Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-12-20
LITTLE Coal LEFT
IN NORTH Dakota
FUEL SITUATION AT PRESENT
MOST CRITICAL IN HISTORY
OF THE STATE.
SNOW BLOCKADE MAY
STOP ALL RAILROADS
president of Northern Pacific Says
Company Will Do All Possible
to Prevent Suffering - Commerce
Commission Meets.

Grand Forks, N. D., Dec. 18.-The
fuel situation presents the most criti-
cal condition that has existed in the
history of the state. Careful inquiry
in ever portion of the northern half of
the state shows that there is not a
town in which coal can be had except
in small quantities and to supply i'm
mediate needs, and in dozens of places
there is not pound to be bought, the
dealers having been out of fuel for
days and in some cases for a week or
more.
At Lakota dealers are out and indi-
Vfduals are sharing with their neigh
bors. At CandO the -four mill has
been closed for three weeks for lack
of fuel and the light plant closed
Thursday and individuals are running
short. At Granville the last coal was
sold there Dec. s. At Towner and
many smaller places. At Minot the
Central heating plant has closed down
at intervals to save fuel
These illustrations could be multi
piled Indefinitely, and the same condi-
lions prevail in the southern half of
=. the state and in northern Minnesota.
- One of the most serious features is
the possibility of snow blockade.
There is now more snow on the ground
than at any time since 1896. Thus far
the state has escaped high winds and
bad drifts, but storm such as is
usual at any time in the winter would
pile up immense drifts and tie up the
: roads absolutely for many days and
cripple them for the entire winter.
Situation at Binton.
Binton, N. D., Dec. 18.-The sltua.
1.tion could not be much worse. No
bituminous coal or Ignite has been re-
ceived here for weeks. There is plenty
of Ignite at Bismarck, but it cannot
be got here. There is some anthracite
most of the cook stoves and many of
the heating stoves. There are no signs
of Improvement.
Northern Pacific Will Do Its Best.
Washington, Dec. 1S.-In response
to kilograms of inquiry addressed to
presidents of several western rail.
roads by the interstate commerce com.
mission as to the causes of reported
shortage of cars for the transportation
of fuel by reason of which great suf-
fering had been entailed, President
Howard Elliott of the Northern Pacific
Railway company telegraphs the COM
mission from st. Paul as follows:
''There is scarcity of fuel in some
parts of the country served by our
line, but we do not know of any short
age of other necessaries of life. Our
company has done and will continue
to do all that it can to prevent suffer
ing. In November unprecedented
foods west of the Cascade mountains
damaged our tracks so that trains
could not move over impOr.ant parts
of the road for more than week and
could not be reached In North Da-
kota and Minnesota the difficulty in
part is due to trying to move too much
fuel in a short time"
Car Shortage Hurts Cattle Raisers.
In presenting to the senate me-
mortal from the cattle raisers of the
tEestern states, Senator Culberson said
the cattle raisers were suffering more
extensive damage at this time from
shortage of cars and bad service from
transportation companies, than from
disease of cattle, limited markets and
all other causes combined. He ex.
pressed the hope that the memorial
would receive speedy consideration
looking to relief.
Commission Begins Probe.
Minneapolis, Mimi, Dec. 18.-F. K
Land and James S. Harlan, of the
Interstate commerce commission,
opened the investigation at Minneap-
oils Monday of the complaints against
railroads in the northwest for inabil-
fly in handling the crop and general
business along their lines, and the ex-
listing car shortage. The hearing
opened with the reading of formal
statement by Commissioner Lane. He
stated that the present inquiry would
be further prosecuted in other parts
of the country. It is the purpose of
the commission to go carefully into
the conditions attaching to the
movement of freight in the north
west. And to further this investiga-
ton the commission has for the past
two weeks had a corps of trained in
vestigators in the field