The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1884-03-19
ruEc0AL FIELDS OF MISSOURI.
Interesting Letter from DR.. Jno. d.
Brttts. Of Clinton, to Col. J. l..
Pace. OF Butler, Missouri.
CLINTON, Mo. March 5. 'o4.
u T. Pace. Butler, 1fo.


,a,,,e Of the coal-fieldS that would
,s accessible to line of railroad di-
rect from Butler. Bates county, to
Clinton, Henry county, Missouri.
and IN in an eastward direction to
Ct Louis. as compared with other
routes spoken of, | have this to say !:
That you PROFOUND a question
very difficult to answer other than
IN general way, owing to the limit
cd data at our command, and the
fact that the coal-felds OF Western
Missouri, with very few exceptions,
have only been prospected and work
ed near the line OF out-crop OF the
different veins, or seams, composing
with little DOUBT, vast coal-deposit
extending and becoming deeper in a
oorthwesterly direction, till lost or
inaccessible under the upper, barren
coal measures, permian and creta-
ceous formations OF Kansas.
Since the projection OF the old
Usage Valley and Southern Kansas
Railway in 1859, which made Cole
Camp, Benton county. Clinton,
Henry county, Butler, Bate, county,
Missouri. and Emporla, Kansas,
points along its proposed line, have
made the
#eoAv-FfELDS ots WESTERN MISSOURI,
south Of the Missouri river, i SPECIAL
study, end have often regretted that
tnat enterprise, begun Just before the
commencement of the late war, had
70 be abandoned and the vast coal
interest Of Western Missouri lett,
for the tune, undeveloped; and | am
still more surprised that twenty-five
years should have elapsed and inter
est is Just now again being awaken
cd IN this direction.
To a person familiar with the ge-
ologv OF Western Missouri and Eas-
tern Kansas, the coal problem pre-
>ents no very great difficulties. But
a few facts raust be kept steadily in
mind i'll making estimates of this re-
gion-favored III this as III many
other respects. To these facts
will briefly call your attention.:
First. As to the lay or dip
of the country: From any
given point in Western Mlssou'
ri the age of the rocks become more
and more recent on the surface as
we go i'm a northwesterlv direction
or, in other words, the dip OF the
strata is to the northwest in nearly
uniform rate of fifteen feet to the
mile
Second. The coal measures oi
Missouri are composed of three Sc
ries-the upper, middle and lower,
comprising nineteen hundred or two
thousand. or more, feet of deposits.
(See Mo. Reports 1872, page 3, p'
sd) That the upper series are near
ly OF entirely barren of workable
coal: that the middle series begin
nlng above the Warrensburg sand
stone. has some good seams OF coal
and are OF economic value, and are
worked a. Lexington and many
places IN Lafayette. Johnson aut
Cass counties That the lower Goa
series. comprising thickness q
strata estimated at > 80 ieet. contain
the thickest and most valuable seams
found i'll the State. some OF them sl>
fect or more in thickness, as II Lew
Is Station and near Windsor. Henr,
county. and III the vicinity OF Rlcs
Hill. Bates county Other II les
thickness, from three To four teet
are valued for cooking and gas pur
poses. as in many mines now work
cd near Clinton and Brownmgton
Henry county
Third. That the lower coal seize
Is composed of >hales and sandstone
easily decomposed or tlenuded. con
sSquently gives gently rolling sur
faee with the valleys al the s,ream
hear the line of the .us-crop, GU,