At 28°C, why in the name should someone need coal ?

This coal-porter had still a lot of sacks to go before he could say, 'I emptied this lorry too'.
Indeed people need coal in restaurants to cook, tea-shops for heating water all day with this big cupper water heaters, the smith to forge his iron and so on .... so still a lot of deliveries to make for today, it was only noon.