The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-11-22
ANTHRACITE COAL.

ANTHRACITB COAL.
where tic First Crate Fife " Ah-
thracito Was Ktndled.
WlLkrssAs.r, ocr. q. Visitors 70 Ply
mouth, . mining town elk miles below
this city on the susquehanna River, viii
II they care to look for it, find there one
of the first openings that was ever made
to the anthracite treasures Of Pennsyi-
yania. 1t Is In the side ofa hill. whose
base for nearly 100 feet is almost per.
pendlcuiar. Inc opening u IN tue shape
Of the letter A, and IL fully twenty feet
high. It was made in 1907, and some
idea Of the vast amount OF coal stored
away in tho hill may be formed when It
is stated that this mine Il still worked
with great profit to it's owners. There
are probably very few people Of the
present day Who have IN idea OF the OH.
6culties that beset the early d'ggers OF
anthracite coal. The pioneer in the
business was Abijah Smith Of Plymouth,
who settled there in 1905. A year after
Smiths arrival in the valley, he pur-
which he paid $500. At that time $500 was
abi9 amount of money, and the persons
who sold the land thought they we're
getting q good price for Il. It could not
be bought to-day for less than 900 or
5000 an acre. The year following his
purchase Mr.. Smith opened the mine
described above, and began taking out
coal. In the fall of 1907 he came to the
city. bought an ark of amerchant, foated
it down to Plymouth, loaded with fifty
tons Of anthracite, which he safely land
ed at Columbus. in Lancaster county,
late in the season. This was the first
cargo of anthracite coal ever offered for
sale, at least so the local historians as
sert. The production Of 1907 was fifty
tons; that of 1870, in round numbers,
was sixteen millions tons. Itmav bs e.
timated that the production of 1883 will
reach thirty million tons.
Anthracite had been used to a certain
extent in the valley long before MI.
Smith began operations. As early a.
1775 the blacksmiths here had discov-
cred that the "black stones" as they
called them, which they picked up on
the surface of the ground, made good
fuel for the forge. But for years nobody
believed that anthracite could be used
without an air blast, 80 the FORCES and
furnaces had q monopoly of its use. It
was the Hon. Jessie Fell of this city, one
of the Judges Of the Luzerne county
courts, who first practically demonstra-
ted the fact that anthracite could be
used for ordinary purposes. The
revelation re T, cane ;s9. on the b.. l !t day
months after the departure of the first
cargo from the Plymouth mines. Judge
Fell was then proprietor of a tavern on
the stage turnpike to Easton known as
the Fell house. The greater portion
of the old tavern il still standing. Il is
in the heart of the city, and is occupied
as a saloon and variety theater. The
judge being acquainted with the compo-
ton of anthracite, concluded that all that
was required to make it burn freely was
a good draft. Accordingly he constructed
q CRATE of green hickory saplings, and
putting large fireplace in his bar-rOom
filled it with broken coal. Putting aAuan-
tity of dry wood under the coal he set
fire to it, and soon!the anthracite ignited
and cracked merrily until the whole
body was mass of glowing fire. The
wooden crate was quickly consumed of
course, but the success of the expert.
ment was Complete. Subsequently
Judge Fell constructed wrought iron
CRATE, and had it fixed in the old fire.
place with brick and mortar. Into this
the "stone coaP' was heaped, and for
the first time anthracite was utilized
without the aid of an air blast The
Judge made this memorandum at the
time on one of the fly leaves Of book
entitled "The Free Mason's Monitor:"
Feb. IL, Of Masonry 58U8 -Aade the ex.
hSpe fho okr
of the valley in q crate in . common fire.
place in my house, and find il will answer
the purpose of fuel, making clearer and
better ire at less expense than burnirg
wood in the common way.
Feb. II. 1908. JESSIE FELL.
The experiment was noised abroad,
and the farmers and others in the vicin-
ity focked to the old tavern. As the
days passed the interest deepened. and
circle after circle gathered about the
glowing CRATE in the low, rafter-crowned
barroom, where, over bowls of punch
and mugs of flip the Judges health was
drunk with enthusiasm. Soon the in
nabitants of the valley introduced the
The important discovery made by
Judge Fell led Mr.. Smith, in the year
succeeding his first shipment, to intro
6uce anthracite coal into the market.
In 1903 Abijah Smiths brother John
came to the valley. He purchased the
coal in tract of land adjoining that of
his brother designated in the deed as
"Potts of Coal" for $500. 1t was tract
of 12O acres. In those days the coal
was sold in pots, or basins. The Smiths
came from Derby, Conn. From the
time they began mining coal in 1907,
they did nothing else, Abijah dying in
1926 and John in 1852. While neither
lived to see their anticipations realized,
their descendants, who are still the own.
ers of the land they purchased, are reap
ing the benefits of their ancestors fore
sight. The coal business was continued
in this small way until 1920, and as late
as 1910 it was not regarded as a success.