100 Years Ago This Week: Oct. 13-19

From The Indianapolis Star, Saturday, October 13: So acute has the coal shortage become in the last few day that unless a state coal administrator is named soon by the Federal Fuel Administration the state government will take the necessary action to see that Hoosiers are supplied with fuel. Ernest L. Lewis, chair of the state Public Service Commission, said the state government may have to seize coal supplies to insure schools remain open and that people will not suffer for the lack of coal. The mines are bending their efforts to fill their contracts, but retail dealers without contracts in some smaller communities and cities have no coal on hand and are not being supplied. William G. Irwin of Columbus was nominated to be state coal administrator five weeks ago, but Washington has taken no action on the nomination.