# Where can I get a chunk of coal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969 "2002-12-02T16:04:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/1 "2002-12-02T16:04:42Z")
Suffice to say that my extended family is mad at one of my uncles for some underhanded dealings. So I need a piece of coal I can send to him anonymously. Not charcoal of some such…I’d like to get a good solid couple of pound piece of coal right out of the ground. I went to school in coal country but it’s not like I ever saw any for sale retail. And Blue Coal isn’t sponsoring _The Shadow_ anymore. The furnaces around here (the Blue Ridge Mountains) are either electric, propane or oil. I know no one with a coal furnance any more. On review I think I even know some West Vrginians with wood furnaces…just no coal. Anthracite? Anyone? A little help here? Help me strike a blow for justice. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/2 "2002-12-02T16:09:14Z")
Look in the Yellow Pages under “coal”. Duh. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/3 "2002-12-02T16:09:39Z")
I have some. Email me ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/4 "2002-12-02T16:22:12Z")
From Cameron’s butt? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/5 "2002-12-02T16:30:25Z")
Just be mean to your sister for the next few weeks, and that’s all you’re getting in your Christmas stocking! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/6 "2002-12-02T17:16:13Z")
No No NO! I need it before Christmas! And I just took my kid sister to an all ages punk show! ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/7 "2002-12-02T17:27:00Z")
You can get coal from some railyards too. I picked some up ages ago to give to a family member for the holidays. Unfortunately, it backfired on me. She was very happy to get it and said that it would be a diamond eventually and knew I couldn’t afford one at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/8 "2002-12-02T17:57:48Z")
Paging **Anthracite** … paging **Anthracite** … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/9 "2002-12-02T18:15:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > \*\*Paging **Anthracite** … paging **Anthracite** … 😃 \*\* Oh… I get it… you’re _flirting_… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/10 "2002-12-02T18:50:37Z")
**Jonathan Chance** , I live near Pittsburgh and I’m sure I can get you a nicely carved chunk of coal for a gift. E-mail me your regular address and I’ll see what I can do while shopping for my Secret Santa tomorrow. Failing that, I’ve got a friend who does archaeological surveys of coal mines. If you like, I can get a hold of her and see what she can pick up. Personally, I suggest the nicely carved piece – it’s easier to make into a joke. Fresh from the ground is available, though, and it’s bituminous, the messier kind. CJ ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/11 "2002-12-02T18:53:45Z")
Where do you live? I’ve picked up some shiny bits of coal from the banks of the Lehigh river. They aren’t big enough to be called “chunks,” but I’ll bet you could find some in the Carbon County PA area. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/12 "2002-12-02T18:56:55Z")
There used to be huge piles of coal in an abandoned stip mine near where I live. I would check to see if they are still there, but there is five inches of snow on the ground, and I would have to walk there. ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/13 "2002-12-02T19:33:46Z")
You could even just use plain old charcoal…it would still send the same message, wouldn’t it? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/14 "2002-12-02T19:39:45Z")
No, t’were best done properly. Fresh from the ground. My uncle has truly wandered into the ‘placing himself above the family and we’re scared the marshalls will take him away’ zone. But no one wants to turn him in because he’s family. I think he should rot for all of me. And my sibs agree. But we’re a little leery of turning the rest of the family against us. Hence, the coal. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/15 "2002-12-02T19:43:50Z")
What do you want? Bituminous or Anthracite? I’ve got plenty o’ samples of both. There’s Lignite, too, but I’m fresh out. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/16 "2002-12-02T19:51:39Z")
Ideally I’d like something to explode and take him with it. Excepting that something that gets the message across and ruins his new $1000 suit would be nice. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/17 "2002-12-02T19:57:51Z")
Sounds like you might be more interested in Coal Fly Ash, then! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/18 "2002-12-02T20:00:59Z")
Hmm… You intrigue me, element-lad… ---
**Author:** ![dcnewsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dcnewsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dcnewsman)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/19 "2002-12-02T21:42:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Suffice to say that my extended family is mad at one of my uncles for some underhanded dealings. > > So I need a piece of coal I can send to him anonymously. Not charcoal of some such…I’d like to get a good solid couple of pound piece of coal right out of the ground. > \*\* According to the Washington D.C. phone book, you can buy coal at Brook Coal Co., 1310 18th St. NW, 202-659-2579 or Moore Energy Resources, 1300Newton St., NE 202-269-4894 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969/20 "2002-12-03T01:05:30Z")
there is some nicely painted coal in a store in philly. although, that doesn’t sound like what you want. how 'bout socks… socks are almost as good as coal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-chunk-of-coal/139969.md?page=2)