CHAPTER V 



The Throne of King Coal 



The fuel question; wood versus coal. 



Do you remember the story of the poor little 

 rich girl who had money and jewels to burn? 

 America has so many riches, so many natural re- 

 sources that one actually hinders the development 

 of another. Europeans tell us, for example, that 

 our very abundance of coal is partly responsible for 

 the rapid disappearance of our forests. Continental 

 Europe has enough coal for industrial purposes 

 only. To heat their homes and cook their food 

 most of the people use wood, and forest conserva- 

 tion, being essential to the supply of a clearly self- 

 evident necessity of life, requires no explanation and 

 no stimulus. We in America lack this direct touch, 

 and our whole attitude toward the forest problem 

 is governed accordingly. 



Some years ago we burned a great deal of wood 



in locomotives and river steamers, but that is all 



past. Green hardwood is still used, however, to 



remove impurities in the process of smelting copper, 



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