Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-07-20
Coal Wines on the North side OF James
kivcr---uanakiu IRON Works.
G0SeuLAsD oovsIy. vl.s,srA. }


GentlemenAiter thi. ls,,er A, no, inland n ho,her
you OF your numerous readers with any
coal mines ihase said, think enough direct public
enuon 10 'hem and TO show their benefit aud value
every man. woman and child this neighbothood and in
TACT throughout the State. The politicians know that
should the proposed tariff pss ring knell Of de.
pair ana dcsoaton 10 the hopes OF hundred
persons IN this State This bill will more terrible to the
ee 0, Virginia than any other. The coal trade will be
utterly frustrated and the business, infancy
ana with less capital than invested in Pennsy
New York and New Jersey, way withstand the
seuhe OF competition with heavier concerns and Il must
be consigned to tho "tombs Of all tho Capule. In the
meantime the politicians who dsavow protection TO any
oher esss OF persons but themselves, will hold their off,
ees and many OF them sinecure and draw their pay
fo"r virginia! down. down she gocs politicians.
whip ana spur in hand, her bending neck piercing
her sides through with many sorows. Down rodden.
marred and streaming with blood ticks the hand that
smles and degrades her. Where fires of
the revolution burned TO the palros heart aud cheer
nm IN ms love OF irvedon, attachments home and the in.
suuuons ct his native land reared aars dcdica-
| ted TO strange gods. fathers never knew.
ms OIL seemed TO have been framed with view Of
ng At virginia especially The object no doubt, has
been to PROSTATE enetprze in this Threshold
and by thus sufng in the Old Dominica, prevent its
spread through the South The visionary
from this district thinks, doubt speech was
sg concern, aHd will for the shse the bill
hes upon us No lunauc IN the Insane Asylum Staun-
ton would have been than guilty of such boyish non
sense and nunsku statements those the
sentative OF this district has made in his late bombas
speech IN Songtess The who would that there
was more capital invested in manufacturing in Virginia in
ieiO than in the 1910 totally Ignorant Of the
|
There Is not boy school OF years age who would
not have been secuted by his companions for such dec
anon. Ills statistics STILL absurd than those
ne made out against the tariff lS44. lie says We can
not manufacture, and therefore he wants this tariff in case
We should attempt u, to prevent do know who
or what II no represents this district Ii he has no
more wisdom than he displays aud can make no
better speeches than he has done, he should keen still
and draw his pay, and commit us TO statements, for
winch we have no liking and which, If he important
enough might materially injurc our prospects
n s eoneGded to make visit to the Mines lying
on the North side of the James River county OF
GOochand, stepped into the buggy with Major Sn.ed
and saHs eerenOHIe made way up. Ii was in the
cool OF the evening and the OF the way had our
hats OIL The night being dark enough shut out obser
Saon To the surrounding country had resort TO some
other mode to relieve trip from monotony The Major
being quito good anecdote we put in for few Of
them OF the best kind after which diverged of into
conversation OF graver character As we descended the
Valley where the Tuokahoe Creek winds its way and d.
vldes the counties OF Henrico and Gooehand we were
suddenly surprised by torch light in the woods
around which discovered several persons very busy
employed AT inst We thought they robbers diyid
ing their booty Nothing daunted hailed them and
inquired what they about. A lule boy under the
quiekenng effect OF two three bee siings cried out
bee tree bee tree hang the bees We begged him 10
hold horse after invitation from the party TO par,
epaie,l which he did and started heRfae eontyads
eeHfe and ate our I'LL OF honey 1t seemed almost PITY
TO these Little fellows domci thus ravshed of IL. CON
tents-ihe toll OF many busy years There Is no hand s
unieeing as that OF nans After this little tit BIT of n
good 'ns' we mounted into our buggy again. and
soon at headquarters, where bed and had a
most refreshing sleep.
Early IN the morning rose, washed combed and ate
hrsLTate breakfast, and then the Tuckahoe
mined by MessTs. Sneed and Dierock. Coal was fir,
discovered here sixty years ago. and mined by Colonel
A1mas randolph he proprietor OF the land They
worked 10y hm Tor his smith shops. Since which time
they have been worked periodically up TO the war Of 1912
VIXEN they were abandoned and n 1887 I'M
der the management Of DIR. w. T. Scott Subsequently
Company was formed called the Tuckahoe Coal Min.
nag Company, which purchased the whole track at a cost
OF SSOOOO They commenced the sinking OF a shaft and
went as tar 42 feet and then pitched the tat all into the
hre by hauling of altogether in despair In 1913 Major
Sneed went 10 work al II, and succeeded may here re-
mark that MAJOR Sneed has been the pioneer IN this bn
ness on the North side OF the River has sunk more
shafts than other who pursued this vocation in
Eastern Virginia. The difficulties and expense In sinking
these shafts are sometimes immense The eoif on the
oueroP or surface is not always guide where may
be found Undecided many hundred feet under earth and
rock.
