Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-04-02
OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
THE CLEARFTELD REGION.

FRoSTBURG, Marcn 40, 1901.
Mr.. Editor Having heard and
read SO many conflicting reports about
the Clearfeld coal region, had deter
mined some time ago to visit it at an
early date for the purpose of collect
ing some data that could use in my
next report, and which might be of
some interest to the public at large.
With this object in view I left Cum
berland, Monday the 2lst inst, at
2:55 p. M, by the Pennsylvania rail
road arriving safe in Huntingdon,
making close connection at that point
with the west-bound express of the
Pennsylvania railroad, I soon found
myself at Tyrone. After supper at
the St. Cloud Hotel I strolled out in
search of barber shop; soon found
one in charge of thoroughbred son
of Africa who commenced to interview
me the moment | was seated by ask
ing me how all the people were in
Lexington, Va, the last time was
there, informed him that I thought
he had "treed the wrong COON" he
still insisted that he had seen me
trading tobacco for lemon juice at
Lexington during the war. He kind
ly offered to show me Tyrone by gas
light-declining the offer I promised
to call again and engage his services
for that purpose.
Nine a. M, the next day, found me
in the cars on my way to Houtzdale
on the Tyrone and Clearfeld branch
of the Pennsylvania railroad. The
grade upon the first thirteen miles Of
this road is heavier than any / have
ever seen 10 my travels; it takes
three and four engines to take up a
train of coal cars to the summit, and
| should Judge, with short curves and
heavy grade combined, it is danger
Gus road to travel upon. From the
summit the road traverses through
what was recently dense pine forest,
the lay of the ground resembling the
Knobly mountain on the banks of the
Potomac in West Virginia.
Sandy Ridge is the first important
station on this road; large quantities Of
fire brick of good quality are manufac-
tured here. Powelltown is the next
station; this is the first place on the
route that coal is mined at, aud |
recommend all of our old miners that
used to work for the Parker Vein coal
company, at Barrelville, to examine
il, if ever they pass that way. Ar
irving at Osceola you hear the con-
ductor calling upon passengers for
Houtzdale to please change cars. A
few hundred feet of travel brings one
alongside of the Houtzdale track.
Waiting for the train to come along,
no station house for shelter, | noticed
a number of ladies with their babes
standing shivering in cold north
west wind. could not but think of
soulless railroad corporations that
could see mothers and their offspring
suffering from cold in a country
where lumber is only worth from
eight to ten dollars per thousand feet;
but where dividends is the sole object
in view suffering humanity is seq
ondary consideration,
In due time I arrived at Houtzdale
and struck out for the first hotel, de-
livering up my traps to mine host,
whom I judged to be an Israelite from
Holland, half drunk; after register
ing I was doomed to go through my
Tyrone experience CT being inter-
viewed by the proprietor of the Ar
lington. He insisted that he had
seen me at some half dozen different
places, all Of which I denied, but to no
avail, he had determined to have seen
me before; getting tired of his in
quisitiveness 1 determined to choke