Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-09-14
RICHMOND, Va.
Wednesday Morning, September IL, ia!o.
ROUGH NOTES.

ACCOMPLISHED agent Of Transportation on the re-
,ersburs Road, We were indeb;ed Tor mes con-
for,abIc aud agreeable Trip. We must not ioiee'
,bc Ace, and elegant locomotive 'pasrivR henfy'
,ch;cb few a,ns under The skillul CONDUCT oi ia
,,;ck Calern. The cns;neef liz is vi Irish cesceu''
hut is in every respsc; ole Of our hom:-!ohS'
Though quite young he shows iEai ne mas Id" aA
excellent education in The seani-iinc o"'Ls ~
some misapp:ehension Cot which We were '''e !"
nocent cause, proper notice was not gwen s.a w.
we're compelled TO iiagcr al depot % 'ue o'".''
Hll Road. 10 wal, the downward trans. ihe
time was 10. leg, hoTsver-ivf we were eHa''eu
10 derive much instruction and amusement if'ni
a learned discussion on The orisiL OF man lWhe'n-
or Lord Morbcddo's theory OF man being of'g'-
nally monkey was nue) and other profound
subjects between Col P, worthy e1-ofilcer OF
militia, and skiliul dealer in coal, ana uen' w.
a sbrewd and crudi!e Scotch metapnysichp' u
great originality AMI most elastic qnal''ies' we
shall mol attempt description Of the various argu'
men,. and eluciiaory facts advanced-but many
good things were said, ard the virgin FOREST
echoed with the merrimenl, excited by The guam
remark. of the carEy Scot.
Some tim. after, n laundering locomotive WIN
80 cars of Clover Hill coal for Pot Ws''hsi We
had preyiously met one with ~ cars Tor h'ca-
rnepd) houa in eight and soon vanished around Il
curve-and then we put On ini! hsao oi s'saih
and dashed on rapidly. passing The extensive anu
beautiful ,rcs,le.wo,k s-ross Swift Creek, ard
soon bringing up in front OF lhe house oi James
II. Cox ESQ the President Of The Glover Hill
Mining Company. tle was not al his house
but We found him with pleasant aud happy
nar,y OF his neishbors in the beautiful ~oots
mol far distant, surrounding his schoo!-noase.-
The first glance satisfied us thai an old fashioned
Virginia Ba bacue was on foot. We were soon
conducted into the ceplh tf The forest, and On n
gentle Slope We ecjoyed the grateful sight oil me
isas, which was to refresh he exhausted travels
ler,. Across pi! filled with burning Goals were
su.aet dsd Two fine porkers (''!eetle hogs" as
venerable French friend Of ours WAS wlnl 10 call
.hem)-lhey were pu, on eaIly in the morning,
and al 4, P. NJ, were sill getting brown. HARD
by were d.ishtful sveE-ie;ch Caught IN me
mill. pond but the pride and boast oi The ieas'
wa, huge AMI pondcrous iron pot, in which
steamed with delightful fragrance "6fans~ick
Stew"-a genuine South.s,de dish, composed OF
squirrels, chickens, lile bacon, and csTn aid
tomatoes, al l,L;tum TIE whole kitchen de.
par,menl was under Inc direction OF The veEeTa-
bic "Uncie Ben Moody" TO waose skill and
,.;sa ;nn nj ho IA.
lee: mater around lie snow-whic table cloth, an
unanimous vote Of thanks WIS rendered by the
company.
Before, during and alter the abundant meals
there was a running accompaniment of the v:o'
lin-on which Scot" and Manuel" happy me-
sroes, win red llanari .hitl, aud their WHISPER.
edfaces begrimed with coal dust, performed al>
leruately with most wonderful PERSEVERANCE ard
enthusiasm. The music was, ot coarse, not very
scientific; on! The time was eXceIleni, aad the ans
,t.sliIrips-su much So, that The liule negro
bows SANDING aroun4, caGch; Inc inspiration
and "hcc!,d and ioed" it amidst cloud OF dts.
thcmselyt. had raised. Oh that the isaorsn,
a: d infatuated h5v'iiioli.'s had witnessed The
scene! Il would have slamcd them on! o. the
insane and ex.ravaSant i"liy AMI insolence
which they indulge in about the suflerings oil The
''poor negro =
The sun had sci in glory and darkness closed
in-when, having canvassct Inc Barbecue ard
other picasan, Ihcn es, We emsrged iron tie
woods, destined or ALI expedition into the bowels
of the e rlh." To see he interior OF coal nine.
the night is rs favo.ablr Al the day il was &c
termlned, therefore, that We should descend al
once Armed viii lamps, tie parry proceeded
10 the New Shali--lsd on by the imper,Grbabie
"Sco,l" with his ncvey.lfirg fiddle. His jgs
and rerls were KEEP; ~ necessarily until we
reached the mouth u lie pit and had the rul e
broken, We should nave gone 10 tho bottom with
The echo ct his violin ID our ear. This new
shalt was completed abon, the middle Of July
and is Indeed n splendid piece ii work. From
the beautiful stone takea from the ShaR an tx
,cnsre p!a.o N i. erected which locks like a
tor,iiica!iop. On this plaioim (or raihas double
plaliofm) arc railIodis conveying Inc Goa
which passes over scream separating lie
fac from the lump Coal, 10 The ely, whence i.
is poured into the Rail Road cars on III: track
below. OgeThansins the shat! is siou upright
frame work, from which is hung bread ia
rope, made OF four ropes sewed together, which
passing over large wheels, is moved up and iown
with pe,fsct ease ana regularity BY fine steam
engine On The edge Of the plator m--ihis engine
was built in Baltimore by Denmead and Sous
and with The shalt, COS, about Si5,00O. From
this rope is suspended The bucke!, which bring.
up The coal, and in which, with Mr. Cox, We. not
without little squ=am shness, placed ourselves
over ihe cenlIe Of he yawniDg gulf. The signal
was given, The engine moves, and We commen-
csd The descent, which was gradual al first but
very rapid, be!ore VIC reached The bottom 45o
feet below. The sensation was mos. pacu.
liar, as VIC passed swiftly through the Va.
red solid s,!ala OF took. l. reminded us
OF the feeling caused By dreaming that we are
failing 'h;oush the air. The reliet is great, in
toucnine the bottom. The shaft runs pcIpsndiou-
lar through layers II solid roci, quarz,zc con-
slo,nerste sald,s,c aat tlack snalc OF s;dle al
terna,ng. Before reaching the BIO tom land We
did not once touch the sices,) which icik about
one muule, we were slightly wced By Inc water
dripping from The rocks. JasI te.ere US, a. the
boilom, was magnificent seam of coaI, soTc
sixteen or twenty ieet thick, watch eiten,d
in The ish; o. The lamp. |: dips w 81
fourteen inches 10 The yal.--whiie the dr.
mitive granite under Ike coal-measures dips
East This shaft has not been tuch exploited,
bu, we saw enough 10 satisfy US that there is an
e1haus!iess supply Of beautiful coal. 1t is toll
OF gas, Which We could do inciy hear simmetins
as it we're from the coal beds, but Davy's lamp
showec. that the shaft was so thoroughly ventilated
as 10 remove al danger. We were s.!usk with
a remark OF miner who descended with Us. lie
dlated with enthusiasm on the "beau;iul scenes
ry," as be pointed ,o The rich and abundant ccal'
bsds TEis mine is jus. commenced. and with
tie preparations nov in progress w, furnish, i'll
another year. any reasonable amour. Of coal