New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-09-27

time.
The City Of Philadelphia, like most other mu-
nicipal bodies 10 the owner Of many vacant lots OF
ground within the limits Of the Corporation. II
upon any one Of them it should be announced that
gold mine had been discovered, the public Juror
would Immediately overtop the eGsrvescence Of a
| dozen cable celebrations The bare announcement
would set the world Of that correct city agog.
Those ubiquitous persOnfcations of human tact
and insnuativeness the reporters, would penetrate
into its profoundest depths with GREATNESS JUNCTION,
and presently give us the fullest particulars, if not
even more. Visions of exemption from future tax
alton would incontinently rise up before the mil
lionaire, and surfeit of geological and mining
dcta might be apprehensively looked for in every
morning paper. In all other respects general
good might be counted on. Adjacent lots would
be prOspected in as certain to contain continue.
ton Of the precious deposit They would quintu.
pie in value over night All the world would flock
to Philadelphia it did to California, and as it is
even now doing to Pixies Peak and Fraser River.
The authorities would meet especially to debate on
the nomentous discovery, and would possibly be
induced to act, at least to create q batch Of new
officials. with fine salaries. Office seekers would
snuff the news, and find their dropping spirits re-
vive. Indeed, it is impossible to anticipate the
consequences social, moral or pecuniary, which
such discovery would produce.
But if the mine aforesaid should, closer inspec
ton, turn out one of iron only, or even Of coal
requiring labor to transmute it into the precious
metal, how blank would be the public disappont-
ment, and how contemptuousy would the dis
covery be neglected Yet this is no supposititious
case. When the will of Stephen Girard was open
ed, it found that he had bequeathed to the City
of Philadelphia the whole of his vast estate,
uncomfortable legacies excepted, TO found and
maintain the college in which some three hundred
orphan boys are now maintained and educated in
the most liberal manner. After the support Of this
primary object of the testator, the income Of the
whole remainder was TO be devoted to provide more
eectually for the security Of person and property
in Philadelphia, by maintaining an adequate police,
and ~ to enable the said Corporation TO improve
- the city property and the general appearance Of
/" Of the city itself, and in effect TO diminish the
"burden Of taxation now most oppressive, espe-
{" cally on those least able 10 bear it," Girard had
always been heavy owner of city property, had
uncomplainingly paid large sums into the treasury
as taxes, and knew that taxation was even in his
day most onerous burden. He failed, with all his
annual burden which la prohgate municipality might
fasten on the people Neither did he foresee the
mountain Of debt which was to be heaped upon
them by an unbroken dominion Of the Democracy
in the State. His munifcent legacy has conse-
auently wrought no diminution Of taxation up to
the present hour.
Among the long schedule Of property thus be.
queathed to Philadelphia, were two tracts Of coal
land. which Girard had caused to be selected with
great care At that early day the price was small,
and the field large in which TO choose; he conse-
auently secured the best both TO quality, qusn-
tity and situation. One of these tracts contains
%. 600 acres. II lies in Schuylkill County, 10
miles from Pottsville. When purchased il was an
unbroken wilderness covered with forests of pine
and hemlock, and in that condition il remains to
the present day. Some small farms only have been
cleared and cultivated, saw mil built, but in
most other respects il continues in state Of
nature. Yet the great Mammoth Coal Vein
trayerses nearly the whole of this tract, from
twenty to twenty-five feet in thickness superior
in quality, harder than some varieties, softer
thsn the Lehigh, and found at only ten TO
twenty feet below the surface. II is moreover
all above the water level, enabling the miner to
dispense with pumping engines and machinery Of
kindred costumes. Up toward this land all sorts
of modern improvements bave pushed themselves.
The Mine Hill Railroad runs within mile Of il,
and can run of TO market any additional amount of
coal. Ashland, half mile further Of, already
contains zoo houses and 1900 inhabitants. Seven
coal mines are here in operation-or were until the
curse Of free trade fell upon and struck them down
with IFS hopeless pslsy-from which only last year
nearly 4Oo,cO0 tuns were taken. The Catta-
VISA Railroad runs over portion OF the
land and other branch roads are staked OF
70 bs run through as connections. Every pos.
sble facility is concentrated in and around
this land for bringing to market its mex.
bsus,;ble deposts A market is in fact at the door.
Golfers would compete zealously for leases on the
C;r,ra land. were it offered to them, and in ten
wears there might be coal enough taken from it to
Weld the City Of Philadelphia net revenue of =
million Of dollars.
The land costs the city $1,000 year to keep it