The daily Republican., 1902-12-01
DECEMBER HERE
ANDLITTLE COAL
Poverty Stricken Humanity
More Miserable Yesterday
Than For q Long Time.
SNOW WOULD MEAN WOE,
Gravity of thu Prosp ect as
it is Now Cannot Be
Overestimat-
ed.

ed into two classes those who have
coal and those who haven't.
There We're some of this latter
class yesterday who gathered about
bright oil stoves or gas radiators,
!and We're warm and content. They
had for the timo being, at least,
solved the fuel problem to their
satisfaction.
Yet another class hudlled to-
gether i'll misery. with no solution
in the shape Of an oil fam, staring
them in the face; but with gaunt
winter knocking at the door, ratSling
broken panes and forcing himself
through cracks.
Winter IS here and no coal. Tn3
famine is DOT theory, it is cun1i.
ton. What IS to b, dule? The echo
answers, what?
1t is not the man with the oil
stove wko Is in dagger. it isn't the
man who will lara wood instead of
coal who is a legitimate object Of,
pity. He will be nconvenienced, but
he Will be warm. 1t is the Door
woman who is wont to buy an apron.
full OF coal at time, who never has
more :han few pennies for ary one
necessity: she who must lock at win
ter's blast acculL ulating over her
head and vary the Shvers from cold
with shudaer vf fear. One Ii alt OF
the world, it has been said truly,
knows not how the other lives.
There was untold mlscrya in Will
mington vest crday There is always
misery on such day, but without a
fire or the prospect OF one it was
damp raw misery-thc worst kind
One of the Ioca! dealers said this
morning that the situation was not
as serious as it has been pictured.
Another announced, however, that
The status of the market was really
alarming.
Men in this business arc face to
face with nasty situation, | can tell
you. We cannot provide coal for all
who want it il the railroads do not
bring enough to supply the demand
to this city. They are not doing
this, and don't know if they will do
it while the cold wea ther lasts. We
are rot getting two thirds Of the
amount necessary to supply the nor.
NAL demand, and there is really as
much trouble for the house holder to
get coal now as there was when not
ton WAS being sent out Of the collier.
les
HOPING FOR AN OPEN WINTER
The 5 ,uation is unigIe. Here
we are, men who are making our
living uy selling coal, and who, OF
course, would like usually TO see the
mercury in the thermometer hover
ing about the zero point. Now We
are a II praying for an open winter.
that it will no, get very cold. Itell
you fear some of lls would have to
lake 10 the woods il 4 severe sEow-
storm should come upon the city now.
We should be afraid to face the peo.
pie who would clamOr for coal and
whose demands we could not begln
% satisfy"
The gravity of the prospect az it
s now cannot be overestimated.
With the operating companies send!
ng out less than the daily needSa<
with all the yards empty, w
would he the suffering i'll this Jy
md indeed all over the counf T3
should severe spell Of cold wcat ,r
'omc, is subject Of unpleaAnt
to those who are in
he business, butf a blizzard should =
'ome which would tie up the coal
roads for two or three
lays not Il pound Of coal would tD,l
received in the localities that aHS3,,'
low without more than days suf IN
by, and the consequent distre5s,
you'd he appalling, =
From other retailers and from
ome of the wholesalers it was as
there was 10 eNaggeration
Il these assertions. At no time since
operations have been resumed in
he mines has the market in this
ity received as much coal as was
lceic;i for the daily consumption.
his, coming after the yards, bins
nd cellars had been empty for six
months. was disappointment. 1t
al been expected that when the
Olllcri"s We're i'll working order
gain coal would be rushed here in
uch quantities that the man anxious
} lay in a supply in preparation
" the coming Of cold weather.
nd there are hundreds Of such men
would he able to get AS much as
olikel But the contrary is the