Show petroleum briquettes A strange sight was presented in oakland last week as a train drew in from stockton it consisted of a locomotive and ten cars piled up in the cars were objects that at first sight appeared designed for the toilet whereas in fact the freight consisted of a new species of fuel there thare were about tons in all of what were termed briquettes a compound of pulverized coal and refined petroleum pressed into cak elike forms which came from the briquette works of the tesla coal company in stockton these briquettes were intended for sale and distribution in oakland and as other trains arrive their contents will be similarly disposed of in san francisco the briquettes aroused as much interest and excited as much astonishment in the community across the bay as they have among el the visitors to the pan american exposition in buffalo where they have been mistaken for cakes of tar soap the error is excusable as they closely resemble that article unlike cude crude coal the briquettes can be handled with kid gloves without soiling pacific oil reporter |