Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-03
THE COAL WE USE.
An Article of Which the Average
Householder Knows Little.

8
From the New York Press.
Coal is so common a. necessity that we
do not take the trouble to know anything
about it, The other day 1 asked house.
holder who burns twenty-five tons a sea-
son. (Which do you prefer, red ASH or
white ash?' After a little hesitation he re-
piled; II really don't know what you mean
/ didn't know that coal is made from ash
and 1 don't think + ever heard or req
ash" "Oh, that has nothing to 90 Win
1t. OF course coal is a vegetable product
but the red ash or white ash referred TO
is not tree. but the refuse Of burnt coal
the ashes. Some of these ashes are red;
some are white" He was much surprised
and promised to find out from MS dealer
whether he had always used red or Wnte;
A second householder. being asked the
same question repliedi 81 always use the
white ash coal. for the reason that IL Is 81
much cleaner both before and AFTER using
1t makes a hotter fire, and never purns on.
the grate-bars. 1t lasts longer than the req
ash and is cheaper in the long run. You
couldn't hire me to use red ash coal.
don't like the stuff
A merchant who ought to know what ne
is talking about said: buy req ASH coai
every time 1t makes things very COM
Portable about the house. You can start
fire with 1t in half the time you can WIN
white ash: the fire is twice as not tnere Is
less DUST there are fewer ashes stoves
using the red ash seldom burn out, ana
they give out more heat than When using
white ash, OF course, the req ASH coSts
more than the white, but Is cheaper III the
end"
A coal agent booking orders was told by
a new resident: Il shall want six tons OF
coal for the winter 1 insist on having
white ash coal. Can you supply it at once
early enough?' Yes" "All right; it will
be there" 1t came and was dumped into
the cellar. At the first cleaning out OF the
ash pit under the furnace our friend FOUND
only red ashes. He was wroth. the coal
man happened to drop in. Coal all right!
"All right? You know 1t isn't all right,
sir You have cheated me. L insisted on
having white-ash coal. and you have sent
red ash. What are you going to do about
it, I'm awfully sorry. 1 certainly put IN
the order for white ash. But you've got the
best of the bargain, sir We've billed this
coal to you at the price OF white ASH: ana
you know it is worth a dollar ton more.
Still. 1 always believe in giving gentle
man what he orders, and Wen take this
coal back If you say So
'Tf I wanted to be mean I'd make you
take back every bushel Of it, and then I'd
buy my white ash elsewhere. Didn't you
know it was red ash?'' Lord bless you,
no. No man living can tell the difference
between the two kinds until he sees the
ashes. I've been in the business thirty
years. and l can't tell. But / do know one
thing-red-ash coal is as far ahead OF white
ash coal as sunshine is ahead OF moon
shine" well, I'll overlook it this time;
but hereafter get what l order, or thereu
take this coal back" You have only to
give the order. and I'll obey" 'I'Il see how
it turns out That night the merchant
called. and the transaction was mentioned
Lucky dog he said. Red ash every
time! And you get it as cheap as dirt So
the matter was dropped.
The anthracite trade began with an output
Of n
to 70.OO0,O00 tons annually. In 1903 the city
of Philadelphia bought 100 tons of anthra-
cite for use in the pumping works, but the
engineers. not knowing how to burn 1t,
broke it up to gravel the walks in the
yards. In 1914 two ark ioads were sold at
the falls of the Schuylkiil for sd a ton.
morning was wasted In futile attempts to
burn this coal, and at noon the employer
and his workmen discouraged at their ILL
luck. shut up the furnace and went to din
ner. On their return they were astonished
to find a roaring fire. the furnace doors
red hot and the furnace itself in danger of
melting. From that day dates the success
full use of anthracite in America.
Personally, have yet to learn the differ
ench between red-ash1 and white-ash coal
as regards merit. But / never had the
happy experience of the furnacemen above.
Here is my luck: First, a few newspapers
crumpled up and lighted; secondly, bushel
of kindling wood; thirdly a shovelful of
coal: fourthly, walt for half hour for
the coal to start; filthy, more coal; sixthly,
my morning additions in blissfnl conscious
ness of duty well done; seventhly, return
to the cellar to find-a roaring chilliness.
the furnace doors frigtd to the hinges and
the furnace itself in danger of collapsing in
liquefied air. then drop a small word or
two in the cold quiet of my subterraneanism
and calmly proceed to shake out that roar
ing fire. (expected) into the bottomless ash
pit. The dust gets into my five senses and
my hair. all over my shoes, up my breeches,
down my collar. 1 am hot enough by that
time to look at a fire and make 1t burn.