The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-14
LOCAL DEAL Frs
ARE LONG ON COAL
Strike of Oilers and Firemen
on Lakes Not Bothering
Them.

Coal dealers Of st. Paul do not ap
pear to be very anxious as to the
probable outcome of the differences be-
tween the Lake Carriers association
and their striking firemen and oilers.
Although coal and general freight
transportation is practically paralyzed
on the lakes through this strike, local
coal dealers, with one exception, ex-
press themselves as having sufficient
on hand to tide them over the term
of commercial paralysis resulting from
the strike, unless the matter turns out
to be of great deal longer duration
than at present appears to be the out
look.
E. l.. Shepley, of the Northwestern
Coal company, when seen yesterday,
said: We're not troubling ourselves
about the matter at all. We have
plenty of coal, both here and at our
docks at Duluth and Superior. We
have already received coal by boat
and since the strike was inaugurated,
too. One of our boats, the Thomas S.
Wilson, is now at the head of the lakes
with a cargo. OF course, there is no
need of denying the fact that this
strike is Gripping trade on the lakes
badly-there are hundreds Of boats at
Buffalo, Erie, Ashtabula, Lorraine and
Toledo, to say nothing of Cleveland
ready to slip their ropes as soon as
IIONS Cali ne SOlIeH.
Il understand that odd boats are be-
ing gotten away as men can be Sc
cured. But | don't look for this mat
ter to last for more than a few DAYS
Ffremen and oilers cannot tie up sue
cessfully the millions or dollars of lake
traffic for long. No, local trade is not
affected by it in the least, in so far as
the consumer is concerned. We have
to sell according to the April circular,
anyway
Charles w. Adams of the Jones &
Adams Comparative are experiencing
no trouble in filing all the orders for
hard coal that we are receiving. Oh.
yes, L know that there is some talk of
the coal business of the country being
tled up, but It's all bosh. The railroads
are running yet, and, but for the con-
tinuance of a little higher price, there
can be no more difference than that
which has existed all winter. And
then It's just the time of year when
the demand is falling way off. But
there Is no danger of even the winter
rate remaining with us. This strike
VIII last, in my estimation, about ten
days, and then we will never know
that such thing occurred. And, any
way, boats are already on their way to
the head of the lakes with coal, and
some are there. AS far as we are con-
cerned here locally, we would never
know there was strike on, and there
Is no danger of any future trouble. for
the strike will not last long enough.
Z. G. Hartin, of the Pioneer Fuel
Company-Yes 1 know; 1 was reading
In the Black Diamond, our trade jour-
nal, that the firemen and oilers of the
lake boats had gone on strike, but 1t
would be necessary for it to last some
weeks in order to affect us in any way.
You see. dealers never run down SO
closely as all that. Unless this strike
lasts at least five weeks, we are all
! right. How long do 1 think it will
last? have no idea-don't understand
the conditions, but, judging from the
generality Of such matters, about a
week or two will do the trick.
At the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal company's Office the only COM
plant was heard. The manager of the
local office is not in the city, but the
reporter who called was told by the
clerk in charge that no orders would
be received at that office for immediate
delivery, and that, owing to the strike.
1t was matter of speculation with
them as to just when they could make
| deliveries, and therefore no promises
would be made