Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-17
LOOKER.ON IN IOWA,
Observation-Disclosures.

Nora Springs, Jan. 16.-The coal SITE
5uation in towns in northwestern Iowa
is dangerous one. Hardly town VS.
tied by the writer during the past
month but what the conditions We're
this same All coal dealers have ordered
many car loads of coal, that they have
received bills for, but the coal does not
come till long after. In some cases,
where five car loads we're billed ana
shipped, the retail dealer only received
three car loads, the railroad company
having taken the other two car loads
for it's own use. One dealer tells OF
car load received and Spotted 1t his
coli sneu, wneu down came an engine
and took it away for the use of the
company This seems rough on the
tiellsr and community, but 1t is nee
essary action, which q railroad COM
pany only does when compelled to by
running out of coal themselves
Prices are over so per cent higher
than year ago, this referring to soft
coal, while hard coal sells from $1,000
to s15 ton, according to cost and the
profit the dealer thinks advisable. Many
towns are now out of all kinds OF coal
for a day or two, and as soon as a car
arrives it is all sold from the car. DUR
ing the past two months the writer has
seen coal in the Dealers shed only in
four towns.
The Milwaukee, and probably other
roads, now require their local agents to
not only report the coal on track at the
stations but also to report to the d.
vision superintendent how much coal
each dealer in town has on hand. Car
loads of coal are now given the right
of way over all other shipments, and X
a car load of coal fails to arrive at it's
destination, when due, the railroad
agent at once sends out tracer and
reports same to headquarters. And our
railroads west of Chicago, thru their
travelling agents and local representa-
tives, tell hard stories of the action of
the eastern railroads who are interested
in the anthracite coal fields in Pennsyl-
3yania. They say these coal men feel
sore toward the public, who supported
in idleness the striking coal miners for
five months, and now are willing to let
the public feel the practical effect of
such mistaken philanthropy. So, while
there are many thousands of car loads
Of hard coal sidetracked in or near the
Chicago yards, these eastern coal oper-
ators are making no special efforts to
hurry 1t along to the western dealer and
consumer.
One thing is sure. If the people of
Iowa happen to go thru cold spell of
10 to Is below zero weather, continu-
ously for two or three weeks, 1t will be
the worst condition ever known. With
out being sensational, 1t is inevitable
that with such situation the poor
people of many of our towns will be
compelled to crowd into public halls
and churches to keep themselves and
families from freezing. The price now
on soft coal Is getting close to prohib-
itive to the man who depends on irreg-
ular day labor for wages to take care Of
a family And the worst of all this,
there is no remedy. Only continued
winter weather enables the
miners to dig out of the earth each day
the number of tons burned up each
day. Many inconsiderate men come in
to our coal Offices daily, damn the rail-
roads, the mine owners and the miners,
forgetting that under ordinary circum-
stances at least one-fourth of our citi-
zens buy their winters supply of coal
in the fall. This year no one was en-
abled to, the result being that every
body now is compelled to buy from
hand to mouth" which, of course,
the demand greater than the
daily supply.