The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-04-10
VOLUME IX.
FOR the Jou'nai.
Minerals on the Patoka.

-ssI ts.ss- -. M lFor the Journal.
if hs Minerals on the Patoks.
Seeing BY the Journal that the old, dis
-cussion is renewed for railroad from New
Albany to the western part Of Indiana, to con-
meet with the Straight Line Road in Gibson
.or Pike counties, il might lead one to think
that the charter obtained in February 1887
= (see local laws Of 1887, page 246) for the con-
struction of a railroad from Mount Carmel to
New Albany, commencing at the mouth of
Patoka, had lost its claims on the community.
But its original claims still exist, to a great
p extent. But a more stern demand is pre-
senting itself to the public, for a railroad up
the valley of Patoka- Though a superficial
observer might think the Evansville and
Charlottesville, and the Ohio and Mississippi
Railroad, together with the Straight Line
Railroad would supercede the necessity Of q
road through that section. will now at
= tempt to show that there is very good reasons
to believe, that this railroad, il built, would
be one Of the best paying railroads in the
south h-western country. Twenty years ago,
when our State legislature incorporated a.
company to build a railroad from the mouth
Of Patoka to New Albany, the public little
understood and appreciated the value of stone
coal, compared with the estimate put upon it
now.
The whole region of country through which
the Patoka runs, is rich IN mineral wealth.
Coal crops out in various localities. Five or
six pits are already opened and worked 70
neighhorhood use. The VEINS are thick and
the quality of the coal is pronounced equal,
If not superior to any on the Ohio River
Several mines are worked on a small scale be-
tween Winslow and the Straight Line Road,
all within the distance Of five miles. There
are also pits opened between Winslow and
the head of the Patoka. 1t is evident the C.
fore that the whole upper portions of the Pa
rtoka Valley is filed with coal--which short
branch road, would develope and bring into
market; and if connection with railroad
running to the Falls of the OHIO could be
made, any amount of the finest coal could
be furnish to Louisville and New Albany at
less cost and with a more certain supply. than
could be obtained from any other source.
Between Paoli, in Orange county, and the
Straight Line railroad there are mineral
treasures that will make this now neglected
region of country, one OF the great seats Of
manufacturing industry.
While agriculture is the chief employment
OF the people, and as long as we have no out
lets, the rich mineral districts are neglected,
and the elements of veal tn that are one day
to make them the seats Of a dense popula-
lation. are entirely unappreciated. / predict
chat the day IS nos remoter than another gen.
Grafton, when the now wilderness valley Of
the Patoka, viii be one of the most populous
and wealthiest valleys in the State OF Indi-
ana. Its lands are fertile. and the earth be-
meath the soil, hides untold and inc&lculsbe
treasures, which the science Of the geologist
and the skill Of the mechanic will prove to
II be more valuable than the gold strata Of Cali
fornia IN the district, have indicated, iron
ore Of the finest quality abounds, in contigu-
ity with coal and limestone; salt water, near
Paoli, from which salt has been made for 10.
mestic use, has been known to exist from the
first settlement Of the country; there are
.quarries of French Lick stone; most excel
lent potters clay; sulphur springs of strong
medicinal virtues, and other minerals which
the researches Of the geologist will one day
.develope. now all lying buried in the earth
unused and yalueless.
The State, through miserable and mista
ken policy has refused to make = geological
survey of the whole State, beca Use portion
of the counties. thought perhaps, as they
had no mineral resources--others that had
would be enriched by the knowledge. ant
they would not be directly benefited by the
discoveries to be made; and through NEAR
jealousy, and with the feelings Of the "dog il
the manger," would not allow others to b.
benefited, because they could not partici
pate.
Iproposs that company be formed unde
the law of 1852, for mining and manufactu
ring purposes, with respectable capital, witt
enough paid in to pay the expenses of pre-
liminary geological survey, to determine tn
nature and locality Of minerals, and then
they are found valuable, the lands that cove
them could be purchased and held. or worke,
as the interests Of the stockholders nigh
dictate. The lands can be purchased cheap
and there can be no doubt, that before anoth
er generation, the improvements IN railroad
and in the settlement Of the country vii
increase their value ten-fold. The invest
ment would therefore be good one, to puI
chase the lands and let them lie; or sell tn
surface to settlers, in order not to retard tn
settlement Of the country, and retain tn
mineral and mining rights. In this way tn
lands purchased in large tracts. could be re
sold in small farms to settlers, at profit, an
retaining the mineral treasures beneath th
soil, the latter could be secured without cos
and retained without expense, as they wOul
not be subject even to taxes. There is a
opening here for most promising specul,
ton without the investment of nythng moi
than q little scientific knowledge.
But by the combined action of the member
Of an intelligent and enterprising company.
railroad could be pushed through this regic
from the New Albany and Salem to Il
Straight Line Road, that would interseet th
region, and open outlets from it both to Ne
Albany and to Evansville, and immediate
bring its valuable mineral resources into u
and demand. Whenever such road shall
completed, furnaces factories, salt works, a