Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-08-25

market for it. The surrounding timber,
and what with the low price of wood and
the abundance of charcoal. there seemed
little prospect of marketing the coal for
many a long year to come The work
OF mining was consequently soon aban.
doned
Col. Weiss, however, determined in
bringing the coal to the attention of the
people. He filled his saddle bags with
it from time to time and rode around
among the blacksmiths, earnestly solicit
ing them to try it. Many refused to have
anything to do with common stones"
and those who tried it met with only par.
tial success. Accordingly the coal com.
pany relaxed its efforts to obtain a mar
ket and were about to dissolve when, in
1I9S, the Legislature chartered com
pany to improve the navigation OF the
Lehigh River. This work was completed
in 1902 and the coal company renewed
their efforts to bring their products to
market. In 1903 six boats, each contain
ing 100 tons of coal, started from Mauch
Chunk for Philadelphia. -Four of the
boats came to grief ON the way and two
of them reached the city of Brotherly
Love. After much delay the coal was
sold to the municipal authorities, who
were then working a steam boiler to pump
water into tanks for the use of the city
But all attempts to burn the coal failed
and it was broken Up ard scattered over
the foot walks. And thus for a period of
seventeen years ended the operations of
the Leliigh Coal Mine Company.
Some years later, or in 1910, coal was
found in the vicinity of Pottsville, Sehuyl-
kill County. The backsmths of the
neighborEood experimental with it and
happily with success and n number of
individuals, among them Col. George
Shoemaker, interested themselves in its
development. In 1917 he loaded ten wag-
ons with the mineral and sent them to
Philadelphia. On the way some of the
coal was disposed of to blacksmiths and
a considerable quantity was sold to the
Fairmount Nail Works. The rest was
disposed of to individuals in Philadelphia
The latter, unable to burn the coal, al
though assured that it would burn, re-
garded Shoemaker as a swindler and war
rants were issued for his arrest. He sue
ceeded, however, in eluding the officers
Of the law and returned home by round
about route. But while the prospect of
stCuiluB u Hltilhtl lOI COii luuS lOOhcu
dark an incident occurred that completely
changed the situation. AT the Fairmount
Nail Works an attempt was made to burn
the coal. The men raked it, stirred it, and
blew upon it, but without success. At
the noon hour they shut fast the furnace
doors and with many muttered impreca-
ton on the black stones went to their
dinners. When they returned the fur
naccs we're red hot and the fire within was
seething and roaring like tempest. They
had discovered the secret of burning an
thracite coal--it only required to be let
alone.
This successful burning of the mineral
predisposed many in its favor, while the
growing scarcity and dearness of wood
rendered II substitute indispensable. And
thus the Lehish Coal Mine Company ap-
peared once more in the field. In 1920
they shipped 1865 tons of coal, readily find
ing market and three years later their
shipment amounted to nearly 5000 tons.
Both companies then consolidated under
the title of the Lehigh Coal and Naviga-
ton Company. In the Schuylkill region
the development of the coal industry was
rapid and by 1927 over 10000 tons were
| shipped to market.
| Trying positlon-The judges.