Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-06
ADMIT
LACK OF GOAL
SHIPMENTS EXPECTED LAST
OF WEEK
Gas Company Promises That Pressure
viii Constantly Grow Better.
Several Schools Are
Out Of, Fuel

promise II even then."-Shattuck & Des-
mond Warehouse company.
"We haven't any conl today, and don't
expect any till the latter part of next
week."--Clark Bros
"IIas the famine struck usf Well. we
are hauling coal from the schools that
have some to those that haven't."-
Diamond Coal company, through Presi-
dent Kellam
crease right along, provided no further
accidents hnppcn."-Mr. Day OF Los An
geles Gas and Electric company.
Such is the view prominent fuel men
take of the present unprecedented fuel
famine under which the city is labor
ing; for there Is no doubt that the fuel
situation is becoming more serious ev-
cry minute with the continuance of
cold weather
All kinds of makeshfts have been
called into being during the past few
days to solve the ever-growing fuel
question. Grocery boxes have been
chopped UP, trees cut down, cigar boxes
broken for fuel and even stray pieces
of wood from the streets have been
carefully collected by the desperate
seeker for the means of securing
warmth.
! Meanwhile the coal is arriving in such
little dribbles that the cars are scarcely
stopped at the siding before eager and
willing hands have emptied them of
the precious black diamonds, which are
becoming almost as costly as their
winter relations. Three small cars of
thirty-five tons each entered the yards
Friday morning, but were at once
requisitioned by the managers of public
and semi-public buildings.
No Coal Yesterday
No coal arrived yesterday, though the
Santa Fe officials promised that nine
- a PC Ot-rix-
This will not do the small dealers any
good las the coal will be distributed
among the large buildings, fire depart
ment, hospitals and schools, customers
which have regular contracts with the
companies and are always served first. |
According to the Los Angeles Gas and
Electric company, their customers will |
soon have little cause for complaint. Mr.. |
Day said yesterday: "Yes, the pressure
was a trifle low yesterday, but we are
running stronger pressure today. Yes
terday we had to run the gas under |
holder pressure, but today the regular
compressors are running. Part of the
time they are going at full speed, and |
the rest of the time at half speed. If |
nothing happens we will be able to i'm
prove the pressure right along. l won't |
make any definite promise, but 1 think
we can handle the situation from now !
on if nothing breaks down."
Dependents on the gas company will |
include in their nightly devotions a |
little clause asking for special favors
to be shown the apparatus of the Los
Angeles Gas and Electric company.
Admit Lack of Coal
| The firm of Shattuck & Desmond
| frankly admitted their inability to get
coal. We had few tons yesterday"
| they said, 1.-The tail end of carload
"a q hpfnra
all taken away in the two days. Today
we have none at all and won't be able
to get any till the middle of next week.
Even then we won't promise it for
sure, as we may not be able to get it. |
We're up against 1t, as are all the coal
dealers. They're not moving the cars
fast enough to suit us. When we have
it we sell the coal for $12 tom
At Clark Bros. the reply as: Coal? |
We don't expect to see any till the lat
ter part of next week. What will the |
people do in the manWhile? [ fear
they'll have to go to bed. No, we
haven't any more wood, except some
half-seasoned eucalyptus. Yes, it is
rather punk You have to use kindling
to get it to burn and coax it along. |
When we are able to get coal we sell |
it at 20 cents a sack"
To any one who has tried to burn
half-seasoned eucalyptus wood the de- |
scription of its attributes will appeal |
with peculiar force.
President Kellam of the Diamond |
Coal company was the next one seen
on the fuel problem.
Fuel famine" he repeated, amazed |
that such thing should even be
thought of in a city the size of Los
Angeles. To that question so repug-1
nant to the ears of the coal man, has
the fuel famine affected you?" he re- |
piled with patronizing smile at the
questioners stupidity. Why, no, we
have tons of coal. All we want or
need" The ready response to this ques- |
tion prompted a still boder one Tim |
idly came forth the query What about |
the schools? They say they haven't |
enough coal Is there anything in
that?'
Schools Supplied, He Says
Nothing at ALL" he responded |
promptly; they have all they want and
need" and the same benignant smile !
appeared as Mr.. Kellam saw a vision |
of happy little school children sitting |
in "A comfortably heated room, as their
! teachers started the little feet in the
paths of learning, the while their par
ents We're budding around a kerosene
lamp to keep warm, or were seeking
the cozy depths of their beds to find
comfort beneath the covers,
I'VE are supplying them coal right
along, giving them hundreds of tons"
he exclaimed grandly.
In the company's Office the frequent
! telephone calls denoted slightly diff |
ferent state of affairs. A customer
called up and demanded in unmistak-
able--as well as unprintabe-terms the |
reason why he didn't get his coal. The |
clerk put on the grieved air of one
whose mother-in-law has departed this |
life leaving him an annual income of
$40, 900 Haven't they delivered that
coal to you yet?" he demanded wrath
fully. "Tll send a note down to the |
yards right away and see why that
hasn't been sent out No, I'm afraid |
we can't get 1t out to you today any
more; but Wen try TO have it by Mon
day"
Each customer who called up was
STAYED off with the indefinite promise |
Of Monday or TUESDAY,