The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-04-07
History Of Anthracite Coal.

To the sagacity and perseverance
of Josiah White we are indebted to
the planting OF the seed that has
grown to such gigantic proportions
IN the anthracite coal trade OF
Pennsylvania. Josiah White and
Ersknc Hazard, his partner in the
manufacture Of wire at the Falls of
Schylkill, early learned that they
needed a liberal supply of fuel,
such as would alone be found in
mineral coal. Having obtained a
email quantity from the Lehigh in
1912, tie earliest brought to mar
ket. one Of the first experiments in
having it for manufacturing pur-
poses. Incredible as it may seem
at this day, great difficulty was
found in causing it to ignite, main
~ from want OF patience and from
the deficient draft of the furnace in
which the effort was made to burn
it. An entire night was spent in
the vain attempt, when In despair
the workmen shut the furnace-door
and retired, and left the coal to its
fate. Fortunately one Of them
had left his jsckct in the mill, and
on returning for it III halt an hour
later noticed that the door was red
hot, and upon opening the furnace
was surprised to lind the mass at a
glowing heat. The other workmcn
were summoned, and four separate
pieces OF iron were heated by the
same fire and rolled before it re
quircd to be renewed" The secret
OF kindling anthracite had been dis
covered. In lSl4a few arkloads
were brought down the Delaware,
but the public was very unwilling
to purchase, tor" said many,
''the black stones will not burn"
\ 4 = White IL Hazard
procured a new supply from the
head-waters Of the Schuylkill, pay
ing 50 a ton, delivered in wagons
at their works. Believing they
could supply the needs at Il cheap
or rate by making the Schuyl Kill
navigabIe, they applied TO the Leg
iFlature for the privilege. Bat
through the ignorant misrepresen-
tations of the member from Schuyl-
kill county, who assured the Legis-
loture that 1.-THE black stone would
not burn" they were unsuccessful.
They were not the men to be thus
thwarted, and we find them soon
active in organizing an association
for the improvement of the Scluyl-
kill, which resulted in the present
Schuylkill Navigation Company,
Incorporated in 1915. Having fail
ed to obtain coal from the Schuyl-
kill region, either by law for the
ofthe river or after
ward from the Navigation Compa-
ny, White and Hazard turned their
attention to the Lchigh region.
Coal had been discovered on the
Lehigh as early as 1902, and a
Lehlgh coal company had been
iorled, but without a charter,
which had sent a small quantity to
Philadelphia, but, owing to the
difficulties Of navigation, it early
abandoned the business. Some of
tie coal, it is said, was tried under
q boiler OF the engine at Center
Square, in the first Philadelphia
waterworks, but only served to
put the fire out, and the remainder
was broken up and spread on the
walks as gravel. Josiah White
visited tie Leligh region in 1917,
and returned home tavorably i'm
pressed with the practicability of
improving the river and mining
coal. In company with his copart-
ners he obtained a lease Of the coal
company's lands for an ear Of corn
a year, if demanded; obtained a
charter for the improvement Of the
Lehigh, and soon in person set
about leveling il from Stoddarts-
vile 60 Easton upon the ice, with
the only lcveling instrument to be
in Philadelphia. They ut
first constructed a turnpike road
descending 1000 in the eight miles
the mines to the river. The
was superseded by the gravi-
~ railroad in 1927. Josiah White.
N the construction of the dams and
walls, laborcd with untiring assidui-
~, dressed oftentimcs in AIRED fan
shirt, roundabout coat, cap
md strong shoes, with Il hole cut
IN the toe to let out the water.
In the summer | was" SAYS he,
las much IN the water as out of il
three seasons, and slept for the
first two without q bed. i'm the Same