Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-03-29
The Meadow Branch Coal Field.

The Me1OoW branch Coal Fleid.
The following letter has been addressed
to us for the purpose Of correcting some
unintentional errors in regard to the early
history Of the Meadow Branch Coal Field,
an article OH which subject we published
some weeks ago. The writer Of the present
article is 4 well-known and reliable gen.
tleman of that section, and his letter may
be considered strictly correct. 1t is as
follows:
Your paper of the 10Th of February,
copy of which has been placed in my
hands, contains the report OF the superin-
tendcnt of the "Meadow Branch Anthra-
cite Coal, Iron and Lumber Company" to
its president. Whilst this report is, no
no doubt, highly gratifying to all who are
interested in that enterprise, deem it
proper to say a few words in regard to it,
and more particularly to correct the errors
contained in the statement with which it
is prefaced, and which purports to be
sort of brief historical sketch of the first
discovery of anthracite coal in that region
and the subsequent efforts that were made
to develop the same.
The discovery of this coal dates back
more than fifty years, and was first made
by an old hunter known rs "Hunter John
Myers" who was and had been for \
goodly number Of years the only inhabit-
ant in the valley. first visited him In
or about the year 1929, although l had
known him for several years prior to that
time, and it was about that period when
| first heard of the coal and saw also
lump of it, which lie obtained, rs lie said,
from the bed of the Meadow Branch.
Subsequently, in the summer Of 1892,
some openings were made on the land of
one John Sharff, who resided at the time
i'm Leetown, Jefferson county, but who
owned or claimed some ! 900 acres, lying
principally in the valley Of the Meadow
Branch, and which believe is still held
by his descendants. In the summer of
that year, then Il mere boy, | made my
way into that wilderness, and without
path or guidance, having only general
description of tile locality, found the
place near the bank of the Meadow
Branch where Sharf had opened, by 4
sort Of half shaft and half drift, vein Of
several feet in thickness. This vein he
worked, at intervals, for several years,
mining what coal he needed; and thus
matters continued until about the year
1885 or 1896, when the Berkeley Coal
Mining and Railroad Company" was or
ganizcd.
ought to state that, upon the occasion
of my visit to the opening made by Sharf
in 1882, | brought back to this place,
where my fathers family was sojourning
for the summer, as was their custom, sew
cra specimens of the coal-the first that
lad been seen. There was no little cX-
element over them mt O'Ferrall's Hotel
where they were exhibited. VIM. Writ
was visitor here with his family, old
Governor Lloyd, the father of the late
governor and grandfather Of the present
Edward Lloyd, of the Eastern Shore of
Maryland, VIM. S. Eaton and family, Of
Washington, Charles Kean, the actor,
and many others of note. 1t was claimed
that there was no anthracite coal outside
of sylvania, and there are those who
shut their eyes and blindly believe so
now. AS far back, however, as forty-six
years ago it was satisfactorily determined
with the pick and shovel that large veins
of coal of superior quaity-recognzed as
superior to the best of the Pennsylvania
Goals, because it contains more carbon and
less earthly matter and less water-eXists
throughout the valley Of the Meadow
Branch and the nd jacent mountains.
have made my communication much
longer than intended or anticipated at
first, but rs you state that you have
''takcn some pains to ascertain further
facts" l considered it proper to do so,
that you might see that, in contradcting
the statement that the efforts heretofore
made were failures, because Of the want
of engineering skill and practical ac-
quaintance with proper methods" These
had nothing to do with it. 1t WAS attrib-
utable to wholly different causes and rca-
sons. The very vein which has been
opened, or reopened rather, by the pres
ent superintendent, was opened lin
great mcasurc) under my supervision
forty-six years ago. Our money had
given out and the water came in. The
present company is beginning just where
we left off. 1t is young company, with
plenty of money, hope, and having the
benefit of our experience. They, how
ever, have as yet developed nothing new.
The superintendent is right when he says
there are other more promising points for
richer developments than his present ten
foot vein. know Of them.