“Oh, yes, I remember,” said Mr. Prescott; “you’re interested in iron. Well, then, it’s time that you knew something about coke.
“Long ago they used charcoal, that is, partly burned wood, in the iron furnaces. That used up the forests so fast that, over in England, the government had to limit the number of iron furnaces.
“Then they tried to use coal. That didn’t work very well. Finally somebody found that, if the coal was partly burned, that is, made into coke, it would require less blast, and the iron would melt more quickly. It was a great day for iron when coke came in.”
The car sped on, and again Mr. Prescott lapsed into silence.
The country didn’t look at all like the country that Billy dreamed about. His was green. This was brown. But there were no hot, red bricks to look at; that was something to be thankful for, anyway.
“See anything new?” asked Mr. Prescott.
“What are they?” asked Billy, pointing to long rows of something that looked like large beehives.
“Coke ovens; they call them beehive ovens. That overhead railway is where they charge the ovens through the top. After the coal has burned about two days, it is quenched with water. Then they draw it out at the bottom as coke, and put in a new charge while the ovens are still hot.”
After he got home that night—it was closing time when they reached the square where Mr. Prescott left him—Billy couldn’t remember that Mr. Prescott had said a word to him all the way back. But Billy was happy, and rested, too.
While they were walking to the mill the next morning Uncle John said: