The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-02
QUESTION OF FUEL
M! h NORTHWEST
COAL IN MANY TOWNS rs PRAC-
-'.a' 'TICALLY EXHAUSTED.
Railroads So Hard Up for Cars and
Power that Little Can Be Done by
Minneapolis or Duluth Distributors
to Relieve Situation-Winter Will
Pinch Many.

With three months of steady. cold
weather in sight and the coal supply
Of many towns practically or entirely
exhausted, the northwest, outside OF
the larger cities, is facing a coal fam
ine Contrary to the usual belief, the
large shipping; companies and coal dis,
tributors are hoping for warm spell
80 they may be able to ship stocks and
in some measure relieve the situation.
The situation is worst on the Great
Northern, Northern Pacific, 500, and
Milwaukee lines west and northwest.
One company operating large number
of yards on the 500 and Great North
ern is said to be without stocks in half
of its yards. Others are said to be in
the same condition, and it is announced
that unless the situation is relieved the
lumber stocks of many northwestern
towns must be turned into fuel yards
to relieve actual need.
There is one immediate reason for
the present acute situation-the impos-
sibility of securing cars and motive
power to move stocks at the head of
the lakes. This shortage is so pressing
now that the Duluth shipping eompa-
mics are far behind on their orders and
will take no more for direct ship
ments west oyer: the Great Northern
or Northern Pacific. Coal men say
there is always a shortage and a
threatened coal famine to- be faced, but
that the situation is worse than ever
this year and seems to be growing
worse instead of better.
Real Reason Of Shortage.
But back of this is the real reason
for the shortage, according to the coal
men. Men in the business say that
the consumers of coal turnout the
northwest, particularly in the smaller
towns and the country contributary,
must learn to lay in their supplies in
the summer and early fall. ,"The peo-
pie of the northwest will have to find
out, that they must give us the use Of
their storage capacity in order to en-
able us to keep up to the need Of fuel
for the three or four winter months,''
said7a coal man. Zone year they did it
and there was no trouble. The year
following the, coal strike the people. of
the northwest put in their supplies
early and we were able to keep up
with the business and care for the adj
ditional demand that came. later'
1t is pointed out that the retail deal
ers in yards along the western lines
nave Limited storage capacity. They fill
up as far as possible to capacity. Then,
with the first visit of winter, their
customers reduce the stocks to nothing
at a. time when it is hardest to get cars.
In this connection attention is called
also to the fact that the northwest is
growing rapidly, and is requiring more
coal every year. This only serves to
make things worse and to great ex-
tent accounts for the present serious
condition.
-: Roads Are swanlped.
It is said that there is plenty of coal
at lake ports, but. there are only two
direct lines from Duluth to the west.
the Great Northern and Northern Pa
eitic.; Minneapolis and Duluth have the
same coal rate to western points on
these lines, but before coal can be
moved from Minneapolis it must be
brought here by rail and therefore at
an increased cost over Duluth. For
this reason, the heavy western ship
ments are from, Duluth, to avoid the
differential, and the two lines. out of
Duluth going west are the hardest hit,
and the ones that first go out of COM
mission. In spite. of the difference in
price at Minneapolis and Duluth, Min
neapolis shippers are doing their best
to help the northwest, but are having
the same trouble to get cars. Some cars
can be obtained on all: the lines, but
they do not begin to relieve the situa-
ton. >"%
Reports from the west ard southwest
Indicate that q similar condition of af-
fairs exists there "A dispatch from
Reno, New, announces that the entire
state of Nevada is facing fuel famine.
A severe storm lasting two days has
tied up everything in. the southern
suffering, sickness and death will fol-
low, in its wake. In many, mining camps
and towns there is no coal to be had
for any price. and wood is selling for
exorbitant prices. In some cases even
ties and telephone poles are used for
fuel.
Kansas and Nebraska are said to be
in the same plight, as we'll as some
towns in Colorado The prairie coun-
try where the weather gets cold, is
hardest hit. In the western timber
country coal is not so necessarY.