Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-09
ARE OUT OF COAL
FUEL SUPPLY At ST. THOMAS
AND PILGRIM EXHAUSTED,
Coal Administration Called Upon to
Provide Fuel to Carry Buildings Thru
Crisis - MoHatt Urges Release OF
Coal Now In Local Yards - Ono Car
Of Coal Released to Retailrr.

The fuel situation today held
more threatening aspect when coal a
ST. Thomas hospital and the Pilgrim
Hotel was exhausted at noon. Boil
fuel At the noon hour and the fuel ad'
ADMINISTRATION and hospital and hote
homogeneous were actively engaged
| in hustling fuel to keep the place:
! open until relief may be had thru re-
| lease OF coal in cars in the local yards
| c. J. Moffett, local freight agent OF
! the NJ. Il st. L., was appealed TO ant
| wires Immediately were sent to th'
regional director of railroads at Chi
| Cago, appealing for the release Of Goa
| held in the yards by the railroad.
! with the announcement of the fue
I famine At the hospital and hotel, cara,
| appeals from numerous homes fol
coal, but dealers have been unable tt
! lend aid. one car OF nut coal was re-
! leased Monday afternoon to dealer
and this will be divided among homes
! most IN need.
! Coal Soon to Be Curiosity.
| With the rapidly diminishing stores
! OF coal in homes during the extreme
! cold weather coal will become a rea
curiosity. Many homes now are be-
1 ing supplied with coke. Fourteen
! teams are hauling this fuel. More
| teams could be used to meet the de-
mand OF consumers but fourteen are
! about all that can be employed At once
at the coke pile. Many other MONIES
| are buying wood but the WOOD chop'
/ pers arc too few to keep up with Inc
| consumption in the city. Many more
| CHOPPERS could be used now ana a.
| the SHORTAGE OF fuel is more keenIS
! felt the number must be greatly IN
! creased.
| II the shortage is to continue toi
! any length OF time it is probable shaus
| trees will be sacrificed, ana Soml'
/ residents already have planned the re-
| moval OF trees to keep the fires so
ing.
Rohrbaeh Still Here.
| w. T Rohrbach, representing Nh'
Quaker Oats Company, Of Fort Dodge
still was in the city today begging loI
! the release of two or three carloao'
| Of coke for his plant Saturday AFTER
noon Rohrbach asked for 1--WE or ST.
carloads Of coke and Monday ne re-
duced his demand to two or three car
loads. tTe still was insistent and ar
gued that he would have fuel before
he left the city.
| Rohrbach's frequent visits TO the
fuel administrators Office, however
does not constitute the entire burden
| now carried by Administrator Bell
! The situation Is SO fraught with pos
| sibilities and business interests are Sc
| interviewer that rules and regulations
are found not always to apply al
strictly as might be desired. For in
stance the regulation of restaurants
which are required to close at p. m.
IS causing the administration sleepless
nights.
What 10 a Restaurant?
The question has arisen as to JUST
what is restaurant? The eating
places Of the city. which cater only tc
tho hungry, come strictly under this
classification, but there are numerous
soft drink parlors which serve meals
and these places have been closed at
p. m. being classified as merchants.
A survey Monday night showed that
one soft drink dispenser had sixteen
meal tickets out and the holders of the
tickets were in the habit of demand
ing an evening meal between and
o'clock. With the closing of the place
the regular boarders were compelled tc
go elsewhere for their meals and the
proprietor was facing the necessity OF
returning money for the tickets. Al
another place twenty meals were
served Monday night. At another
twenty odd meals We're served, and a
still another two walters were KEPT
busy during the meal hour serving
| lunches.
Restrictions Hit RaiIroaders.
The situation in the depot district is
even more complicated. Hundreds 0!
meals are served by the Third avenue
| restaurants after p. m, and many
! train crews and switch yard employees
| have depended on the depot restau.
rants to obtain their night meal. Trair
crews have broken the fuel admin
| strator's sleep nightly by calling him
from bed to demand that means be
provided for them to get their nightly
fare. The fuel administration has beer
confronted with the problem of pro.
viding some means of feeding train
men from a depot restaurant without
permitting all Of the eating places OF
the district to remain open all night
and to pacify uptown restaurant
owners who are compelled to close at
o'clock.
George Stone. owner of a Third ave-
nue. restaurant. discussed the matter
Monday with the fuel administration
and said that he wanted to comply
strictly to the regulations of tho fuel
administration. He said, however
that some means must be provided for
the feeding of the railroad men and
any provision made by the administra-
ton would be satisfactory to him. He
Will endeavor today to get the restau-
rant men Of the depot district together
to devise some plan whereby the res
taurants will take turns In remaining
open to handle this trade.
QUARTET MUSICAL TREAT.