The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-03-10
coALI coALl COAL
Shall We Seek it and Find It BY Boring
-, Q Hole2
HE Witnesses for 1t their Stories Unroll.

HE Witnesses for It their Stories Unroll.
JuGlge Baldwin's office was pretty well
filed last Saturday evening with COM
pany- which had gathered to hear what
was to be said in regard to the advisable
ity Of forming joint stock company to
prospect for coal in this vicinity. DR..
Stoddard was voted into the chair before
he had . chance to excuse himself on the
ground that coal mining was out Of his
line. E. w. Daniels was also elected Sec
retary.
Testimony in regard to the indications
of coal in this county developed in form
or years being wanted. Mr.. John OHara
was asked to tell what he knew on that
subject. Mr.. O'Hara first knew of mining
operations here in 1885,. which were be-
gun on the johnson farm and afterwards
shifted to point about mile north of
this town. where they drifted into the
side of a hill near the Redwood river.
and took out quantity Of coal. or what
appeared to be that mineral. The tunnel
was high enough to allow man to sta.d
upright in it. and was excavated beyond
the reach of daylight. The roof had 70
be timbered. Had compared specimen
from this mine with Eastern coal. and
could see little difference between them.
Mr. ]. s. G. Homer came in about this
time, and was called upon for his expert
ence. He said that he first heard Mr..
Chas Bryant, an amateur geologist, ex-
press the opinion that this region was
underlaid with coal. After this Q663?)
a company was formed at st. Paul for
the purpose of mining for coal in the val
ley of the Cottonwood, lands were leased
and mining operations begun near that
stream. Prof. Hall, State Geologist of
New York. made an examination of
this region in 1865, and stopped for time
\ Mr.. Honner's house. He sent the lat
ter gentleman copy of his printed re-
port, and the portion describing this To-
cality seemed artfully to b. so worded
that whether coal was found here or not,
the man of science could cite his report
and say Il told you so" Mr.. Homer re-
ferred to the operations of Grant i Bru-
so, with which he had not been directly
connected. and which we're afterwards
more particularly described by Mr.. Robt
Watson. The coal taken out by this COM
pany burned WELL but was mixed in with
dirt and other matter. When the vein
ran out, Mr. Grant was persuaded not to
continue operations longer.
Mr.. Robert Watson then testified that
he was employed in the tunnel before al
luded to. and it was his lot to remove the
first shovelfull of dirt on that work. The
vein was from three to five feet in thick
ness, most of it being somewhat inferior
in quality. while a thin layer of
genuine coal, varying in thickness from
about three to eight inches, ran through
the middle of the larger mass. The COM
panv driftcd in about 200 feet, wnen the
vein appeared to run out.
I'VE are unable to do full justice to
these gentlemen in reporting their re-
marks, in the absence of any notes.)
Mr.. Merritt asked some questions in
regard to the clays, rocks. ETC., everything
the coal. and said that his experience in
Illinois and Iowa coal fields led him to
believe that no good coal could be found
by drifting near the surface. Coal de-
posits are oftenest found in several layers
usually from two to five, separated by
| varying distances. The first strata is not
usually very valuable. Mr.. Merritt also
made some calculations as to cost of drill.
ing prospect hole, etc.
At the conclusion of these remarks, =
resolution was passed authorizing the
chairman to appoint committee of five
to draw up form of organization and
solicit subscriptions of stock. Messrs.
II. d. Chollar, Robt. Watson, VIM. p.
Huntington, o. E. VHara and NJ. K.
Butterfield were appointed. This COM
mittee has obtained subscriptions of stock
to the amount of $a75 from eleven differ
ent parties, and have not yet made gen.
eral canvass. Dr. Riheldaffer has publicly
offered to subscribe 800 for this purpose,
and there can be little doubt that SUBJ
scriptions enough can be obtained to
make the experiment.
!
Mr.. Cowan. representing the North Star
Publishing Co., of Minneapolis and St.
Paul. drove down from Granite Falls
Monday afternoon. This gentleman is
preparing the way for the publication by
the North Star Company of a History of
the Minnesota Valley, embracing a con-
densed history of the Northwest, with an
account of the Sioux Massacre, by Rev.
Edward D. Neill, D. D., author of the
History of Minnesota, etc.; the civil and
political history, by J. Fletcher Williams,
secretary of the State Historical Society
the geology, by Prof. N. H. Winchell
a history of the incorporated cities, towns,
etc.. along the river, with sketch Of
their settlement. rise. and present flour.
ishing condition. The plan also embraces
q war record, biographical sketches of old
settlers, histories of all the counties, and
ia chronological history of important
events. Besides the contributors men.
toned above, Gov. J. 8. Pillsbury, ex
Cows. G. K. Davis and H. H. Sibley, Gen
]. H. Baker and others will furnish ma
tcrial, and q strenuous effort will be
made to gather facts and incidents bear.
ing on the subject from all available
sources. Mr.. Cowan represents that hi
is one of force numbering nearly twenty