Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-22
WEATHERF0RD.

She is Working Up Her Boom For Ali There
Is In It-Parker County Coal
Special to the Gazette.
WEATHERFoRD, TEX, Feb. 20.-For
several days THE GAZETTE correspondent
hes been sending dispatches to THE GA
zETTE of new enterprises being estab-
lished in this city for the improvement
and advancement of Weatherford, and
to promote her into the leading manu-
featuring city in Texas, but the most
important move or enterprise has just
come to light. Mr.. w. w Johnson who
opened aud successfully operated the
first coal mines ever successfully worked
i'll Texas, the noted johnson mines in
Palo Pinto county, which a short time
ago he sold to a st. Louis syndicate, who
are now working the mines and furnish
ing all their coaI 10 the Texas and Pacific
railroad company. Mr.. johnson worked
these mines for two years, but
was in the meantime look
ing for better coal and in greater
abundance. He finally located the field
in this county. Selling his mines III PalO
Pinto county, he put MeSsrs. Taylor &
Wythe to work to purchase the lands over
the greatest coal fields in Texas, and
they nave just lately succeeded in puT-
chasing all the lands desired in the neigh
borhood Of the coal fields. Mr.. johnson
has associated with him Northern syn
dictate with unlimited capital for the pur-
pose OF working these mines. They now
have rs large a force as can be worked
sinking a shaft, and as soon as the shaft
is completed coal mining viii be COM
meuced on a larger scale than ever
are about thirteen miles northwest
from Weatherford. The coal is found
eighty feet under ground in thickness,
quantity and quality superior to any coal
ever found in Texas. As regards this
there can be no question, as Mr.. johnson
and his associates are now surveying q
line for a railroad from this ci Y to the
mines. The surveying corps commenced
surveying for this road Monday, and as
soon as the lire can be established, the
work of grading viii be commenced and
the road completed TO the mines in
short time. As far as the surveying corps
have gotten on the line il is n very
light grade and its completion can
be relied on very soon. 1t win be com
pleted soon enough to transport the coal
by the time the mines are thoroughly
opened. In this railroad enterprise sew
eral of the leading business men and cap
italists of this city viii rake stock, in
order to have coal laid down in Weather
ford cheaper than any city in Texas,
v hich viii, of course be the means of
pushing this city to the front and place it
at the lead as manufacturing city The
city is supplied with dne water in mex
haustible supply for all kinds of manu-
featuring enterprises, rs is demon
strated by the well fifteen feet in dame
Ter supplying the waterwOrks with water.
The well is only tifty-twO feet deep. The
Gulf, Colorado aud Santa Fe railway
company has a well from which they fur
nish their road all south of here. This is
one OF the heaithest cities in Texas. The
school or educational advantages are
good aud in fact all that is needed is
more capital and labor to develOpe the
great natural advantages of this city ami
county
1t Is safe 10 say this great concentra-
ton OF capital, skill and energy in the
opening OF these coal mines, building
railroad to the mines from this city by this
large syndicate, will invite a great How of
capital aud labor into our city in a very
short time Mr.. johnson and his syndi-
cate have purchased considerable prop
erty in this city, and have already in
auguated several moves TO the end of
improving the city and the establishment
Of several manufacturing enterprises.
They have also purchased the road bed
of the Mineral Wells and Millsap railroad
on the line OF which their coal mines are
situated, just three miles north of Mill
sap Ii is possible they may connect the
road 30 be built from here with this road
and extend ii on TO the Northwest 1t is
easily seen what Weatherford 5 future is
TO be when it is considered Mr.. Johnson
sold out his coal mine in Palo Pintb
county, which he was working so success
fully, TO take hold of the mine Ia this
county. aud when it is considered thJt
ID