Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-11-29
COLD WEATHER. NO COAL.
WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST
Railroad has Furnished One Instead of
Two Carloads a Week. as
Promised.

During the cold weather of the
past ten days, there has been actual
suffering in this town, for lack of
fuel to keep warm; the sufferers
having money in their clothes the
while which they were anxious to,
part with for fuel. During the
past few days there hasn't been
pound of coal for sale by the legiti-
mate dealers, until yesterday, when
Jeff Whitson received a car. The
inevitable result followed there has.
been more coal rustling
Tuesday Mayor Mahoney received.
a wire from Superintendent Ohm
stead asking if he would agree to
stop coal stealing here if he would
supply the town. In view of the
fact that the mayor and a number OF
citizens had entered into that agree
ment with Olmstead, himself, four
weeks ago, the arrangement being
that this town should have three
cars a week; that Mayor Mahoney
had made good his word by stopping
the one attempt to take coal from
passing trains and returned it to
the company, demonstrates quite
clearly that that railroad official
was merely playing horse with this
town. If this last telegram means
anything, it implies the railroads
ability to supply coal if it wishes
to.
Since Superintendent Olmstcad
! consulted with the mayor and lead
7, ing citizens November Z, four weeks
ago today, promising three cars
week, one has been received by the
, electric light compsny, and six for
= public consumption, two of which
were nothing but dust, utterly
I worthless for heating purposes. So
: it is seen that instead of three,
:. really only one car load week has.
: been supplied.
> Mayor Mahoney replied to Super.
intendent Olmstead citing these
s facts, and reiterating his promise
to stop coal stealing in case it is
= furnished for sale. At this writing
8 "wednesday noon( no reply has been
received.
. The attitude of railroad officials
throughout this coal trouble has
beecn such as to cause the public to
believe that there is no truth nor
- good faith in their oft repeated
= statements as to the company's in
= ability to supply the demand, and
- their promises in var ious quarters.
- Any adequate reason for the coal
= monopoly refusing to supply urgent
: demand at existing exorbitant prices
y has never yet been assigned. True,
- as some say, the company may be
- trying to work off its accumulated
y, 20 supply of dust at prevailing high
- way robbery prices; but that does
not seem to be a sufficient inccn-
tive to inconvenience, annoy anc
irritate this whole inter -nountsir
n. country. Another phase of the sit
ustion is that the train crews are
n making a big thing out of all thi:
iy coal Stealing for there is n,
RS question but what they receive
as money every raid. Some have sug
rn gested that they are merely collect
ly ing tor those higher in authority
e, who are giving the company tn
us double cross; but that explanation
i'll seems to have kindergarten flavor
to Mayor Mahoney has offered tn
good suggestion that officials an
i'll commercial organizations all alon
ler the line get together and make
Der concerted move to flood Presiden
f. Roosevelt with kilograms and com
les munications regarding the situa
ton, and see if that will spur hir
an on to forcing his Interstate Com
OF merce commission to get quic
hn action end test the much vaunte
at bill granting increased powers
I. that body, TO which Hartman OF
E. jected SO strenuously at the Trans
are Mississippi congress the other day