ST. PAULITES FILLING COAL BINS FOR THE WINTER

Dealers Kept Busy Delivering Black Diamonds to Customers Who Are Afraid of Strike Effects.

St. Paul coal dealers are doing a rushing business just now, selling more coal than they have for many summers.

The continuance of the strike and the general conditions in the coal market have resulted in a general "hunch" that this is the time to put in the winter supply of coal.

The anthracite coal trust has had a coaxing plan in force for two years, designed to induce the public to buy its winter supply of coal in the summer, but the 50 cents per ton reduction offered in April has never worked with the clarm that the trust expected.

After getting through those months in which the coal bin makes heavy drafts on the exchequer, the consumer has been inclined to take a vacation for the hot months, to escape for a time that galling tribute to the coal trust.

The fact that coal is getting scarce in the Northwest, that none is coming up the lakes, and that the strike may last several weeks, points to a scarcity of coal and higher prices, and the consumer is putting in his entire supply. One of the large coal companies did a June business equal to that of some of the winter months.

The demand of the last two weeks has lowered the supply in the sheds of local companies materially. As far as the summer demand goes the coal men are not alarmed, but the possibilities of the future are being canvassed thoroughly. There is much interest in the coming convention of coal miners at Indianapolis on which the anthracite miners depend for support.

The fact that the independent operators in the Pittsburgh district have decided to co-operate with the Pittsburgh Soft Coal company in maintaining prices will, it is believed, affect the Northwest very little.

The soft coal trade of the Northwest is now practically controlled by the big companies in the Pittsburgh and West Virginia districts, through the shipping and dock facilities, and the changed attitude of the independents will cut no figure