Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-05-06
HOW COAL WAS DISCOVERED.


HOW COAL WAS DISCOVERED.
Ask almost anybody up in the Penn
sylvania coal regions who first discov-
cred the commodity, and the answer
will quickly come, "Phil Ginter."
The story is an interesting one.
What Rip Van Winkle was to our
Pgrandfthers along the Hudson, Phil
Ginter was to the hills forming the
French roof of the Lehigh Valley. He
was tramp of the Mauch Chunk re-
gion-a lazy old Dutchman-who
would rather loaf than work, and who
was fonder of his gun and dog than of
cleanliness and sobriety. He despised
city ways and society, and had built
for himself, away back in the noun
tains, rough old cabin, where he re-
sided with his family, whom he sup
ported by the fruits Of his unerring
aim. Game was plentiful In the Mauch
Chunk mountains, In those days, but
occasionally old Phil would get tired,
and sometimes his family got tired
also.
One day, in the year 1871, Phil had.
been out on one of his hunting expedi-
tions and was returning home. AS
usual most of his hunting had been
done under tree, where he had gone
to sleep and endeavored to dream Of
choice coverts. He had lain there un-
til it began to rain, and, as the rain
awakened him, he rubbed his eyes,
swore at his ill luck and meandered
homeward.
That rainstorm in the mountains
that woke the old Pennsylvania Dutch
man proved a God send to him and to
the world at large. As he ambled
homeward the rain became more furi-
GUS, and washed away large portions
Of earth. Picking his way through the
mud and over fallen trees, Phil sud-
denly stumbled on some roots, and, as
he did 80, he displaced number of
ssblack stones" that had become uncov-
cred by the washout.
Old Phil had heard the legends Of the
existence of "black stones that would
oo,a, uara snan ~ .no .nn o ~ ,han @ and lba anJ
oidsn Ia - T1Hn onnnta;Daa,s S iooLed mon r. 90 a
fairy story. He was of an inquisitive
turn of mind, however, and when he
unearthed the stones he searched for
,noie. neneasn sue ~ H., - "a % he aiieS ia
n; aS uus ~ @ ;.S tham - .; ana G 1naaaS 81 thera
Ia,as iS p 'l so-. '>t
uo%y. 1n1ss, 1a,o, wa;.. ,,.. .ho o-oc,e
90 vIs, .ba, ha;i;n;cI yg ~ tb.t Tim lime On the
g Sa,som;nr s 10 dau y. G;ntar ~ I toot hia And tn
% .ba an,assI Tha co,nnaI COW at !.
". " s - az. r,;a.as 80 !baJ @ nada = vairo
sia a S,soa..s.,, sas % ~. ~ ~ ah.a;na5 t, phil.
O.s u;sSs ;sS;sn y a ous ~ .Sa y sshIsoS stonas,,
pva e,;IJI .a;nsa 10 - .ornsSoJu I I wbn % knaw more
eHaoD ~ so 49, ~ -" s;I pL;I
ss; us saya tas, asS,s s ,.as - .hs a hona -
1ps uep," s 1870. g. - ,,;naraIoo;st. I snd
leaanea - sGrets Te thsm coIonei eis Ws;as wsnt ant
sHtanSe. .oI.: ..,,.t h;rs ~ sann.aI anao;roans ~
G.Aseaa saAins Wc.n n 80 - ~ asSa,,ta ..ea ~
S Gln'sr mn. nna Ss n;n.e. 'no 10 I ~ go ~
onafies ois.' up.aa a..TD ~ .n5 ~ I ,nho
prCnour1eu ~ xus: s:one a. So .e ".C
eoiu ooione. "1.se @ oaS sne -
fortune IN IL. Iney az onGe aeeel-
mined 70 Duy Gln.er on, Upon ha ais saoW, SHOW
ing mem 1ne piace ~nefo No nau 'ounu
'nG pst spe9ie. G;n.a. u..o oov Ha roooonad
nuS SlneHs sas eo az "a as .oooun .nas.h
~ misn .,,n. u .har a ass.ad = III hin - u,as wortb
Ono ou. SS Ia hsaL HatoId than,
uoin, T,.,...s,o ouu Io A % nnt.h ~ .han
III. ~ ehnssun h,:.nn.;1 doomsd.1 ] snS I tbau,J
a nisn9 aulS u :. Thoa 1870 tnay a s~rs .a
G;s.a., cevea anu .an,sai ~ I .Ist @ the, e;vs him
t;tia n.o. - . po'f ,rspt of land ,Tfhe locality
,,no, r,o." ~ uh;nh : I hs conid and aftsrward
p1I siS L,;,d 49, ! sr,.i, III Ill Iii Eabad aca,ca.
uiu .'';i. Danu 90 = o na;i, I hnua.er uban ho
y uun. sao ~, @ - so,nad hn CO. snr,aD ~
ascer M .u s,an aud uoy thst h;s t;t,a NO: uortb
iess @ o'
iess. ..uo 1900 u.;ss
p.. - ..aS vns . .1 ,..on na,,sd H;,iaets formed
His' .aa,,,a, anI an ;n.a .ha Iah;ab Cal M;ns
enes~ oae,nan', % Thev hod No charter of in.
pn;;., oonpa T In. M tbe1 tool nm
1oopo'ss, npo aaOas 90 Isna - tho iocol;,r
~ a,STI beasn 49, 70 worL the mine in a rude
coal n Philadelnhia but IL proved
nayt IN wortbleas and in a number of
;nstances instead of burning. nut the
4 =