Walt Smith's decription below should disabuse people once and for all as to whether the anthracite industry could have survived, even with the most modern and efficient methods of mining and transportation. As I wrote in the first message, anthracite was a whole lot better than wood, but as soon as easier heating methods were available, people converted ASAP. > Ur right about the smaller sizes. My grandmother Smith had a coal furnace > in >the basement & a large coalbin holding at least 2 tons. It was my > little chore to >shovel the pea coal from one side to the other as it was > used in the side near >the furnace. Mom & dad also had a hot air furnace > using peacoal & the kitchen >stove used the same. One chore was filling > the coalbucket for mom & toting it >up from the cellar before going to > school n the late 40s, early 50s. Also take >ing out the ashes in a bushel > basket & setting them in the cellar window, then >going outside & heaving > them around front for the garbageman to pickup >(except on snowy days when u'd save them to spread in the driveway & > walks). Thank you Walt! Cheers, Jim Guthrie ELHS #1296 The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List http://EL-List.railfan.net/ To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html ------------------------------
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