Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-25
THE COAL FIELDS OF KENTUCKY
A Dip Among the Dark Regions Of
BituminOus Wealth.
What Was Seen in the Mines Of the
st. Bernard Coal Company.
The UndeveIOped Resources Of Ken
tucky.
The Nashville Coal Market and Its
Future Prices.
THE COAL FIELDS OF KENTUCKY
Railroads and CrOps--The Country and
Notes Of Its Geological Character.


Through an invitation of Col. Madison
Stratton, agent in this city for the st. Ber-
nard Coal Company, of Hopkins county,
KY, your correspondent, in company with
several gentlemen, left Nashville on the 5:45
A. NJ. train Of the Edgefeld and Kentucky
road Saturday. Many invitations having
been extended by Mr.. Stratton, we had an
ticipated very pleasant visit, but owing to
the unavoidable necessity of sleeping most
of our party were left. This, however,
much as it disappointed the few who reached
the depot in time, did not prevent
THE JOURNEY
from being most pleasant, though it doubt
less would have been more jolly had the
party been larger, inasmuch as there would
then have been a greater variety of human
disposition from which to have clipped our
fun and social amusement. Leaving the
city we soon were whirliDg along the rich
section of country between here and Edge
field Junction. The first thing attracting
our attention was
THE CROPS,
a subject in which all should feel an inter
est. From Nashville TO Edgefeld Junction
the corn and wheat are unusually fine. The
first is very tall and has a good stand,
scarcely hill being wanting, while its fresh
appearance indicates magnificent yield.
The wheat has been harvested, and is now
stacked in the field ready for the thrasher.
Its tall size and rich golden color bespeak
its merits. From Edgefeld Junction to the
foot Of
THE RIDGE
the wheat crop is equally asfine as it is this
side, though corn IS not so forward. At
the ridge, which is said TO be dangerous
place, we stopped a few minutes awaiting
the arrival of the down train. While there
we had an opportunity Of examining six
driving wheel locomotive used to assist
trains in
CLIMBING THE STEEP GRADE.
This engine is Of the Baldwin make, as
are five other similar ones used by this
road. Its weight is thirty-ive tons and its
motive power sufficient to pull any size
train that may have TO run on this road.
For about a mile and halfthe road up this
steep ascent winds around the brow Of the
hills, from whose summit.
a FINE VIEW.
is had of the valley below, bold hills loom
ing enormously high on the opposite side.
Most of the passengers gather on the plat
form OF "raise the window" in order to en-
joy the romantic magnifcence of the see re
ry. Up the grade there are two or three
cITviDg trestles, and near
THE TOP
is a deep cut, hewed from the rock, which
is of a strange formation, being composed
OF slate, sandstone and shale. This is the
fsrtherest point north in Middle Tennessee
where such formation is to be seen. a
similar geological formation is seen crop
ping out the hewn cliffs of MuldrOugh's
hill on the Louisville and Nashville rail
road. The formation presents itself again
in the knobs skirting the Ohio near Louis
vile, and their traces are sometimes found
almost as far north in that State as Cleve-
land, from whence irregular veins are to be
traced southwest and down the Muskiin-
gum river, ending where the flint crops out
on its geological basis at the waters edge;
vet the sandstone in that State is much diff
ferent aud more beautiful than the abnOr-
NAL kind found in the ridge of the Edge
field and Kentucky road. Some OF the
stone had the appearance Of veins OF fos-
SLICED limestone, approximating in charac-
ter, though not so fine as that Of which the
Tennessee Capitol is built. From the ridge
10
GUTHRIE, KENTUCKY,
where we cross the Memphis, GAINESVILLE
and Louisville Railroad, and from which to
Henderson on the Ohio runs the Evans
vile, Henderson and Nashville road, the
wheat is fine, though corn is small. At the
foot Of the Ridge the train was boarded
by
ARCHIE THOMAS,
of the Springfield Record, who had been
glimpsing among the groenbriers and black
lacks. Archie was NOTED to 90 with us,
but was prevented by other duties, one of
which was a lgiJey scheme relative to the
celebrated ''pig" which is wanted at Haynes
bOro. The pig we learned is in excellent
condition and is being prepared to re-
ceive his acorn nOrishment for the winter
season.
FROM GUTHRIE TO HOPKINSvILLE,
a distance of twenty five miles, through
Todd and Christian COunties,5 the
county is one Of the richest and most fer
tile in Kentucky. The scenes being familiar
TO boyhoOd's days and endeared by many
tender associations revived many pleasant
4 memories which the heart has cherished
: long and true and treasures firmly now.
The country is level and extensive fields OF
WHEAT
stacked in golden sheaps presented view
that was refreshing and beautiful. Fol
miles could the eye follow some vista, occa-
sionally veTdant covered hillOCk its brow
mantled with the heavens blue, rising VI
at the far end. Not only did we see al
abundance Of wheat but also countless
acres Of
TOBACCO,
Of which there will be a large surplus, pro
yided the season be favorable, more being
planted this year than at any time since the
tl,s fc
successful and the area Of tobacco planted
and heat raised is in excess of many pre-
yious. wears. The wheat has ripened well,
the harvest fields being heavier than in
1862, a year so favorable for the cereal pro-
ducts. The price fOri wheat, the farmers
think, will be from SLID to $500 per
bushel; many say they will not take less
than $500. l hardly think their eXpecta-
tions will be realized in this respect, espec-
ially when in the above named and other
counties the average yield Of wheat is from
twenty to thirty bushels per acre, and some
estimate a larger yield. Dabney Day, Esq,
being one mile beyond TreLt n, Todd
county, thinks he VIII average thirty-iive
bushels per acre in a field of one hundred
acres. As yet no offers have been made
that would Justify even a satisfactory con-
lecture as TO the ruling prices for wheat. ii
is said that Col. J. Z. Edmunds has offered
one party Sl.jO for q lot Of wheat TO be i'm
mediately delivered at his mill in Hopkins
vile; this IS not, however, standing offer
TIE CORN
along the limo or the road in Kentucky
SENS very, backward, and looks in
ferIUr in p,Osycv, and size TO that in Ten
nessee, whose mist-batned valleys have
much TO do in promoting a quick growth.
The stand, however, both in TO-
bacco and corn, is good, and the crops will
be large. The wheat, corn aud tobacco
crops Of Trigg, Lyon, Caldwell, Hopkins
and Livingston, are also good. In THgg and
The other named counties the wheat crop
while not inferior, is not extra. Corn and
toblccD will be above the average yield. In
Tigg the same ideas as TO high price arc
entertained, one gentleman, Capt. Roach
having refused Sl.50 per bushel from q
gentleman in Christian county. l think
prices will not be above Sl.25. In Illinois