The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-12-07
TWhOIe No. 1854.

er iron, could be proftably carried
on here-the product supplying the
country as far north as fifty miles
at the least. Rolling mills in Day
ton could thus do profitable bust
ness, and add another TO the many
important branches of manufacture
already successfully carried on here.
Mr.. Barnsy here called upon 9TH
er members o. the committee who
had, with him, visited the coal and
iron region, to give their opinions.
Mr.. Thomas Brown said he fully
.eOncurred in all the statements made
by Mr.. Barney, not only those made
in the report, which he himself had
signed, but also those made outside
Of it. The second day out on their
trip to the coal region, the commit
tee was divided and assigned to du-
ty in different localities by Mr.. Bar
ney, the chairman, who in this in
stance acted very much like he did
years ago when ne was school
teacher, and directed the studies and
location of his classes. Mr.. Brown
said he was directed to make his
headquarters at Portland, Jackson
county, and examine the ore beds,
which he did. He had been famiI-
lar with these deposits of ore in
Pennsylvania, and therefore could
form an intelligent judgment in re-
gard to these in Jackson county. It
was not necessary to go into detail,
now. But he would say that the re-
ipOrt did not exaggerate the immense
advantages Of this region of coal and
iron. Everything he saw, either in
the enormous coal deposits, or in the
Iinexhaustible ore beds, far exceeded
his expectations. He was prepared
for a remarkable exhibition of black
diamonds and beds of superior iron
ore, but the reality astonished him.
Mr.. Samuel Marshall was exceed
Iingly gratifed with his observations
during the explorations Of the COM
mittee in southeastern Ohio. He
was raised on the Youghlogheny, a
coal region which was famous all
over the West, and from which
enormous supplies Of superior coal
had been drawn for the whole cOun-
try south Of it. His examination Of
the coal in Jackson county, and the
region adjacent, convinced him that
= it was much better for domestic pur-
} poses than that of his old PennsyI-
! vania home. AT Jackson they were
: smelling iron with it, and an excel
= lent article of pig metal was Produc-
ed. The supply of coal was inn
mense and iuexhaustible and unsur-
: passed in quality. The ore was su.
t perior. All know that iron made at
. Hanging Rock, Lawrence county, is
} A, No. 1. In regard TO coal, the
miners were willing to get it out for
2 three cents a bushel, and were now
working in the mines at that price.
, In the report which had been read
by Mr.. Barney, favorable as it is, it
: was only truth to say, that the half
bad not been told.
/ Mr. s. F. Woodsum, another
member of the committee, endorsed
the report cordially and heartily,
though he felt compelled to say,
that its statements were too modest,
and did not do full justice to the
great coal and iron region which the
+ committee had visited.
Mr.. H. L. Pope, of the committee,
: approved the report and was espe-
cially glad to commend and endorse
all that had been said in that paper
aud by Mr.. Barney in commenda-
ton Of the enterprise, intelligence,
skill, industry, and enthusiasm Of
Col. Trimble. His Iabors and sue
cess in discovering a practicable
route, a. low grades, for the South
ern Ohio Railroad, deserved the
warmest expressions of approval and
admiration. Mr.. Pope admitted for
himself that he had thought Colonel
Trimble's statements in regard to
the quality and quantity Of the coal
and iron in the region which the
committee had just visited, as un-
, warrantable and extravagant, and
besides, he had doubts of the practi-
cability of all the ColoneTs projects
for constructing a railroad to and
through that region, but a personal
examination had satisfied him that
Colonel Trimble was more than vim
dicated in all his statements, and he
was glad to do him Justice. In
Jackson county, Mr.. Pope said he
had made quite an extensive explo-
ration. They had some very singu-
lar names for the streams up there,
but Notwithstanding he had gone to
Buffalo Scalp creek, and Horse Shoe
creek, and looked into the adjacent
hills, which were full Of coal. You
could not imagine coal seams more
conveniently located for economical
working. Just above the highest wat
Ter line of the creeks the cut into the
coal beds was made horizontally, and
a railroad could be laid right up to
the mouth of the mine. There was
no necessity for working downwards,
so that no shafts were made, and,
consequently, there need be no ap.
/ Ipreh ensiOn that in the future there
would be a necessity for pumping in
order to free the mines in that local.
Iity from water. In the vicinity Of
| Portland, veins of coal had been
found varying from four and a half