The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-07
Coal valley--Its Rise and Progress
Its Present Business, and its
Future Prospects.

| future prospects
| EDITOR OF THE ARGUS, Dear ISr:-it
would be worth your while to spend one DAY
in n visit to Coal Valley, if for nothing else.
| than to see the unanimity of our people in
| their efforts for the development of eur re-
sources and the consequent future prosperity
of our village. aa ss-s s.esx
We are in the centre of coal field oflarge
extent and incalculable value, which is being
opened up with an amount of enterprise and
skill that does infinite credit to the propretors,
and is sure to yield them large pecuniary
returns on the capital they have so freely in
vested. sa..
The Coal Valley Company, owners of the
central coal fields, and also of the Rock Is
land & Peoria Railroad, and the original
proprietors of our Village, have about 1000
acres of coal bearing land, lying on both
sides of Coal Creek. They were the first to
bring the united efforts of capital and intel
hgent industry to bear upon the latent wealth
of this region. They employ from $50 to
200 men and boys, as miners, laborers and
drivers so mules, and one stationary en-
CINE. They shipped, in 1866, about 10000
| tons of coal, besides selling to the country
| trade and TO teams hauling to Rock Island
and Davenport from ten to twenty tons per
day. Their pay roll amounts to about SlG,-
900 per month, or, In the aggregate, $780,
900 per year.
They have lately been making decided inn
provements, internally and externally, driv-
ing new entries, securing better ventilation,
and thus adding to the health comfort, and
| safety of the operators. This, with the new
| switches and screns, together with their in
| side tracks of 7 rail. will enable them. in
| future, to send out seven hundred tons of coal
per day.
The Banner coal company have no rail
road facilities, but are completing then
shafts, entries, &C., and will be prepared to
| sell, daily, large amounts of excellent coal
engagements for getting it to market. They
own about 1000 acres of land, much OF i
under cultivation; employ about 80 miners
/ a few mules and horses, and one stationary
engine. Their land lays west ofCoal Valley
on the south side of Coal Creek. and within
easy reach of the railroad.
| The Black Diamond, east of the village
| have about loo acres of land, stretching
| out to the prairie, nearly all under cultiva
ton. They are doing but little more thar
| proving their coal, with view, no doubt, t.
( the final completion of the railroad to Galva
a contamination most devout!y to be wished
| In the meantime mastery inactivity appear
to be the policy of the Black Diamond.
Othsr parties are working coal on SINAI
Ter scale. The principal operators are Lee
Bardslsy & Weyerhauser, owners of tn
| lower banks, who have 100 acres of Goa
land now leased to Witherspoon 4 Lewis
| who employ about 20 men, and to William
| Pratt, who gives employment to from 10 t
Is men Bardsley, Lee & Lees, 80 acres c
land, employ from to 10 men; Ransom
Young employ about the same number c
miners and John Parks also number c
miners. These parties sell their coal t
teams, and are, consequently, at the mere
of the weather. good long cold snap bein
very popular with owners and operatives {
the Country banks"
| This village is the common centre of th
coal trade, and is fast growing in importanc,
being 10 miles southeast of Rock Island,
miles from Rock River, miles from tn
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
and the present terminus of the Rock Islam
Il Peoria Railroad. Its natural advantages
for manufacturing and trade, are not SUI
passed or hardly equalled in the west.
rich agricultural district, on each side abur
dance OF good water; a picturesque an
healthy location; and real, live bushes
men, are making Coal Valley what it d.
| SELVES W bS--d uTSi GLASS; lillanu town.
Ten years ago two log cabins and wo
den were the joint possessors of the VALLEY
from Henry county line to Rock River
Now, there are 260 dwelling houses, gen
eral or country stores, 2 drug stores, tamil
grocerles,@2 meat markets, l hotel (R e
Trevor keeps it, and Richard "knows how t
keep a hotel J, any given number of board
ing houses, saloons, book store, / millin
fnr utp RI I =
yard, wagon shop, 4 blacksmith shops,
brick yard, coke manufactory, boot an
| shoe shops, l harness shop, tailor, l bal
Der, l brewery (they make good ale there),
or 4 carpenter shops, stove and tin store.
lantern manufactory, 3 churches, an Cd
Fellows hall. commodious school house.
and 500 inha, Itants-
We have $50 CT, ildren, ranging from ger
to Il years; three S, 'hoois under the man
agement of Messrs. .pinckley and Kramer
and Miss Thomas wit. 4 800 scholars on tn
register.
Of churches, the Ennis eopal is perhaps nj
merically the strongest They have no res
ular services, but are SIM piled OCCASIONAL
BY the Rev. Mr.. Savres. OF Presumption
They are eminently free fro m those interns
dissensions that are now sbo cking the four
dations of the English estab, ishment.
The Methodists have a com, fortable churc
edifce, stated preaching Inv the Rev. NJ
Morey) and flourishinr Sabb ,th School.
The Congregationalists have fine Sal
bath School, numbering near o, lie hundred
u good house of worship, and ar about 81
curing the services of an eminent Welsh d
vine as their pastor
The Baptists Rev. T. M Mathe, vs,pastor,
nave organized a church ond b,,I a hous
OF w worship within the last year. !.
!. Inc Fresbyterians and Galvinistic Aetht
aists nave no Organization or churci buile
''is' ana only such occasional preac. sing a