenience. The equipment is portable
and can be placed on a stove or table. The
is in the form of a disk, and can be
used for heating anything that can be placed
on a fiat, hot surface. There is also an
fnr naItu1