Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-05-23

A LEAF FROM TIE UNPUBLISHED HISTORY OF VIII
MINaroN

MINoroN.
In 1918, while Wilmington was yet a borough,
and before the curling smoke began to ascend
from our numerous factories and mills the boz
lief became current that deep down beneath the
sloping declivities towards the Delaware, there
existed rich and inexhaustible deposits Of black
and shining coal. To the development Of these
mines the energies Of the people Of Wilmington
were directed, thoroughly convicted with the be-
lief that the opening of them would pave the
way to most glorious future not far beyond
The belief that there existed among
the granite formation which underlies
derived its origin from a tradition handed
down from the Indians They protested to
know the exact spot where the glossy substai ,
lay exposed glistening in the sunlight, but strange
to say, no art or persuasion could induce them
to impart 70 the pale faced settlers upon the
Christine the profound secret which was secure
ly locked within their own breasts. Additional
weight was also given to current opinion by an
incident which occurred about this time.
1t is stated that stalwart Indian appeared in
the presence OF smith, whose forge was located
in the edge Of a forest, few miles beyond the
borough limits, with some scraps Of iron which
he desired to be welded together. The patron
OF Vulcan happened to be out OF coal just
at this time, and was obliged to decline
the job for this reason hut, with great
sAgaolty, the Indian agreed to obviste this diff
Guilty. II the smith would but perform the work,
and disappeared in the depth Of the forest to
return, in a short time, with an apron full Of
coal.
1t is also said that in digging well at the
Jackson Inn, ON the Lancaster Pike, coal was
also discovered, and this but lent an additional
force to direct the attention of Wilmingtonians
to the discovery and development OF these
mines.
So, on the It'll day OF April. 1913, more than
half century ago, 3 subscription paper was
started to secure the necessary funds to this
end. We have in our possession the original
document which is worded as follows:
Whereas, it would be of great Importance to
discover Pit Coal within such reasonable distance
OF this town that it would be delivered to the in
habtAnts at q moderate price TO supply the place
OF ire wood, which every year dimlnishea in
quantity and increases in price, and as it appears
probable from discoveries already made on the
lands belonging to Peter BauJuV, late tho pro-
perty Of Cunning Bedford. ESD, decd, on the
lands Of - Peare in Brandywine hundred,
aud on the property OF Samuel Meter, near
Newark, that coal does exist in each Of those
places-the first within one mile, the second
within four miles and the third within eleven
miles OF this borOugh-and that the owners of
said property do not incline to incur the expense
OF the necessary examination. therefore the
subscribers agree to pay the sums severally set
opposite to their names for the purpose of ex-
aiming the aforesaid places by boring into the
earth with an augur adapted to that purpose,
and they further agree that when the sum OF 100
dollars shall be subscribed that they will meet
together for the purpose OF determining in what
manner they " II proceed to make the search
herein contemplated"
This subscription paper was signed by many
OF the most prominent citizens OF the borough,
each OF whom contributed five dollars to the
general fund. OF all the signers, but three still
surviye-Ziba Ferris, Allen Thompson and Sam
uel Hilles-the others having entered upon that
bourne from whence no traveller returns"
The lapse Of time and its sad inroads upon the
mind Of those surviving, whose heads already
Whitened by the frOsts of many winters, have
obhterated from their memories the fate of the
enterprise, although it Is apparent that if the
examinations were ever made they come to
nought. Coal has not only not been found, but
its existence in our rocky formation has been
ascertsined to be impossible
An examination was, however, begun by Jas.
Mahaffy, upon his own responsibility, at Dixons
Null some four miles up the Kennelt Pike, but
he was unable to proceed aud the work was
abandoned. He first dug well and then made
his sounding from the bottom Of it, with an
augur, but no coal was ever lifted to the surface
by it,