The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-07-18
SaysCoal Will be
very Scarce
LOCAL FUEL DEALER RETURNS
FROM PURCHASING TRIP
Eastern Dealers Unable to Supply De-
mands and Refuse to Contract for
Winters Supply in Nevada

F. N. Muller, who went east to Salt
Lake City last week, bearing with him
a petition from many business houses
requesting that his orders for coal be
given attention, in order that this town
might not suffer as it did last winter,
because of lack of fuel and reciting
the facts that already there was a
shortage of the light and heat pro-
ducing material, returned Wednesday
morning, unsuccessful in securing more
than one corload Of coal
AS result of his investigations in
Ogden and Salt Lake Mr.. Muller is
convinced that there will be a greater
shortage of coal in Winnemucca and
the entire state during the coming
winter than there was last winter.
The situation as it was described
him is about as follows:
At the time of the labor troubles
with the coal miners last spring all
the surplus supply of coal was use. up.
and since then the coal companies have
been unable to mine the coal as fast as
il was called for.
The coal companies would not sign
contract to furnish coal. nor agree to
furnish any certain amount Their an
swer was that if it could he spared
coal would be shippel, Mr.. Mulled in
turn interviewed the Spring Valley
Coal company, the Central Coal an.
Coke company, the Union Pacific Coal
company. the Kremerer Coal company.
The unsuccessful attempt of Mr.. Muller
to obtain coal is but repetition Of
the efforts of other fuel dealers in Win
nemucca. A. M. Latta, manager for
the Peoples store, yesterday stated
that the firm had been out of coal for
some time, and that last January orders
for coal had yet to be filed. "About
six months ago received letter from
the company with whom we deal, ask
ing us how much coal we would need
for the next six months, but that s II,
far as the matter went, and all enorts
to secure coal have been fruitless, no
stated. A reproduction of the truitless
efforts of the People s store to secure
coal has been the efforts of Summer
field & Pearce, extensive dealers in fuel.
In face of these facts the matter 20
gins to assume dangerous proportions.
What is to be donef Some restaurants
in Winnemucca are already running
short of coal, and soon unless fuel IL
secured will have to shut down. Befor
the days of the railroad sage brush was
used as fuel and it seems probable
that those old ante-railroad days will
be recalled. The idea, however, of
baking bread on one of these hot DAYS
with sage brush is anything but en-
couraging.
In spite of the present coal shortage
in Winnemucca and the threatened
much greater shortage during the
months that are to follow, the railroad
company has plenty of coal. Indeed,
it is assorted that the coal market is
now being overdone by the railroad
companies in an effort to stock up be
fore the demands of the people ar,
hearkened to.
Mr.. Muller asserts that standing on
the side tracks between ogden all. Sa.
Lake are hundreds of cars Of coal, all
prepared for shipment to different sta
tions. The railroad companies are tax
ing measure to forestall another i'm.
pediment to traffic because of shortage
of coal as occurred last winter
Judged in certain asp, cts, this may
be wise move, that is il the rail
road companies are able to stock up in
time to give the people chance, before
the winter blasts set in. At the pres
ent time a shortage Of coal does not
cause suffering as it would in the win
ter time. We do not need heat now
and II necessary we can gather Neva.
da s native weed for fuel to cook our
victuals in case we have no coal. It's
all right DIN the summer time, but in
the winter, then it's different.
1t is to be sincerely hoped that the
present stringency in the coal situation
will be Strengthened out before long,
and the tesrors Of winter without coal
cOnSiUppd fo tho ha al