The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-09-14
COAL DEALERS NOW
SHORTCUT ARE
BOOKED up
Prices Will Probably Not be
Raised-Woul be Poor
Business.
SCARCITY FELT OVER
ENTIRE UNIT
Grand Forks Merchants look
for Situation to Improve
Soon, However.
SCARCITY FELT OVER
ENTIRE

lizard coal Is selling nov at
$1O.5O q ton. I don't look for n
to go any higher unless the deal
ers take advantage OF the situa.
ton, and that would be poor
business"-Grand Forks cOal
merchant.
II the supply Of coal we're cut
on today, the dealers Of Grand
Forks wouldn't have enough on
hand to last two weeks" declared
another coal dealer this morning.
eve haven't enough on hand now
to supply. u orders. hut we are
booked ahead, and no doubt will
be able tO fill them. Coal Is still
being shipped over the lakes. and
the docks will soon have u bigger
supply. but whether 1t will he
enough is the question:"
This state Of affairs prevail,
throughout the northwest. Crane
Forks. as we'll as other North Dakota
points. has to depend on the Goa
shipped by way Of the great lakes tc
Duluth for the winter supply, Al
present there is not enough coal or
the Duluth and Superior docks to sup.
Ply the demand Of dealers in the
northwest. and. as navigation will
close within five or six weeks, the con.
d1tton Is growing more serious eacf
day.
Hard for Small Dealer.
According to present conditions
the indications are that there will 'e
no hard coal to be gotten from the
COCKS after the first of the year." con.
t1nued the dealer interviewed this
morning. There are only six week.
left during which time the insurance
companies will take insurance OF
boats. and consequently there will bs
no coal shipped after that.
The man who has the means is put.
ting In his coal now, and we are KEEP
busy filling such. orders. 1t is tho
small consumer. the man who cam
afford to put in a big supply, that will
suffer. He will have to depend or
soft coal, II the local supply runs out
Fortunately, there will be plenty u
that throughout the winter"
Shortage General.
According to dealers. the shortage
will be felt throughout the country
other sections. This is due to tn,
fact that the west has to depend OF
coal shipped yer the great lakes. am
there is such a short time left for sucl
shipments. At present. there are no
more than 100000 tons of anthracit
coal on h docks Of both Duluth an
Superior. = This must. do for the sup
ply Of both those places, as we'll as tn,
cities In the northwest.
It is said that the coal companie
are from three to six weeks behind il
the amount of coal 1t is customary TO
them to have at this period of tn,
year.
The mines are all working to capa
city, and will be able to supply tn,
demand that is within railway distane
fairly well.
But for the cities in this section O
the country. the situation would not b
relieved by producing anthracite fast
er. II such a thing could be done. be
cause the shipping facilities worl
against 1t. The coal Is shipped b,
railroad to Buffalo. where it is trans
ferred to boats.
One dock man at Duluth expresse,
the situation as follows:
"You can fill a great big jug full
of water and turn it up. but 1t can
come out any faster than the neck O
the jug will allow. How they are go
ing to load coal enough over the dock
ages to meet the normal demand GU
here is. beyond me. 1t is the north
west depending on supplies via tn,
head of the lakes that will suffer. AM
not the east and the south. where the!
receive all their supplies by rail-"