The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1907-08-30
ALL DEALERS THROUGHOUT CITY
REPORT FAMINE IN THE
FUEL LINE.
OUTPUT is LARGE
coneested Condition of Railway Lines
R'amed-Mines Working at Full
Capacity, But Cannot Secure Need
ed Cars in Order TO Market the
commodity-Wood Supply Scarce.

.
The price Of coal will shortly be ad-
vanced in this city from $3.50 to
$5.75 per ton and it is expected that
the price will so to s6 inside Of the
next 80 days. There is a scarcity of
coal in Billings and orders are being
turned down daily by nearly all of the
dealers, as it is impossible to get
shipments through from the mines to
the consumer, owing to the great
amount Of freight traffic that is being
handled by both the Northern Pacific
and the Burlington roads. Some Of
the coal has been ordered for the
past month and while the dealers
have received bills for the same, to-
gether with the number of the cars
that the fuel has been shipped, in no
case can any trace be found of the
badly wanted coal.
While a Gazette representative was
in the Office of Hoyt Bros. yesterday
afternoon orders for coal came in, but
the firm was not in position to fill
any Of them for the reason that they
did not have a pound of coal in their
large storage bins along the tracks Of
the Northern Pacific railroad. "Some
few days ago 10 cars of Monarch coal
was shipped from the Sheridan mines,
near Sheridan, Wyo., to u.s." said the
man in charge, "and while we have re-
ceived the way bills and know the
numbers of the cars, the fuel has as
as yet failed to show up here or any
place else, SO far as we have been
able to learn, and just when the coal
viii arrive here is a matter that is
hard to guess at. The demand for
coal was never better for this time OF
year than at the present time, as peo-
pie are desirous of filling their bins
for the winter months that are to
come. We are doing the best that we
can, but when our shipments fail to
arrive the only thing that we can do
is to promise our patrons that we
will have plenty of fuel within day
or two.
Another well known dealer when
called upon had the following to say:
ttNo, we have no coal and have not
had for the past week. We have a
number Of cars en- route, but when
they will arrive here is something
that we gave up several days ago. We
blame the railroad facilities and if the
matter is allowed to run along in
this manner there will be coal fam
inc in Billings that will continue
throughout the winter and into next
summer. All of the coal that is due
to arrive has been ordered and when
this shipment arrives 1t will be-
cleaned up within few hours I
have been told that there was large
consignment of coal in the yards at
Laurel that. has been there for the
ph0G kNgul udyo. WAOShSA SAAy VI ILAAo
is billed to Billings or not, do not
know. The shipment is an extra large
one and if it should all be sent here
1t would relieve the distress to a
large extent"
From Peter Yegen OF the firm of
Yegen Bros, and one Of the largest
So
it was learned. that coal is being
shipped steadily from the mines when
cars can be secured for that purpose.
we are working an extra large force
of men and I understand that all of
the mines in the vicinity of Bear
Creek have recently increased their
output" said that gentleman yester-
day. 1--WE could furnish 1000 tons
per day without any difficulty if the
cars could be secured, but under ex-
isting circumstances the Northern
Pacific will not furnish cars. to the
Yellowstone Park railroad in quanti-
ties to suit the demand We are
sending coal out to our patrons in
the order in which they were received
and are 50 far behind now that it is
doubtful IL we can catch up with the
orders before the middle of next sum
mer.
Commercial freight is being pushed
through by both Of the railroads CEN
tering here, and it seems strange
that freight between local points
should be delayed for SO long a per-
iod when there appears to be no
necessity for the long wait.
"One Of the large coal dealers OF
Butte, who had recently ordered 20
cars from the mines at Bear Creek,
became impatient at the long wait
and was in the city yesterday for the
purpose of tracing the shipment. He
found that all .of the cars had left that