Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-04-01

steam coal they should have asked for
that grade instead of asking for the
very finest and highest priced grade of
domestic coal on the market. They
certainly got what they ordered and
paid what it cost, with 10 cents per ton
added and the city clerk states what
is not true and he knows it when he
attacks the quality and price. I am
well aware the city has right to pur-
chase coal at wholesale figures for
steam purposes and I claim in spite Of
what the clerk states that I cannot
buy as cheap being a retail dealer,
which he seems to think ought to set
tie the matter. l can and will lay
down coal at the same prices as quoted
the city by the mines and still make a
small profit for doing the business and
l have already made the business COM
mittee of the council figures; now l
know what kind of coal they desire, a
price lower than the $3.50 quoted by
the city clerks Linton No. and of
better quality. If some one else, the
the city clerk or his coal friend of Mil
waukee or others can do better I will
say amen. The fact is Michaelis tried
very hard to prove some one has been
dishonest, and to bolster up his state
ments has offered low grade of cheap
coal and claimed it was just as good as
the best and any fool knows better. so
the taxpayer can see what kind of
coal he has offered the city. To COM
pare with the kind of coal they have
been buying give the following letter
from Mr.. S. G. Schenck, general coal
agent for the Delaware, Lackawanna
d Western Ry., dated March 18th.
Your City Clerk has certainly found a
mares nest. The Linton coal is very or
binary grade of Indiana COAL 1t is not as
poor as the poorest, nor yet by any means
as ogood as the best of bituminous Goals.
I'll tell you what will do I'll give you
Willfred, which is the best Indiana Lump
1T 1875 delivered at Lancaster. That will
enable you, if you desire, to put it in to
the city at even less price than the Linton
and give them better coal.
SO much for the Linton price, of itself
Now as to the Linton price as compared
with Black Rand Naturally the prices of
all Goals are within reasonable competitive
distance of ether Goals in the market
Each has its friends. who believe that at
the price their coal is sold it is the best. 1t
has been the belief of your people that
Black Band as compared with other Goals
has been the cheapest fuel for your city to
use. 1 actually believe that ton of Black
Band coal will go nearly twice as far as a
ton of Linton. I surely believe that it will
go enough farther to make it more eco
nomical to use; and when we come to the
question of ease of firing. facility of making
steam. and wear and tear on CRATES and
boilers, why, there is no comparison at all:
it is all in favor of Black Band. In ash it
makes less than half as much--less than
half the refuse to get rid of.
In Black Band you have the very highest
grade of soft coal produced. and, test for
test against Indiana coal or any other coal,
it will hold It's own. Only if the city desires
to make a test let them test good Indiana
coal and not poor one.
Yonrs very truly.
s. G. SCHENCK, Agent,
by c. Dering Manager.
In the clerks reply to my Compel
itor, Mr.. Wiedenbeck, he states: she
does not know if he, Wiedenbeck, is
mistaken or ignorant by stating soft
coal ranged from SLIGO to $3.50 at the
mines and follows with another Of his
nice little misleading sums as follows:
Cost at mines. ............... 5000
Freight charges. observation-disclosures. 2.4O
commission. 49,. ............... III
Total. .................. $500
And then goes on and states he can
get the best Pocahontas coal for about
half; or 81 per ton on the track at Lam
caster. will say, instead of Mr..
Wiedenbeck dividing profit with me,
| will give the city clerk chance to
make little money. / will take 10 to
20 cars from the city clerk at 81 per
ton delivered at Lancaster and for
pocket money will give him 81 per ton
commission, SO that the profit on car
would be to him about $40. The best
quotation on Pocohontas lump f. o. b.
at Chicago that I have was $3.50 per
ton and freight charges S1.75 per ton, a
total of S6.O5. This shows how the
city clerk is talking through his hat,
and how he delights to make misstate-
ments. The wholesale price lists I
have on hand, any person can see if
they so desire. I figure after all is
boiled down that Michaelis would see
the following results:
1st. That the city council can buy
coal at much lower figure than they
have been buying, taking kind and
quality into consideration.
End. If the local dealers are not
versed in the coal business the city
clerk has not brains enough to learn
them.
Sd. That in the minds of close OBJ
servers there will be no guess, but
question in their minds as to whether
Michaelis IN his statements does know
what he is talking about, or else he
purposely intended to mislead in stat
ing what he did. One thing this con-
troversy has brought about that is of
benefit to the city, that is, you will