St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-14
BLACK DIAMONDS.
Where the First lump of Coal Vas Dis
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Where the First lamp of Coal Vas Dis
cOrered Ninety Four Years Ago.
II was in the year 1890 that Nicho Allen
first discovered anthracite coal in Pennsyl-
Tania. The stories and traditions that have
been handed down about Allen show him to
have been kind of Pennsylvania Rip Van
Wrinkle. He had come down from the Lake
Champlain lumber region and opened an
inn on the sum nit of Broad Mountain. For
time he led vagabond existence, hunt
ing, fishing, and numbering, while his wife
attended to the wants of thirsty travellers.
In one Of his hunting excursions he camped
out at the foot OF the Broad Mountain at
spot where coal vein cropped out, and
upon lighting 4 fire was astonished at the
intense heat it threw of. He also saw that
some Of the black stones had become red
hot. He dug up some Of it and carried 1t
home, when his wife, more practical than
himself, pronounced it coal. They saw the
coal crop out in abundance, and visions OF
fortunes that might be realized out of it
flashed through their minds simultaneously
SO, disposing of their effects, they loaded up
two covered wagons with the coal and set out
for Philadelphia with the intentions OF
marketing it there and discovering its true
value.
They drove along the bank of the SchuSl-
kill, sleeping in the open air at night. At
Pottstown three OF their horses died and
the coal was dumped into the river Wear
led and disheartened, the pair returned 10
the old place at-the summit Of the mountain,
and shortly afterward Nicho laid his faithful
wife to rest over the coal vein that had
proved their ruin, and turned his face to-
ward the land Of the setting sun, where he
fell beneath the tomahawks Of Tecumseh's
braves while fighting with Harrison's army
at the battle of Tippccanoe.
The discovery he made was forgotten for
| thirty years, when the story OF his life being
revived rush was made into the mountain
Gus region. The superiority of anthracite
! coal was demonstrated and soon the region
teemed with spectators and prospectors.
The scenes common to the gold mining re-
| gion of California in its flush days of 40,
and the furry in the oil region a few years
ago were witnessed from 1920 TO 1927.
! The larger towns which sprung up in the
wilderness as il by magic were filed with
spectators and gamblers. Fancy teams
drove through the muddy streets. Fortunes
were made and lost in day. Tracts of
land upon which the owners would not pay
the triling taxes due suddenly rose in value
when discovered TO contain coal deposits.
Gradually the speculative mania died out,
and the coal business became more settled.
The colieries were owned by individual oper-
ators, who were frequently men who had
risen from humble stations in life and often
city capitalists. They erected mansions
near their mines and lived in state They
spent money freely and often extravagantly,
paid their employees high wages, and treated
them handsomely But the entrance of the
Philadelphia and Reading companies forced
the individual operators out Of the field.
Few, &c any, ever retired from the mining
business with 4 competency, and many are
TO day cling out miserable existence in the
very mines they once owned.