The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-04-08
INFORMATION
FOR OLESON

IieDFon tribune: A wise nan from
the southwestern corner of the state
with the unusual name Of Oleson
found 1t necessary to give our COVER
nor some advice recently in an open
letter published in The Bismarck Trib-
une. He referred in this letter to the
Hebron mining experiment station as
a humbug, saying that every cent
spent in this institution was thrown
away, that any chemist can do the
work that has been done so far, for
a few hundred dOllars-that bril-
quettes have been manufactured in
Germany for years. etc.
IL is too bad that a man so over
flowing with intelligence should think
1t unnecessary to investigate before
addressing the public and advising the
governor in regard to a problem about
which he (Gleson) is obviously ig-
norant.
Germany makes a b~riquette Of
brown coal which Is practically the
same as our Ignite, but their method
as compared with h process used at
the station here is as different as day
and night. They grind the coal, mix
1t with some binder and it
again, producing a briquette that will
stand h weather for some time. does
not slack, can be handled by the deal
er, but Is for all that only compressed
hbA4G6 SOdls
What they make at Hebron is en-
tirely different-it is an artificial an
thracite coal. The gas is taken out;
the coke pulVerized, mixed with. "a
binder, pressed, and the resulting, brt-
quette when used has, according to,
United States government tests, prac-
tically the Same heating value as an
thraclte coal, which sells in North Da-
kota today at from $40 to II per ton.
Do you see the difference?
You will probably say that the cost
Of manufacturing this product will be
much higher, but you are mistaken.
The cos Of this briquette is a very lit
tie more, but we nave the gas for
many purposes. If a briQuetting plant
Is near town, it can be piped in and
used for light and fuel; in other places.
1t can be used to produce electricity
to be transmitted Perhaps a hundred
miles Tor lighting and power. Some
Industrial enterprises -ean use gas eX-
teEstVely, as for instance, We have in
Hebron, an extensive brick factory,
which intends in the future to burn
it's brick with gas.
Then you a procure a number of
b~y-products in manufacturing b~riuuet-
tes, according to the Investigations of
the experiment station, such as tar
OF a nigh grade, especially valuable
~ W. PcAAAIp ilCO dIuIIlOIlId. 1OI
which there is a ready market.
The profits from the gas and the
b~y-products reduce the cost of manu-
featuring OF the briquettes consider
ably, so that it is not much higher
than the cost Of manufacture In Ger
many. -
What o call a humbug is in real
lty n of the most important inven-
tons for the state of North Dakota.
ItI0 Won aUnT sion tn aNn-fI-- A.
much it will amount to the state
should the cost Of one ton of fuel be
reduced just 81? Certainly not. 1t
would mount to several million dol
lars each ear, which means that It
would reduce the fuel bill of every
citizen of the state.
When our senator, MIR. Leutz. in
troduced his bill at the last session
asking for an appropriation for this
station, he noted that a good MANY
Of the members Of the legislature had
a similar impression as to the advis-
ability OF spending money in this man
ner, n for this reason he invited his
colleagues and the members of the
house to visit Hebron to INSPECT the
works and thus get an idea of the
benefits which the state may derive
from this appropriation, and 1t certain
ly would have done you good, Mr. OLE
son to have heard them talk the next
day about what they had seen and
about the possibilities in store for the
western part OF North Dakota. on ac-
count of its immense coal deposits,
You have very large deposits of coal
near Marmarth, and if any man ever
did cut his own meat it was you
yourself.
We a give you this advice: When
ever you wish to advise our execu-
tive, Governor Hanna, as to what he
should do, investigate first. and be
sure that o know what you are talk
ing about.
You speak further about Fat Jobs"
another subject on which you are fg-
norant. Professor Babcock get his
salary from h university and Moth
ing out OF the station here. The man
Mr. Sutherland gets a, salary of
sos a month; MIR. Bulge 500 and
Mr.. Lund SIS. These men are gradu-
ates OF the university and Gang get
higher salaries any time in other
places. They, as we'll aus. Professor
Babcock, do this work simply for the
love of the work, and the last three,
especially with the view of becoming
experts in this particular line OF work,
believing that the large business en-
terprises which will be the result of
their Investigations will open desir-
able positions for them in the future.
In addition to the above gentIement
there is a day man at $50 per month
and a night man at $50. That is all.
Havana Na,u.