Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-04-11
Value OF PEAT FUEL.

The ruthless destruction OF our
forests in the past brings US face to
face with the fact that unless new
forests are planted another century
will see all of them swept away.
Wherever the iron horse progresses
and dots the land with human hab-
itants and Industries the demand upon
the coal increases. Like other bless
ings which bountiful nature profuse-
ly heaped upon this continent coal
will diminish, if not disappear, and
it's price will tower beyond the reach
of the needy.
With this picture already seen in
many, and especially in our locality,
| it behOOves us to look to another
source of heat and light, treasured
up all around US in sufficient quantities
to pay the national debt million
times over. It's utilization will create
private and public fortunes where
now exists worthless waste, danger
Gus to life in many places by breeding
miasma. Under the magic rays of
the Aladdin lamp of science the peat
bogs Astounding so plentiful in our
own vicinity will contribute to our
comfort in many ways.
MAKES SUPERIOR FUEL
To most people the name peat brings
only recOllectiOns indefinite of a very
poor quality of fuel, used from neces-
sity and not choice by the. most pow
erty stricken people of Europe. It
recalls the arduous protracted labor
in cutting and drying the peat,
resulting only in a smoldering fuel,
spreading malodorous gases and
giving out very little warmth or CON-
fort. In the hands of the scientists a
fuel can be prepared equaling the best
soft coal in heating value and appear
ances, dry and clean to the touch,
burning with a smokeless flame.
Peat consists Of decayed swamp
plants, more especia ally MOSES,
| (Spha gnaca) grass and other plants.
If left undisturbed they gradually turn
into Ignite, soft coal and finally into
hard coal. The time within which
such changes take place varies with
local conditions, pressure, drainge, etc.
1t is due to the progressive decompo-
sition that peat greatly varies accord
ing to it's age, as also according to
the nature of the plants.
| VAST WEALTH AVAILABLE
After substracting the moisture a
cubic foot of peat will average sixty
pounds in weight, (two-thirds of its
intrinsic heat are therefore available,
costing nothing but the handling,
which, with proper m a h inery
amounts to very little) so that for the
depth of each foot every acre will
yield more than 1000 tons of fuel. A
depth of 20 feet is nothing unusual fol
a peat bog and more than five times
that depth abounds in some localities
! At the above named depth, 20 it,, 20, 0O(
tons of fuel would be an average yielC
per acre, worth $500 to $500 a tor
wholesale, or 100000. Today this
very swampy land is now worthless
requiring drainage which has Otter
been proposed and started in some
places.
The industry created by utilization
of peat Dogs will bring new population
into this locality, enhance the value
of land and other property, create
new commun tiles with the new wants
promote prosperity and postpone thu
evil day when we shall have to get oul
heat and light from the decomposition
of water or electricity, produced by
wind or water power. -..s.
We are free to confess that we see
great future before the peat industry
And it is safe to say that the up-build
ing of the Willmar Peat Company
will mean more for w illmar and thu
surrounding country than is dreamed
by one citizen out of each .One hun
dred. 4.%.s u 2 II = - /. ==s%{.:# -
i It's good thing; push it along. x
! A limited portion Of the stock ii