On May 18, 6:31*am, Han wrote:
"Lobby Dosser" wrote :



"Han" wrote in message
...
"Lobby Dosser" wrote in news:hsq4fh$osd$1
@news.eternal-september.org:

When I was a kid in Glasgow, Scotland everybody heated with coal
fireplaces - we're talking Soot.

When I was a little kid in Holland everyone heated their homes with
nice British anthracite (sp?). *Black-dusted coaldeliverers brought
the coal. No soot whatsoever, but yearly chimneycleaning was
obligatory.

Was it horse and cart delivery? Delivery man had a big leather patch
on the back of his jacket.

I think by that time the coal man delivered by truck. *The milk man had a
couple of ponies and a cart for decades later.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

I can recall the coal man with his leather reinforced canvas "bucket"
slung over a shoulder climbing the steps to our home when I was much
younger. He couldn't get the chute on his truck to our coal bind
window, so had to carry the ton of coal we bought up the stairs, 100
pounds a time, and pour it down. My brother and I would walk with him
and chatter away. He'd just smile and work.

I don't imagine he really liked delivering to us, though Mom tipped
him half a buck and gave him something to drink--he was a black guy,
so didn't often get either consideration on deliveries (this was in
NY, a small city called New Rochelle). She had a fit when Pennsylvania
pea coal went from $9 to $11 a ton, IIRC. Good old anthracite. or hard
coal: around here, it's all sulfur laden soft coal. I don't even know
if the Pennsy mines are still in existence. This was pushing 60 years
ago.