The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-03-29
WHAT HAVE THEY STRUCK?
Appearances Indicate That the
MCkinleys Have Struck
Something.
And Have Pulled Up Their Drill
For Speculative pur-
poses.

/ There is something that leads to
suspicion in the McKinleys quietly
pulling up their drill and forwarding
it to Duluth, last Friday. With the
action they declared that there was no
coal under the spot where they we're
boring.
The McKinleys have been quiet in
moving. in this matter. They have
avoided the reporters here by doing
nearly all their business in the sleepy
bailiwick across the Minnesota, and
when they there last Thursday night
decided to abandon the drilling John
Mckinley could not be seen with a
view to securing his reasons. Thos.
Mckinley came up to Redwood, after
giving the orders to pull up, in the af-
ternoon, and was seen at the Com
mercial. He confirmed the report that
drilling had ceased, and when asked
for report of the progress made re-
piled that the drill had gone down
$50 feet, when it struck granite. It
went through two feet of this and
stopped by order of John Mckinley,
who concluded that the drill was in
the granite formation. At depth of
SO feet, he said, the drill struck the
Ignite vein worked by Alfred Moon.
At a depth of about 81 feet they struck
a vein of good coal, but only about
three or four inches thick. Nothing
more was found, he said. They con
cluded that there was no coal, and
pulled up stakes.
But an air of mystery hovers over
the movement. The miners were un-
der contract with the McKinleys to
bore 800 feet in one or more places,
and the McKinleys bound to pay for
the same at the rate Of $3.50 per foot.
The fact that thsrsEplled up when on
~ 1872 feet had been bored excites
this curiosity. Again. it is well-known
that the McKinleys intended to go a
mile back of the bluff to sink the drill.
Prof. Winchell, the State Geologist,
saw John Mckinley at Duluth during
the week commencing March 18th,
and stated that while he had hereto
fore stated, ,and was Oh record as such,
that there was no coal in this vicinity,
he would say that there was proba-
bility of striking a pocket of first
rate variety of bituminous coal. The
pocket, he added, might be ten miles
from where the McKinleys we're drill
ing, however.
On Monday last the miners closed
the door to the machine, and record
of each foot taken. On Wednesday a
stop was made and Thos. Mckinley
and the miners went into secret con-
ference. The result was that John
McKinley'w was wired to come to the
drill at once. He came on Thursday
and was in consultation with his broth
er all afternoon and evening. What
was done they alone know, except the
orders to pull up being decided on.
The sentiment seems to be that the
McKinleys have struck something and
that they are keeping it quiet for spec
ulative purposes, or for the purpose
of purchasing the land on which they
have leases, or securing leases on all
of the land adjoining that on which
they hold leases. The miners are as
mum as oysters, and cork-screw in
terview with Mr.. Mcdonald failed to
reveal anything of a satisfactory char
acter. He even refused to cofrm Thos.
McKinley's statement. He would not
deny that the machine would return
again, but did say that John McKin-
ley had some prospecting on the
| Mesaba range that he wanted done