The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-08-29

bushel. With proper system in digging It, and
suitable market It could be afforded, no doubt, at
3 cents, which is the present price at some oil the
banks in Hopkins. There are many banks or
pits all through this region, some OF which are
mere holes dug for the sake Of few loads OF coal,
aud then deserted; others are banks which have
been extensively worked. The surveyed railroad
track runs Immediately through this region, and
very near some Of the pits.
overlying this first stratum of coal, there follow
layers of shale, sandstone, &c, which are passed
over successfully as we 20 North. Between nine
and ten miles from jacksonville, the other coal
strata make their appearance, both in the same
ridges. The lower one, and the second in order, is
five feet thick, and In some places few inches
thicker. The coal, like that Of the other beds, is
btuminous, and of good quality. 1t contains little
pyrites but not enough TO nure il materially, If at
all. Many banks have also been opened In this to
two Of which, four miles apart A. g. Gordon, Esq,
of jacksonville, was kind enough to accompany me.
In both, the coal is exposed beautifully preserving
a uniform character in thickness and quality. The
stratum appears first upon the hill Sides and dip
ping slightly Northward, can be easily traced for
1--WE or six miles towards MadisOnvie; it finally
disappears beneath the hills. This is certainly a
most valuable bed OF coal, and apparently mex
baustbe. Its greater thickness, which will render
the mining easy and cheap, makes 1t much more
valuable than the first
Less than hundred feet above the second, and
separated FRONT by shale and sandstone, is the
Third Sat1a This is of unusual thickness-not less
than eight feet, and, in some places, eight and a
third Il first appears very near the umnit OF a
high hill, nine ten miles from Madisonvie, aud
dipping like others, it runs through all the ridges
between that point and the town, where it is found
in the lower part of the hills. Several banks have
been opened in this really great stratum. In com
pany with Messrs. Robertson and Scott visited
two within a few miles of jacksonville, and, uTen
another occasion, one several miles from these
andat all found the coal not less than eight feet
thick and in all respects similar The coal OF this
stratum is not equally good from top TO bottom
Ii is divided into two parts by seam OF iron py-
rites which appears to run through the layer about
three feet from the bottom. The coal OF the upper
part--fVe feet thick-is good, being much like
that Of the other strata the lower part is more
mixed with pyrites The bed, however, is SO thick
that it is easily separated from the coal.
This stratum il so rich and so easily worked, that
any amount of Il can be dug for one cent busheL
This is the price paid at present by some of the
propretors of the banks. 1t is retaed to wagoners
at cents bushel, and sold in jacksonville for 6
cents.
This will enable YOU to form an idea of the rich
ness of this coal region 1t is really nexhaustibe and
what is important, its coal could scarcely be more
conveniently situated The strata, all of them ap-
pearng successfully and two of them certainly for
some distance overlapping, run for miles imbedded
in the low ridges lining the narrow valley or valies
through which the proposed road runs.
In many places, they will be but few yards from
it, and often on the very same level that it will
be an easy matter for the banks TO have their
tracks switching on to the main road, thus enabling
the carts to run 10 the very beds themselves
Considering that, Notwithstanding the want of a
suitable market, to give impulse to the trade and
especially the want OF proper system in mining, the
coal can be sold with profit at 3 cents, you can
readily thstit will be an easy matter for them
under more favorable circumstances, to start any
amount of coal theroad to Nashville, at cost Of
and even cents bushel."