The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-29
BIRMINGHAM GETS
 VERY CHEAP COAL
Prices Here Moderate Com
 pared With Other Cities
YARDS STOCKED SUMMER.
The cahaba Grade Is Selling at Retail for $3.75 and the Same Coal Is
 Selling In Montgomery
 for $6 and $e.5o.

While Montgomery coal dealers and remonstrating citizens at the capital have taken to the newspaper field to thrash out the question of high-prieed coal, the warm fires at the same prices which have prevailed for several years past.
 The domestic coal companies are prao- tically without coal to sell and the prices prevailing in Birmingham are largely due. according to experts. to the wisdom of the local retail dealers In stocking their yards during last summer and buying for October, November and December deliveries. This foresight on the part of the retailers has put many of the companies to their best efforts to fill the orders given in advance and con sequently it is very difficult to buy coal at wholesale for immediate delivery.
 All the various classes of Cahaba, which is considered the highest grade of all domestic coals, are now selling at retail in Birmingham for s3.75 a ton. This Is the same price that prevailed last year and prominent dealers say there Is not much Likelihood of the price going higher On a squeeze of the market, however the price might go as high as s4.
 The Carbon Hill coal, which Is shade lower in quality than Cahaba, is selling at retail for sS.25, and Ivy Leaf is selling for $3. MT. Allen of the Ivy Leaf com pany says he Is able to deliver his coal at that price on account of his having stocked the yard completely during the summer.
 Outside Dealers.
 Outside dealers have been in BIrming- ham during the past few weeks endeav- bring to buy coal in wholesale lots, but have found 1t very difficult It is known | that within the past ten days an order has been placed for Cahaba f. O. b. al the mines at 8 ton. According to a Montgomery paper a MT. Anderson of that city offered as much as ssl25 for Cahaba, but could not place his order
 During last summer many yards were stocked with Cahaba at s25O a ton. and the various producers of that grade are now filling orders at that price which were placed several months ago.
 Before the domestic coal season opened in earnest Ivy Leaf and Carbon Hill could be bought for $1.60 and $1.75 at the mines Companies producing those grades of coa could now get g and s2.25 if they hat any to sell, but future orders have taker up the productive capacity
 Birmingham Favored.
 According to a local coal dealer Blr- mingham is now getting retail domestic coal cheaper than any city in the United States. The people of Montgomery, 10i miles away, are paying s6. and in some in- stances s6.50 for Cahaba coal and s4 and $4.5o for other grades. The cheapest grade of coal that can be bought in Montgom cry is $s.
 The high prices prevailing in Montgom cry Is said to be due largely to the fac that retail dealers there failed to stocl their yards last summer, and are nov forced to pay high prices for coal at thu mines.
 At the present wholesale price Cahabt could not be sold in Birmingham for 8. It cannot be bought at the mines for les than 8 under any circumstances. Th freight rate added to this. which Is 3 cents, would make the coal delivered or cars at Birmingham $39O Allowing fol the slack and for delivery 1t would b, impossible, according to experienced dealers, for 1t to be sold for less thar &.25.
 There has been no advance in the prict of coal in Birmingham, and dealers sa, they do not expect any advance more thar unexpected circumstances would require One coal man said. People may say tha Birmingham Is an expensive town II which to live, but nobody can say tha we do not enjoy the benefits oI the cheap est coal in the country"