Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-22
PEOPLES PULPIT.
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A Miner and History-The Part He
Performs in Building Up the World.

Performs in Building Up the World.
/ In the beginning, nature in the for
nation of the earth, made special pro-
vision for mankind. 1t is like bread
with butter on both sides the top for
the farmer and the bottom for the
miner. On looking back over our past
life our minds run back to 1861 and I'D
| to 1870 when we lived in Tennessee
during the year of 1866, miner was
| hunting on the top of the Cumberland
mountains and his dog ran a rabbit
under a stump. In digging for the
rabbit he discovered coal up in the
mountains twenty-five miles from the
nearest railroad He revealed his dis
covery to Leslie Kennedy, a Scotch mi
ner, who went to Nashville and inter-
ested capital in the matter. Among
the monied men was A. S. Colgar, then
governor of the state. Miners We're
secured at Chattanooga and among
them was the writer. On getting to
our destination we found ourselves
surrounded by mountains in the most
dismal part of the earth. All things
being ready, We started with the pick
and shovel to penetrate the hill for
the opening up of one of the largest
ANNs1oNS'
! City. Each day we We're going fur.
Their in and making room for more
miners. While thus engaged new
railroad was being built to the mines
AS matters went on we saw Il log cab
in built on theihill with smoke ascend
ing from the chimney. We discovered
some one was living there. We motto
ed the presence of a woman and chill
. l. ioh Sc. la f,,ef ctn 81 al,
cation in a new mining town. In a
few days we saw more cabins erected
and then church, school house, and
in four years our bleak and dismal
country had been transformed to a city
of loo people, largely miners, with q
number OF churches. all of which af
:. terward gave rise to the building of 9
university and educational town on tor
: of the Cumberland mountains, a place
: sought after by the elite all over the
world to give their children an educa
| ton These facts place the miner
! in the front rank as builder and civ
ilizer
From this beginning noted men be
came interested in mining After the
civil war, among them was Admira
Wilkes. the commander of the vesse
that captured Mason and Slidell ther
on the way to England to solicit ale
: for the Confederacy He was followed
by General d. c. Buell. Both of these
men had practical knowledge of min
. ing. Wilkes son, Edward, was ther
superintendent of the Raleigh anC
CASTOR railroad in North Carolina. He
opened up a large iron mine on top O
Kings mountain, and with the aid O
miners, the writer among the number
opened up the largest iron mine in thu
state, employing over 1000 men.
From here we emigrated to Ken
lucky, with wife and one child Here
General Buel was opening up a large
mine on the banks of the river, ant
| with the aid of the miner with a picl
and shovel built the largest town OF
the river from Rockport to Bowlin,
Green, known as .Aidry Hill, named al
: ter a mining town in Scotland TIL,
General was our nearest neighbor ant
3 we spent many pleasant hours witt
him.
On coming to Iowa, one always re
ferred with pride to Hiteman, Monroe
5 county, where the miners are mode
3 men Here was have Soap Creel
/ farm Transformed to a nice little city
one that would reflect credit on an,
y place. The miners on our last visi