The Fuel Administration began early in the summer of 1917,
to urge everyone to lay in a supply of fuel for the coming
winter, while there was plenty available and means for transportation
at hand. As winter came on with the shortage became more acute
and in Jan. of 1918, Fuel Administrator Garfield sent out an
order restricting the use of fuel. Stores, offices and shops
were to be closed on Mondays and only open between the hours
of eight and five upon other days. In Brodhead, the public schools
and library were forced to close for four weeks, because of lack
of fuel; lodges and other public meeting places were also closed
and church services were held only in one church, each church
in turn having the union meeting.
Mr. F. R. Derrick was appointed Fuel Director and furl was
obtainable only through his order and then in but limited
quantities.
The train service was cut to one passenger train east and
one west each day and freight trains to certain days a week.
It was partly through the desire to save coal that the Daylight
Saving Law was passed, which set the clocks one hour
ahead from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in
October, 1918. While this law was a great boon to dwellers and
workers in cities and towns, it met with much disfavor among
farmers, and so much sentiment was raised against it that the
measure was never repeated.
Gasoline also became scarce and during the fall of 1918 five
Sundays were set aside as Gasless Sundays. Brodhead
people cheerfully complied with this restriction and not
an automobile was seen upon the streets except as necessarily
used by physicians.