coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

eports varying from semi-anthracite to coking
coal, all this occurring without any desire on anyone's
part to wilfully deceive, but from a
LACK OF DISCRIMINATION
between facts and opinion, or gross ignorance, for
the facts in this case were so very apparent and
so readily available. Considerable time and labor
is consumed in weeding out such inaccuracies. A
statement once made must be either substantiated
or proven wrong and nothing must be left for
interpretation for this is the real object of the
report. It is far easier to go into a virgin field
and cover the proposition more concisely and
briefly than when it has previously been indifferently
written up.
Another very important matter to be considered
is that of prejudice. The coal fields of the
Appalachian system are fairly well known and
those who have followed the profession are more
or less familiar with the entire system and, by
hear-say, publications or otherwise have ideas in
regard to the various fields and in some cases even
positive opinions. It is a very difficult thing to
pull away from such ideas or opinions and it is
a matter of constant vigilance to keep these preconceived
ideas from entering into consideration,
but it is essential that they should. It would be
a very clever writer indeed who could incorporate
a prejudice and not have it discovered. But this
failing is common and most reports are contaminated
in this way.
A prejudice may be in the right direction but
if it is discovered it will naturally throw the
reader in an opposite direction and the injury will
be threefold, first to the reader of the report,
second to the property and finally to the writer
himself. And it is usually a hopeless case for
once it is known that a person is prejudiced argument
IS CONSIDERED HOPELESS
and usually not offered. Of course, there are
many reasons why these prejudices occur and excuses
why they exist; for instance, one may be
called upon to report on a property belonging to
one corporation and subsequently required to do
the same on an adjoining property which may
be a competitive company and it is almost against
human nature to think that the statements of his
first report would not affect those of the sceond.
It has been expressed heretofore "know your
man" and this is meant in the manner that you
may know just what he wants to know. He is
paying his money for a record of facts and perhaps
an opinion on a piece of property and it is
your duty to furnish him with the information
that he wants and the way he wants it. It is at
times surprising to hear some of the questions
that are asked, simple but entirely to the point,
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 51
which would not have been thought of had the
suggestion not been put. It becomes almost a
habit among those in the same profession not to
discuss or even mention things which are to such
profession self-evident facts, but which may be
to others unheard of and unknown. It is only a
short time ago that I had occasion to travel over
a considerable territory with an owner of a large
property. The man was serious and thoroughly
interested—he had his money invested and wanted
to know in a manner that he could understand
just how much coal he had, what kind of coal it
was and what kind of market the coal would suit
and where that market was and so on. Those
who have been through the mill can appreciate how
tedious it becomes to answer the fire of questions
that can be put in a week's trip. But after all it
might almost be said that he who answers or
tries to answer these questions
LEARNS AS MUCH
as the man who asks them, in that it gives ideas
as to what people who are not acquainted with the
coal business want to know and which should be
covered in a report.
I have in mind now another man for whom I
have made numerous reports. At first these reports
were patiently read through, after a while
I found that the last page was read first and the
fore part afterward, so adjusting the reports to
the conditions the last page was submitted first.
This proving satisfactory for a time I found that
the rest of the report was only indifferently read
and more probably not read at all—so finally to
perfect the matter still more the rest of the report
was omitted, which apparently was most satisfactory
of all. It is a fact that the largest
acreage, or deal, that w-ent through under my observation
was based on a report that had less than
tw-o typewritten pages. But don't assume that
the work wasn't clone, the supplementary report
though not submitted was quite complete and
handy should a critical moment have arrived.
Having pointed out that a report should be brief,
concise ancl without prejudice it might also be
added that it should be attractive and pleasing in
its arrangement. Anything that can be illustrated
by a map or a diagram should be so presented
not only for brevity but for quick understanding.
A map is far more comprehensive
than any description could be, diagrams of sections
are more easily read and a few photographs of
characteristic features add greatly to the value and
attractiveness of a report.
For the purposes of a report a map is merely
an illustration ancl such a scale should be selected
that the
ENTIRE PROPOSITION
can be grasped at a glance, by all means avoid a