The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-01
THE COAL WE 8
IN Article of Which the Average
Householder Knows Little.

Householder Knows Little.
rev York Press: Coal Is SO common a
necessity that we do not take the trouble
to know anything about it. The other day
l asked a householder who burns twenty
five tons q season, (which do you prefer,
itation he replied: ~ really don't know
what you mean. ! didn't know that coal
Is made from ash, and / don't think 1 ever
heard of a red ash" .'Oh, that has moth
ing to do with 1t. OF course coal is a
vegetable product. but the red ash or
white ash referred to is not a 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 his dealer whether he had
always used red or white.
A second householder, being asked the
same question:. replied: Il always use the
white ash coal, for the reason that it is SO
much cleaner, both before and after US
ing. 1t makes a hotter fire. and never
burns out the crate bars. 1t lasts longer
than the red ash and is cheaper in the long
run. You couldn't hire me to use red ash
coal. I don't like the stuff"
A merchant who ought to know what he
is talking about SAID: Buy red ash coal
every time. 1t makes things very COM
Portable about the house. You can start
a fire with 1t in half the time you can
with white ash; the fire Is twice as hot;
there Is less dust; there are fewer ashes.
Stoves using the red ash seldom burn out.
and they give out more heat than when
using white ash. OF course. the red ash
costs more than the white, but is cheaper
IN the end"
A coal agent booking orders was told by
. new RESIDENT: II shall wan six tons OF
coal for the winter. 1 insist on having
white ash coal. Can you supply 1t at once
before the price goes up?" Tomorrow
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. h coal
man happened to drop In. Goal all right?'
'All right? You know it isn't all right,
sir! You have cheated me. i insisted on
having white ash coal, and you have sent
red ash. What are you going to do about
lt?" I'm awfully sorry. l certainly put
in he 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: and you know 1t is worth "a
dollar a ton more. Still, l always believe
In giving a gentleman what he orders, and
we'll take this coal back if you say So"
IF l wanted to be mean I'd make you
take back every bushel Of 1t, 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 1 do know
one thing-red ash coal is as far ahead of
white ash coal as sunshine is ahead of
moonshine." well, III overlook it this
time; but hereafter l get what I order, or
there'l be trouble. I've a legal right to
make you take this coal back" You
nave only to give the order. and I'll obey"
I'll see how 1t turns out hat 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 out
put of j 965 tons in twelve months. 1t has
grown to 100000 tons annually. In 1903
the city Of Philadelphia bought 100 tons OF
anthracite 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 loads were sold
at the falls Of the Schuylkill for $21 a
ton. A morning was wasted In futile at
tempts to burn this coal, and at noon the
employer and his workmen, discouraged
at their Ill luck, shut up the furnace and
went to dinner. On their return they were
astonished to find a roaring fire, the fur
mace doors red hot and the furnace itself
in danger of melting. From that day dates
the successful use Of anthracite in Amer
lea.
Personally, l have yet to learn the diff
ference between red ash and white ash
coal as regards merit. But I never had
the happy experience Of the furnacemen
above. Here is my luck: First, a few
newspapers crumpled up and lighted; sec
ondly, a bushel of kindling wood; thirdly.
a shovelful Of coal; fourthly, q wait for
half an hour for the coal TO start; filthy,
more coal; siNthly, my morning ablutions
in blissful consciousness of duty well done;
seventhly, a return to the cellar to find
a roaring chilliness. the furnace doors
frigid to the hinges and the furnace itself
in danger of %collapsing in liGuefied air.
I then drop a small word OF 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
brooches. down my collar. I am hot
enough by that time to loo at a fire and
make 1t burn.