The TuekAhoe Pits on the Eastern end of the |
coal held, within hundre Yards Of h. Canal and
about twelve miles from Richmond They employ fftv
hands and three hundred thousand bushels Of
coal per year IL is highly bitumnous and excellent for
tue manufacture OF IRON The Tredegar and Belle Isle
Rolling Mills are supplied with 1t must be good and of
the right Kind, or they would IT, These pits are
the only ones on this side troubled with gas-of course
ventilation Is necessary There no: rs much wafer IN
THIS fit ss have ouEd generally many Others although
hey nave extended their operations considerable dis
lance under ground have observed in examining the
coal Mines that, where they sank over four or five
hundred feet they annoyed by gas and where there
Is less depth they troubled with water IL is evident
therefore. that in the region of these coa II. d does
not run through the earth any extent five hundred
the increase Of gas.
We visited William Cotrells Pits. situated one
,nhe ana nai north OF this He employs thirty
hands, and raises from 10 500 bushels per day
T. s. X. Crouch's Pits one hundred wards north Of
OotuelFs' IhIs hrm employ from so to 80 hands and
raise from to 900 bushels per day. They are nov sink
ing shaft, and have some considerable head
way with IT, The Goals IN all these Pits are very much
the
said TO belong TO firm called Perry Faris g. Co Their
with each other seem to be in snar IL
has the hnes engine OF any mine in the State, but will
soon be good Tor nothing left It is. The PIT one Of
the finest IN that REGION but filled three hundred feet
with water There is loose here and il ought
TO be frightened without delay.
The next visited that Of Messrs J. e. Dc,to,
& Co. This mine is known as Edge Hill IL is both
coal and coke pit The coke is the upper strata-tho
coal lies sixty feet below IT, Mr.. s. Richardson was the
first one 10 discover and work the coke for
but SOMEHOW he did not succeed with IT, Ii il used ~,
stoves and CRATES principally Ii is said a stron-
ger neat Io' the amount used, than any other kind Of fuel
This mine works about thirty hands, and will raise in coal
and coke one hundred and fifty thousand bushels this
The coal IL very fine article as is the case with II. ,bc
coal IN this region. II used principally for sm,hs ,nd
furnace purposes. This Pit formerly managed badly
and the character Of the coal some degree suffered rom
IT, Ii - now IN a fair way Of being renstated.
Little beyond this, is the Locust Hill Mines worked b
Mr.. X '" Jordan. TINS mine opened in Is43 Il |
s another coke ph was agrooably struck with its fine
umpy appearance For family USE the article has .lost
excluded the use Of coal. The difference between the
coke and coal Is his-the coke has btumen and the
coal has do not think ought be called coke-it is
TO all intents and purposes, coal The markets Of Rich
mond' Petersburg Lynchburg, Norfolk, and other Vrgi
MIA towns, take all that IS worked. The use Of this art-
ee al nome gives an additional impetus coal miners TO
ind an outlet for their coal abroad This Pit will raise
about $4,000 bushels this They work about thirty
operatives.
The next and last u the coke mines Of Messrs Towns
fowos This u the extreme end Of the mines opened
on this coal held They work about the number of
hands with the last and raise from 600 bushels DER
day This Pit, like the last mentioned one s entirely
coke The fine coke left pit-ths Jumps only are
sold-whieh command tie price coal. Il IS said
mat bushe ct coke will gSo heat, aud burn lon
GER Than bushel Of coal. This PIT the head tsrm
nus OF the Railroad which extends from this pit along the
banks OF al the rest distance Of five miles, TO the ryer
was bui' principally by the efforts Of MAJ Snoad, who
was for many s President and chief manager and
much n hs pecuniary disadvantage. II cost with cars
mules, &c, S6sOOO The stock yields dividend Of az
per cent
These pits II incslculabe benefit To the farmers in
buying their oats hay, vegetables, meats eggs &c he