Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1919-11-20
WHEN A CAR OF COAL CAME
TO TOWN

In ordinary times the arrival of a
car load of coal in Wa-Keeney is not
considered worthy of passing notice
but just now it is different Twice
during the last week has the same
scene been enacted and the descrip-
ton of one of them will suffice for his
torical reference for them both
These are coal famine times, result
ing from the great strike by the Ma
tiona1 Miners Association which has
been in progress for nearly two
weeks. Those citizens who did not,
and who could not, heed the repeated
warning issued last summer to "buy
your coal now for there will be
shortage after WHILE" are either out
of coal, are borrowing it of their
neighbors or have very small sup.
ply on hand. These people live in the
city and they also live in the country.
The local coal dealers have booked a
list of orders about a foot long and it
would take a dozen car loads of coal
to fill all the orders, but the dealers
can't fill them and they do not try
There is one thing they do try to do
and that is to get a small amount of
coal to each person who has in an or
der or especially to those who are en-
tirely out of coal. But all of this is
preliminary to the arrival Of car
load of coal in Wa-Keeney. -
When the car load of coal does ar
rive the telephone calls are inmed-
lately sent out. The town draymen are
all notified and the message is sent to
the farmers. Every person who hears
the call and is in need of coal makes
| a bee line for the Office of the dealer
who has the coal and as soon as the
net weight is recorded goes on the
run to the car load of precious black
diamonds. They come with wagons,
| with buggies, with motor trucks, with
Fords and with automobiles. Some of
them come in such a hurry that they
forgot to bring a scoup shovel with
them and have to borrow one or load
| their coal with their hands. They back
| their wagons, and Fords and trucks
| in around the car of coal as closely as
they possibly can and then get busy
Some times there are a dozen men
| all shove1ing coal from the car
| at the same time, especially if it is
an open car. Each person goes to the
car with the understanding that one
t thousand pounds is all the coal he will
| be allowed to get at one load When q
man has on a thousand pounds he is
told SO and he drives out and lets
/ someone else come in. There is never
any trouble at the car for the sheriff
is sitting on the brake wheel or is con
| venient1y near and no one wants to
start anything during these times OF
high prices. A very few customers
will get less than thousand pounds
many will get from ten to twelve
hundred and few will slip one over
on the arm of the law and get from
fifteen to eighteen hundred. AS rule
| there is manifested a willingness to
/ get along with enough to tide owe,
the present emergency but occasion
ally there is a hog who wants it al
just because he has the money with
which to pay the bill. Ordinarily i
takes from one to two days to UNLOAD
car of coal, but during the presen
crises there is a slow demand if thu
car is not unloaded within two o.
three hours.
just when the next car of coal viii
arrive in Wa-Keeney, we do not know
, but when it does arrive there will b.
enacted another drama such as tool
place Monday of this week and Frida,
of last week when a car load of Goa
i came to town