The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1898-12-14
THEY WERE
FOOLED.
Slick Down Easter Pulls Wool Over The
Eyes Of Enullshmen.
SOME CAMEL COAL COMPANY HISTORY
A Freak OF Nature Caused the Loss Of
Millions Of British Gold.
YANKEES GOUsE THEM OUT OF $4,000.
Manager Compares Himself to a Servant
OF the Grand Turk.

VIM. Hopper, OF Bowes Park, London
England, who was once manager of the
Breckenridge Camel Coal company, at
this place, writes an interesting letter to
the News in which he gives short his
tory OF the elephant that was placed in
the hands Of British spectators by a
slick Yankee, ID. II Yeomans. The
letter is as follows:
EDITOR OF NEws:-I do not intend to
write a history Of the Breckenridge Can
mel Coal Company, but the remarks
made in your paper early this month
call for notice. English people had no
interest in the property until about 1885
when ID. M, Yeomans, pretty slick
down-easter, arrived in London with
proposals of sale. The parties who en-
tertained the proposals ofsale The par
ties who entertained the proposals des-
patched several leading British experts
to examine and report. The reports
were certainly favorable, and stated that
there were from IA 100000 to 24,000,000
tons of camel coal, Gin sight" Well,
we never got 100000 tons, and came to
the conclusion that the coal was not
there and never had been there Any
number OF "oldest inhabitants" came
along TO show where the coal was to be
found. gave them all free hand with
promise OF handsome reward ii they sue
ceeded, but no more coal was found.
The State Geologist said that what had
been found was freak Of nature and he
expressed his surprise that any had been
found on the property.
The reports OF the experts as to the
cost OF mining were equally erroneous
When took charge in 1892 found the
cost was over So per ton. l succeeded
in cutting this to about 50, further re-
duction was impossible indeed as the
coal pinched out the cost again crept up.
The experts reports were Just as falla-
clous in regard to the Ohio river as the
means Of outlet The river is very I'M
reliable, the loading pier being at times
well out OF water. BESIDES, it was almost
impossible to get coal ships at New
Orleans or at adjacent Gulf ports. Only
one cargo was shipped that way and it
resulted in a loss. We had to make New
York and Norfolk, Va, our shipping
ports with railroad rates at S. and S4 per
ton respectively.
There was no doubt about the quality
OF the coal, 1t was the best in the world,
out its cost gradually but surely drove it
from the market The erratic supply of
camel coal compelled gas makers to look
for substitute, and they found petro-
leum to be cheaper, more satisfactory in
its results as. an enricher, easier handled.
while the supply was regular.
The capital OF the company was 81 500,-
600, 1915 900 in bonds and s., l25,000 in
stock. Only once during the life of the
English Company was the bond interest
met out Of profits, and that was while
had charge. Every cent OF the original
capital has been lost, but no blame can be
laid on the English officials, for that cal
amity, since the year 1887.
If $4,000, or $75,000 at the outside,
had been paid for the property it would
have been quite as much as it was
worth.
The, valuable timber once on the land
was frittered away. 1t would have paid
US better to have given some one a ten
dollar bill and q barrel OF kerosene with
orders to burn up the woods.
The costly railroad ought never TO
have been built. The country was a
good bit mixed and the soil treacherous.
The curves and grades were very tricky
while the trestles required incessant
watching. The expenses of the road
added seventy five cents to a dollar per
ton to the cost of the coal. II was worse
than foolish to build such road for the
purpose OF carrying 100000, or 100000
tons Of coal. To reduce the cost and
risk of operating the road l suggested
that light narrow guage road be sub
stituted to enable me to run the light
bank cars to Oloverport, the natural load
ing point, but money could not be raised
for the purpose.
To add 10 other troubles the Company
was involved in endle litigation. Re-
succeeded receivership and
suit followed suit. need not now dis
cuss the merits OF the numerous actions,
but had they been fewer perhaps mat
ters might have been different. One
New York firm gouged the Company out
Of about $40, 900, and although a judge
ment has been obtained OF a cent has
been collected. One half my time and
nearly all my energies were occupied by
harassiDR litigants and wearying lawyers.
1t seems pity to drag the poor old
Sultan OF Turkey in, aud charge him
with tendency to blush, a weakness OF
which he is not susceptible, but while
had control l was more like one of the
Sultan's officials, as my salary was gener-
ally in arrear, and, besides, l had occas-
Ionly to use my personal funds to pay
the men and TO sustain the credit of the
rOmnanv Raanaptfullv Youra