The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-08-10

port, L. D. Lively, &c., and up to the
Springfield Coal Company. Here are
two or three mines. A tunnel runs
all the way through hill, making
two openings or outlets. These mines
are owned by Fl. L. Chapman of Jack
son, and E. S. Kelly of Springfield,
and can get out 1e car loads Of lump
coal per day, and can employ 100 min
ers. John Hays is mine boss, Willie
Pierce book keeper and weighmaster.
When a car is to be loaded, Mr.. Pierce
stands in the Office, bell is rung, a
bank car is tipped, and down comes
the contents-a thousand pounds more
or less Of COAL First the slack, or
dust, is screened into car, and is used
to ballast the road, or to fill in be-
tween the cross ties. Next the nut
coal passes through screen into a
car. This is used in cooking stoves
&c. Last, the lump coal, or large
pieces, is passed to the lower end Of
a tip, which is then lowered, and this
lump coal is poured into another car.
Just before the bank car is emptied,
Mr.. Pierce takes the weight, and a
little check, looking like large black
button, comes down pipe from above,
and drops into box. This check
shows what miner had filled the car,
and Mr.. Pierce hangs up the check,
and credits the miner with the weight
Of his load Of coal. AS the car is
weighed before being emptied, the
miner gets credit for all it contents
lump, nut and slack.
Now we went up above, and saw the
operation Of weighing and emptying
the cars. . A small car from tie bank
is run along small railroad track un-
til it comes upon the patent tip, where
it stops, and the man who does the
weighing pulls lever, and the tip
throws one end of the car down upon
the top Of the slanting screen. An
iron hook catches the end piece Of the
car and turns it up, leaving the end
Of the car open, so that the coal pours
out upon the screen. When the coal
is out Of the car the lever is again
pulled, and the tip, with the car,
comes up level with the track, and
another car is pushed upon the tip,
pushing the empty car off the tip, and
along the track. These bank cars
hold upon an average 1000 pounds Of
coal, taking two to make a ton. I
was assured by Mr.. Hays, the bank
boss, that he could load car Of 16
tons in II minutes.
Some years ago l was in coal mine
where the back ends Of the entries
were lower than the entrance at the
shaft, and the water was run to the
shaft where the pump operated, by
dipping it up and pouring it into
troughs, which were elevated at the
rear end. At this Chapman mine a
siphon is used. A siphon is a bent
pipe, one end in the water, and the
bent part coming over the elevation
in the bank, and the outer end being
lower than the end which is in the
water. Suction by pump is used at
the outer end, and when the pipe be-
comes filled with water it will con-
tinue to flow as long asI. there is water
at the end in the mine. When I was
boy [ often made siphons Of two
pieces Of hollow elder, beveled at two
ends, and by placing the beveled parts
together, and tying them with a string
and making the joint air flight with
beeswax, I would hang it on the edge
of bucket, with the outer end lower
than the one in the bucket. I would
then fill the bucket with water up to
the end of the elder, and by applying
my mouth to the piece outside and
sucking, the water would commence tc
flow, and thus run the water up over
the edge of the bucket. This was g
rude siphon, and used by me as a
curious thing, long before [ had
studied Comstock's Philosophy. A
siphon, as used at this coal mine, is q
most useful application Of well
known, but not often used power.
Near the mines and Office is store
and here I found another old acquaint-
ance in charge, Caleb Hank.
We now took the train and ran
down to the main track, and up a
switch east short distance to what is
known as Chapman's new mines,
operated in the name Of The Chapman
Coal Co. Here I found jeremiah
Morrow and Volney II. Benton in
charge. Mr.. Morrow is general super
intendent Of both of Chapman
mines. I also found here another
man with whom l became acquainted
at Young America Furnace in 1856
Granville Wiseman. Near this mine
are several coal pits, where charcoal
is being made for Latrobe Furnace.
The business at these mines is carried
on the same as at the western mines,
just described. These mines can use
so miners, and get out s car loads of
coal per day.
Each Of these pieces of property
embraces 200 acres of land-4OO acres
in both, and the improvements have