Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-03-17
AUDRAIN COUNTY COAL.
Thirty-Five Thousand One Hundred
and Sixty-Seven Tons Mined
During the Year Ending
June SO, 1897-Ten
Mines Were
Operated.

In the Eleventh Annual Report OF
State Mine Inspector Charles Evans is
the following report of Audrain
county:
Audrain county stands eleventh in
rank of the coal-producing counties
of the state. 1t is situated on the
eastern border OF the coal belt. The
county is nearly all underiaid with
coal and mining is being carried on at
various points throughout the county,
but more extensively at Farbsr, Mar
tinsburg and vandaiia, where shipping
connection is made with the Chicago
& Alton and Wabash railways. The
same seam of coal is mined throughout
the county, with the exception of the
pockets mined at Martinsburg and
Mexico; 10 mines were operated DUR
ing the past year, which produced
8 ,167 tons of coal, and sold at the
mines for s4s,270 or s1.S7 per ton; a
decrease of 1900 tons is shown COM
pared with the previous year.
Description of the principal minesis
as follows:
FARBER POSToFFICE.
Farber Coal Co.-Mine located at
Farber and has shipping connections
| with Y. & A. r. r. Shaft 104 feet
deep, using steam power for hosting.
Coal runs from "a to 80 inches in
thickness and is worked or the long
wall plan; it Is overlaid with good,
strong slate for roof, which Is
well adapted for the long-wall method
of mining. On all former inspections
I found the ventilation good at this
mine, but recently the air shaft caved
in and parties leased the mine and
operated it touring q part of last winter
in violation of law and against the
instruction of the inspector. Visiting
the mine again on the 9Th of May I
found It closed.
LADDoNIA PosToFFTCE.
There are several mines operated
here during the fall and winter sup
plying the home market.
The Laddonia Coal Company oper-
ates a mine at Laddonia. Shaft 45
feet deep and hosting by horse power.
Coal 20 inches thick and worked on
the long-wall plan. From four to ten
men employed.
Rob't Grange operates a mine on
Cuivre Greek, southeast of Laddonia.
Jas. Lynch operates a mine on
Cuivre Creek, in the same vicinity as
the last named.
The Leek mine is also located in the
same neighborhood. These mines are
all working the same seam of coal and
the product is consumed in the imme-
date vicinity.
Geo. Day operates a mine north of
Laddonia to supply home demand.
]. Champion and E. Weber operate
mines north of Laddonia to supplythe
local trade.
MARTINsBURG PosTOFFICE.
Harrison Carr is operating a mine
south of Martinsburg, supplying the
local trade.
oom 4ASduAAC oROAdeCo "Aho u
miles south of Martinsburg. Shaft
about % feet deep; horse power for
hosting. Coal 81 feet thick, worked
on the DON and pillar plan. This is
a local deposit or a pocket of coal,
which is of a very good quality. 1t is
taken from the mine in wagons and
CONSUMED in tire surrounding country.
w. T. Taylor & Co.-John Catlidge,
superintendent. Mine located one
half mile east of Martinsburg and
connected with the Wabash railroad;
shaft 107 feet deep and equipped with
very fair machinery for hosting; ven
tiIation is furnished by a small amount
of fire, not entitled to the dignity Of
being called a furnace. 1t has given
very fair satisfaction so far. This
plant burned down last fail, causing
the mine to lay idle for several months
before it was rebuilt, 10 that very
little work was done during the past
year. Coal 80 inches thick and worked
on the long-waI plan; 20 cents pei
ton is paid for mining screened coal
The product is consumed at local
towns along the line of railroad.
MEXICO PosToFFICE.
Downing & Wilson-Mine located !
mile east of Mexico shaft 35 feet deep;
horse power used for hosting. Coal
AZ feet thick and of a very good quail
ity. This is a pocket with every indi-
cation that only a small body of it lies
here. The coal is consumed at Next
co.
Washington Coal Co.-Mine located
northwest of Mexico; shaft 40 feet
deep; horse power; coal IS inches
thick. Mine only operated in fall and
winter to supply local trade.
MT. CARMEL PosToFFICE.
Alberto etienne operatesa mine near
Mt. Carmel; shaft 40 feet deep, and
hosting by horse power; coal 80 inch
es thick; worked on the long wall
plan. The product is taken away from
the mine in wagons and consumed IN
the surrounding neighborhood.
vANDALIA POSTOFFCE.
Vandalia Coal Co.-This company
owns and is operating two mines at
Vandalia, and each have shipping con-
nection with the Chicago & Alton
railroad. The two mines are working
the same coal seam and are equipped
with machinery for hosting.
Mine No. 1 is located within the city
limits; coal % inches thick, with good
black slate for roof; we'll suited for the
long wall method of mining. The coal
is underlaid with good fire clay, which
is taken out at another part of the
mine, leaving the coal for roof. The
clay mine is worked on the room and
pillar plan, and requires considerable
timbering to keep 1t secure. A large
portion of the coal taken oat of this
mine is consumed by the company in
the manufacture of the clay into brick
and other articles, giving employment
to 30 men around the mine and the
brick works.