Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-06-29
Ignite BRIQUETTES.

Ignite BRIQUEITES.
" The Grand Forks Herald advises
investors to be careful in putting
their funds into schemes for the
making of Ignite briquettes, and the
warning ought to be general
throughout the state. There is moth
ing much more desirable than a
means Of briquetting Ignite, but up
to the present time the plans that
have been put forth are either al
together visionary, Or the expense of
making briquettes is greater than
the value of the commercial product
after they are made. Sometime bril-
Quetting will be perfected and made
practical, without doubt. In the
meantime, a good many bad invest
ments can be made and little gained
The Herald says: 49,.
Every little while some one comes
forward with new sheme for bril-
quetting Ignite coal. Some of the
suggestions are made in good faith
and are the result of some investi-
CATION and some effort. Others are
intended merely as inducements for
stock jobbing. It is important that
the nature OF any enterprise of this
kind be we'll understood before
money is invested in it, and as the
Held seems to be reasonably clear in
this state just now It may. be proper
to utter a word Of warning. !, ~,
Ignite coal, in the form in which
It comes from the mines, while it
has value, and while it is. OF I'M
smense Importance; to; a very large
section Of the state; has NOT proven
successful fuel for general use
throughout the state. !: It's bulkiness,
Its tendency to slack, its tendency
to waste, and other qualities, to-
gether with the high freight rates
which have been charged for hauling
1t, have made it impossible for lig-
mite to supplant the harder Goals in
localities relatively near the mines.
Ignite has a high heat value, and
II this could be utilized properly;
all our fuel would come from our
own state mines rather than from
the east. To secure the best results
1t is Necessary to briquette the coal,
that is, to mould it into small blocks
Of suitable ize, which will retain
their form while burning, thus pre-.
venting waste, and which will fur
ther be held together by ingredients
Of themselves combustfble, and adj
ding no undertake element These
conditions may seem quite numer-
ouR but they are all necessary.
There is another one, also, which is
absolutely imperative. The cost of
manufacture must be so low that
the product can be placed on the
markets Of the state and sold in
competition with anthracite or BIZ
tunRous coal, regard being had,
mot for chemical tests, but for fur
mace performances under ordinary
conditions.
All the conditions save that OF
cost can be complied with. All Of
them have been complied with. But
no method is known by which our,
coal can be briquetted at 8 cost low
enough to warrant undertaking the
work on a commercial basis. This
- where the people, have been Bit
ten They have been shown bril-
quettes which would burn well, and
On the strength of that they have
bought stock in enterprises which
could not succeed because the work
could not be done at low enough
eost. One Of these days a method
Will be devised for doing this. work
5cOmmercfaIIy, and when that is done
n viii be of immense advantage to
lie state. The man who contributes
money for the carrying on Of expe-
5fiments leading to this result will
b engaged in q most worthy work.
But the man who invests money In
bFiquetting enterprises with q view
. receiving dividends, and does It
without waiting for. complete DEM
= lteratfon Of the actual commercial
poasibilitfes would stand fully as
rod !. chance Of making money ont
r tie stock market or q poker
gane- Il ", Z = I. II.