The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-15
COAL LFAMINE HERE
Coal Cannot Be Had in Topeka
at Amy Price.
Dealers Have Little or No Fuel
on Hand.
THEY CAN'T GET CARS.
This Appears to Be Principal
Obstacle.
People We're Unprepared for
Recurrence of Winter.

Topeka is suffering from a coal
famine. due to a lack of cars at the
mines and an under supply in the city
because of the open winter
One of the dealers describes the
matter by saying that 'the city is in
terrible condition for COAL The gen
eral opinion. however. is that the diff
Guilty win be remedied within forty
eight hours By that time, however.
the storm which has had this city in
it's grip will probably be passed, and
spring weather on the programme
once more.
The famine has been felt ever since
the present cold snap commenced on
last Saturday night. Demands for
coal commenced on the local dealers
on Sunday, and though it was Sabbath
day quite a number of hurry up"
cases were supplied.
Most of the dealers, however, lay
the blame directly upon the railroads
and the car shortage. One man says
that he put in an order for coal at
Burlingame on March 3, and got one
car yesterday. March Il, after eleven
days. Here Is a letter which he re-
ceiVed from one of the managers Of
q big Buriingame mine:
I'VE received your order for coal
and viii send it as soon as we can get
cars. 1t has been eight days since
is Impossible, with this difficulty in
our way. to supply you Immediately,
but we are doing the best we can
Another dealer states that there IS
no Weir City or Frontenac coal in the
market, because the Santa Fe recently
took off its coal train, and none Of the
roads are willing to send cars off
their own lines. Down in Usage
county says this dealer, the miners
we're able to work only one day last
w eek, and only one day this week.
They simply cannot get cars upon
which to load the coal"
Another difficulty is q lack OF avail
able teams to do the hauling in To-
peka. When the present storm came
on, few teamsters had their horses
rough shod. a great many do not Ike
hauling coal anyway, and they refuse
to get ready and gOs@to work at It
now. SIT takes a team d iOng while
just now IN this weather. with the
streets very slippery" said one dealer,
TO haul out load or coal. Few
Ieople want more than a ton, because
er viii last only a short time. and
they do not care to stock up. It
takes just as long to haul out ton as
1t does three or four
One pleasant thing. however. about
the matter is that the price of coal
has not advanced, a thing very apt
to be resultant to a stringency. Usage
IS still selling for $3.50, Pennsylvania
anthracite for $11.B0. Weir City is
quoted at $4.T5, but Is said to be un-
obtainable because there is none in
town.
The railroads are storing all the coal
they can possibly get in anticipation
of the strike which Is expected to be
declared about April /. They are
lOacing up every coaT car obtainable,
and are even using box cars for the
purpose Of storage.
One dealer, who asked that his
m he ,-k --F--
six or eight Of the small dealers in
the city have been forced out Of bust
ness. They could not get any coal to
do business WITH" he said. at would
not be wise now to make their names
public, be cause It would handicap
them in the collection OF their bills
Most of the dealers refuse to have
their names given in connection with
interviews. Practically all say they
still have some coal en- hand and viii
manage to meet UrGent CONTINGENCIES
for the present. bat must have some
fresh supplies from the fields at once
II the present cold streak continues
It is the general opinion that help will
be received within 36 or 48 hours. and
serious trouble avoided.
one OF the big troubles" said one
dealer, has been the open winter
The majority of people have not been
laying IL their regular supply, because
OF the moderate weather. a week
or so ago 1t seemed as if spring was
fi"ie to stay and most .people thought
that II would oe useless to keen tIlei1.
coal blns -of.d',d UP. The same has
eeE true or q let of dealers Instead
OF keeping Brt pared for just such an
epieFfencN as has now arisen. thew
nave also let their supply go down.
J plS storm came on all of a sudden
without any warning and has CON
tinued beyond all expectations. Both
dealers and consumers will learn
aLterWhlle that spring is not here at
least until March is past"
Hurley Says There Are Cars.
Any possible coal famine which may
develop here in Topeka cannot be char.T-
ed to shortage of coal cars on o5lr
hnes, said James E Hurley. general
manager of the Atchison. Topeka 6.
santa Fe today. We have plenty Of
coal cars to handle all the traffic offered
US and if there is a famine here it will
be Que to some other cause than a short
age Of cars, as far as the Santa Fe is
concerned We are filing all our orders
fer coal cars in the mining districts
there are plenty Of cars in all these
districts awaiting Shipments -
Mr.. Hurley added that from the pres
ent indications the threatened strike IN
the coal fields on April will occur, al
though there is q possibility that some
thing VIII develop which viii prevent
the strike.
All Of the chief officials Of the Chi
cago Rock Island & Pacific railway
who are located here are out on the
road at present but it was learned in
their offices that the company had a
suffciency Of coal cars to meet all IL
niands and that it was able to furnish
any quantity Of cars in the mining lis
tricts for the Shipment Of coal TO To-
Delza.
Il guess the trouble Is with the Co-
peIa coal dealers is" said a Rock IS
land man, that they have not been
forehanded. During the open winner
they have not laid in a sufficient supply
for a cold snap and now that it has