we have shown, is plentiful; and that it
is needed in the Canadian North-West we need hardly remark, but that it
could not be carried needs explanation. For several years our railways
were lamentably short of equipment, so that the mines had frequently to
close down for days, or even weeks, their bunkers being entirely
inadequate for storage purposes. This meant a severe loss to the mines
in that their men and machinery stood idle and that lucrative contracts
had to be cancelled.

Probably no industry has suffered so keenly from car shortage as that
of coal-mining. The only people who have received windfalls from this
regretable state of affairs were the dishonest yard-masters who,
unknown to the railway officials, did a secret but withal brisk
business with the rival coal companies that bid for cars. It took a
goodly slice off the profits of each car of coal to grease the large
palm of the yard-master. And who in this pushful, practical age has
ever heard of a car spotter in the railway yards buying a ton of coal?
The plethora of his coal-bin is more to the credit of his wits than his
morals. My mind is fully established in this thing; as a grafter he is
the perfected article.

It may, however, be said in excuse for the car shortage, that the
demand for coal cars synchronized with that of wheat, the rush for both
being in the autumn and early winter. At first, the pioneer coal
dealers in the villages and towns throughout the west, had neither the
buildings wherein to store fuel nor the money to permit of their
purchasing it, so that orders were seldom given until cold weather had
actually set in.

While this condition of affairs still leaves something to be desired,
the dealers have had several salutary lessons and are, as a generality,
becoming much more forehanded. The population of the west has also
increased so vastly during these latter years, that the demand on the
dealers, and accordingly on the mines, has gradually become steadier
till, at last, the industry rests upon the well-settled foundation of a
regular demand, a regular supply, and a dependable railway service, in
other words, it fulfils the three conditions laid down in Emerson's
definition of commerce.

A third difficulty which confronted mine operators, was the securing of
experienced miners. The supply was distinctly inadequate, so that
green hands had to be engaged--homesteaders who wanted to earn money
during the winter, newly-arrived