Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-10-25
CHARLESTON, w. VA. !
OCTOBER IS, 1873. {

the country from this place, to exam
inc into the reported vast beds of coal
and iron said TO be there. Commo-
dore BEMELMANs, a Belgian mining
engineer, geologist, chemist, &C., ac-
companied us. AS he had made sur
veys through that region we awaited
ourselves of his information on the
ground. We examined three partial
" opened veins Of coal, the first be-
ing off now recollect rightly four
and half foot vein of bituminous
coal of very fine grade, Possibly
eighty feet below that we examined a
hvefoot vein composed Of three feet
Of splint an. two feet bituminous coal,
with six-inch parting. The third vein
still below, being as claimed three
foot vein Of fine camel coal. say
claimed, for it was not in a condi-
ton, owing to the fact that the open
ing had badly fallen in, for us to de-
eide positively, Such specimens as We
got from it We're very pare and pretty
camel coal. 1t is claimed that 9TH
er remarkable veins Of coal exists in
the same ground but as they were not
in any case, that We saw, uncovered
we could not advise as to the correct
ness or incorrectness Of the report.
Having satisfied ourselves by actu-
al observation that the coal was there
in fine paying quantities We next ex
amined the ore mine In the sides of
gully made by mountain streams
we found plenty Of ore exposed, yield
ing by actual analysis made by the
Commodore, tifty-tive per cent Of iron.
The vein runs two feet Of ore at bot
tom, then about eight inches of part
ing, then about six inches of ore, fol-
lowed by over two feet of parting,
filled thickly with "boulders" of ore,
then another band of ore, making in
the seam about three and one half to
four feet Of ore Of a very fine quality
Topping the seam was very fine
buck, or root ot solid rock which
would make the mining much less
expensive.
The Commodore told US the partic-
ular kind of this ore but whether it
was hematite, or some other title,
for the life of me | could not say now.
Our examinations We're confined al
most exclusively to the lands of par
ty of Pennsylvania and Ohio capitalists
who have recently invested largely
in Davis Creek lands which they
bought at tacsnty dollars per acre.--
The Company has now almost COM
pleted a steam sawmill or ttine ground
with which Col. HALLowELL, one of
the company, tells me he expects to
net two-thirds over the cost Of the
land from the fine timber on their
purchase. This company Is compos-
ed of men, not onl Of means, but OF
vim. Every member of it has his al
lotted work to do and does ii. Col,
HALLowELL laid down his axe when
we met him in the woods, surrounded
by corps of choppers, and gave Ut
such information as We asked frankly
and unostentatiously . Col. HARPER,
another member Of the company is
busily engaged experimenting the
building of a narrow-guage railroad
FROM the mouth OF the Creek, Gu the
kanawha river and C. & O. r. R., to
their lands. A third member, Mr..
ZIMMERMAN, keeps rolling up the
"needtul' and the work is pressing
rapidly on to completion.
The company proposes leasing the
coal mines to responsible parties, to
be worked on royalty, ard making &
speciality Of making ; neverthe-
less they will agree to buy Of the
lessees Of the mines their coal either
at the mine or at the river, if the par
ties prefer to sell to them or if the
parties mining prefer shipping them
selves the company will furnish trans
portation at usual rates, or allow the
shipper to ship by other routes if he
prefers. In addition to this the com
pany offers to furnish cars in the
rooms of the mines if wanted. Besides
this they propose erecting coke-ovens
ct convenient points and will buy Of
the lessees all the "slack. An est
mate BY Commodore B. gives three
thousand dollars ao "a amount sutii-
cient to commence operations under
a lease embracing the very liberal Of
fers of this company.
The prospects of this company seem
to be very encouraging and lands i'm
mediately adjoining their purchases
have enhanced in value at marked
ratio since they commenced opening
the country, G. l.. b.
CoNCEET.--The concert Of the Frost
burg Welsh Glee Club at Belvidere
Hall last evening was very well at
tended. The audience would doubt
less have been much larger but for
the fact that our music-lovi g people
hal already devoted two evenings in