The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-23
1t Has a Population OF 1900, and Its
Business Men are the Most Pub
Iic.Spirited in the State.
An Inducing Invitation to Manufactur-
ing Establishments Seeking a
Location.
A Sentinel Man Finds the Facts
Corresponding With the
Showing as Made by
the Business Mems
Association.
sample Industries, Prominent Institutions,
and Leading Citizens Mentioned
Notes, After-Hashes and Per
sOnaIs.


sOnaIs.
DANvILLE, H., Feb. 2l.-This beautiful
and substantial city, wstered by the Yer
million; River, and situated in the richest
portion of Illinois. is the county seat of
Vermillion County, and its future is bright
with the promise that is born of its many
natural advantages and the native energy
Of its business men. An association OF
these men has gathered the facts which we
give below, Sentinel representative having,
by observation ana investigation, verified
them. Dsnyille is the largest city in the
eastern half of the State south OF Chicago,
excepting Joliet and Bloomington. The
Garden City is 124 miles due north, while TO
the southeast 200 miles swsv is Cincinnati.
Evansville, south, is 163 miles, indianapolis
So. st. Louis Isl, Decatur % and Blooming
ton 81,
vERNILLIoN COUNTY
has an area Of 900 square miles, contains
within her borders above twenty-five towns
and villsges, nearly 200 miles of completed
railroad, and had a population by the census
OF lssO of 4l5SS-a population exceeded by
but ten other counties in the State. By the
same census her farms in 1850 were valued
at So 200, COO; live stock, y CPS 600; pro.
duced 6 3S5, 900 bushels corn, 80, ,4S4 bushels
oats, 162 eco bushels wheat, 81 900 tons hay,
l42, ,0C0 bushels Irish potatoes, l5l 600 pounds
wool. us, 900 pounds butter. and orchard
products valued at S56 600. Danville is the
commercial as we'll as the political center OF
this rich agricultural region Besides. the
cd nj mo Of oil
in whatever goes TO make an agricultural
people prosperous and happy, are, by reason
of their geographical position and railroad
facilities, rendered ss much tributary TO
Danville as though the myth of a dividing
State line had no reslity.
NATURAL MANUFACTURING CENTER.
Nature evidently designed the region in
which Danyilie is situated to became great
manufacturing center. She is built Oh the
edge OF the northeast outcrop of the great
central coal field of illinois. This coal un-
derlies nearly $50 square miles of territory
Immediately contiguous TO Dsnville, the
principal seams Of Which-the DanVille and
Grape Creek seams-are near the surface,
averaging six feet IN thickness, cropping
out in many places along the streams, bluffs
and Tavines, or covered with bat few feet
OF earth easily removed, enabling it ID be
mined st less cost than in any other known
coal field.
THE COAL INTERESTS.
Besides the various strip mines, of which
there are sixteen in number employing
from 800 to 800 men, and whose output for
1883 ranged from 600 to 90, 600 tons, largely
supplying the local demand, the most im-
portant mining operations are conducted BY
the Ellsworth Coal Company in the immedi-
ate vicinity OF DanYille. which mas capital
OF $3.50 OCO, operates ten mines, employs 500
men, and possesses the capacity Of placing
on board cars 5000 tons of merchantable
coal per day; and the Grape Greek Coal and
Coke Works, located five miles so7th on the
Grape Creek Branch Of the G. and E. /. Rail-
way, which employs 800 men, operates nine
coke ovens and mined and shipped in 1883
250 600 tons of coal and 1, 200 tons of coke.
The coke interest is in its infancy, thirty ad.
ditiODsl coke ovens being now spring OF
1850 in process Of erection.
OTHER ADVANTAGES.
Dsnville is in the midst OF q region we'll
supplied with ash, maple, hickory Dl6ck
walnut and oak timber of the best quality
for manufacturing purposes, and is in direct
communication by rail with the great pine
lumber marts OF the north and northwest
and with the pineries of Michigan Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota. Ia the vicinity OF Dan
vile are inexhaustible quarries of sandstone
OF good quality, tins beds OF the numerous
streams abound in clean sand and gravel,
while the clay lands east and north OF the
city afford superior material for making
brick, tile and sewer pipe. Fire clay also
exists beneath the DaDville and Grape Greek
coal seams of thickness OF twelve to fifteen
feet
DRAINAGE FACILITIES AND WATER SUPPLY.
DanvilIe is situated on a level plain, 100
feet above the Vermill ionIRiver on the south
and the North Fork OF that stream on the
west, Stoney Creek, another tributary, flow
ing through the eastern portion OF the city
these three streams, together with the sandy
nature OF the soil underlaid with gravel ex-
tending down TO the shale imme diately over
living the coal, sffordiunparalleled facilities
for natural and easy drainsge. In addi-
tiCn to the water supply afforded by these
streams, twenty 10 thirty feet beneath the
surface and above the sbale is q vein, or,
rather, lake of living water OF the pursst and
sweetest quality, easily reached by drive or
other wells, furnishing exhaustless fount
whence is drawn a cool and healthful water
for all domestic purposes, and sufficient for
the steam supply Of myriad of stationary
engines These two elements-pure drink
ing water and natural drainage-have
greatly TO do with the exceptional health
fulness OF Danville.
RAILROAD FACILITIES.
Communication with the outside world is
direct by means of six railroads, operated by
four corporations. The Wabash. St. Louis