Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-14
KENTucKY's RESOURCES.
Synopsis Of Hen. Bennett H.
Young's Address at Richmond
on the Oath ult.
TCOurier.JOurnal correspondencc.l

| lIOuIler-JOufnhl correspondence.
First-ller climate is the most
salubrious, possessing all the elements
of healthy and hardy manhood.
Situated in the heart of the country,
half way between the North and the
South, her climate is neither too hot
nor too cold. Her rainfall is 80 inches
per annum; in the northwest, whlth-
or many Kenluckians cmigrate, the
rainfall is only 81 inches, and in the
matter of winds and storms, Kentuc-
Ky would bear comparison equally
as well.
Second-She has more miles OF
navigable rivers within and around
her borders than any other State OF
equal size. These, if properly i'm
proved, would be great highways Of
internal commerce. While Ohio,
Indiana, and Pennsylvania have very
few nayigable rivers, Kentucky has
2,700 miles.
Third-ln the matter of coal, Ken
lucky stands pre-eminent by nature.
She has 800 square miles more coal
area than Great Britain. One third
Of the whole State is underlaid with
coal, or 5000 out of 10000 square
miles. Kentucky has one fifth Uf all
the Apalachin coal district and one
twelfth Of all the Illinois belt, and
yet out Of the l00,000000 tons of coal
annually produced in the United
States, Kentucky furnishes only L.
600,OOO tons. England, with Il dis
trict less in area and Of inferior quail
iiy to that of Kentucky, produces an
nually lj7,000,0O0 ions, worth $780,
100000. Though comparisons are
said to be odiOus, they are often i'll
structive. Illinois produces one
tenth Of all the coal mined in the
United States, Pennsylvania produces
six tenlll-, aud ships much OF il one
thousand miles aud further, to mark
ct while Kentucky furnishes only one
liit eth, having too, over 300 more
square miles of coal land than Penn
Sylvania. Kentucky has live times
The amount Of coking coal that
Pennsylvania has, yet it furnishes
not one ton. In u little district in
Pennsylvania, not larger than Blue
grass county, 32,O0O,OJ0 tous of an
lhracite coal is mined annually,
which is worth $200,00O,000. TO off.
set this, Kentucky has the finest can
mel coal district in ihe world. In sew
eral counties in Eastern Kentucky.
including Wolfe, Morgan and Breath
lit, is the only place in America
where camel coal can be successfully
mined. Everywhere else it exists in
scattered pockets, but here it lies in
continuous veins seven feet thick,
and of as fine Il quality as the Ger
man coal. In petroleum, Kentucky
has u finer district than Pennsylvania,
vet the latter State produces every
day lj5 zoo barrels, while the farmer
produces only 7 barrels, aud SO in-
different are Kentuckians to the sub
ject that 500,0O0 barrels were allowed
10 run of into Cumberland river and
waste, without an effort being made
10 stop 1t, The cry is raised that it
is for the lack of transportation, and
yet in Pennsylvania oil is run for 700
miles through iron pipes to market,
not waiting for railroads.
Fourthly--ln iron, up to 1860 Ken
tucky held Il prominent position, aud
even as late as 1862 she had sixty
furnaces in full blast and furnished
onc-tenth of the iron OF the nation.
Now she has not single furnace in
operation, and yet the only two
places in the world where coking
coal and iron are found within two
miles of each other are in Kentucky.
Fifthly-kenlucky has $4,000 acres
of the finest white pine land in the
world, aud in hard wool timber she
has more than any five other States.
Any quantity Of land in Eastern
Kentucky can be bought for one
dollar per acre, when there are single
trees on it worth ten times that cost.
Two billion feet of lumber float an
nually down Kentucky river alone.
The great trouble in developing all
these natural resources is the lack of
transportation, and this is owing
mainly 10 the lethargy Of her own
citizens on thi, subject. They invest
millions annually in Western ranches
and silver and gold mines, and leave
mcultivaied the rich fields at home.
Although the center of population in
the United States is in Kentucky, yet
her own population increases very
slowly. Only 5000 out of her l,60O,-
0U0 citizens are engaged in mining,
making iron and getting lumber, and
yet Kentucky has nearer market
for lhes, products in the cities
Of Louisville, Cincinnati. Chicago,
81. Louis and other cities South and
West than Pennsylvania, which now
supplies them. The crying need is
for Kentuckians themselves to put
their hands to the plow share. We
have the brains and natural resuur-
ces. The keynote should be to obtain
the best possible results from what
we have. Here should be the field
for the young men ofthe State.
M kT.L TYf..5. W. ".