The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1902-04-05
ANTHRACITE'S HUNDRED YEARS.
On Nov. II. 1902, 1t Was Found That
the .sBlack ROclzSN Would Burn.

On Nov. IL. 1902, 1t Was Found That
the 'Black Rocks Would Burn.
Down in Wilkesbarre, Pa, on Tuesday
was celebrated the centennial of discov-
cry which had decisive influence on
American history. Jesse Fell, who had
Just made the experiment for himself
gathered many of the prominent people Of
Wilkesbarre at his house on Feb. II, 1902,
o snow them that the "plack ruCks.
which were rather plentiful on and near
the surface of the ground in that locality!
and which were deemed to be n detriment
to the land wherever found. would make
an excellent fuel. His visitors were skep-
teal, but they were not the first persons
who, coming to scott. remained to pray
The ''black rocks piled in Jesse F:il s
crate did burn, g-:s.z~~ ,.,..r.- 70 e. g..
f. The United. States has had many GEN.
tennials since the one held at: Concoyd
and Lexington no1S7l.s:.but scarcely any
of them deserved observance more than
does the one concentrated in modest
way in the little city Of Wilkesbarre on
Tuesday. Unknown to the world. there
was iii that section Of PENNSYLVANIA vast
deposits of mineral which was destined
to bring greater wealth to the United
States than Mexico's and Peru's mines of
gold and silver brought to the reign OF
Charles V. and Philip II. Some bitHmi-
nous coal had been mined at several
points in the United States long before
that QaI AnLnfdc1lc Cod1 too Hau pScii
found years earlier than that, and ira
dition of a later day, coupled with some
thing which was deemed more reilab Die
than tradition, had it that some anthra-
cite was burned bd0Dre that time. but at
that little place on the Susquehanna. ana
on that winters day of 1902, anthracte's
merits may be said to have been nrst
formally made known
Coal production in the United States
has grown from point close to zero lt0
wears ago to $500, 600 tons in 1850 and to
:27O. O00. 900 tons in 1901, a larger total
tlan marks the output of any other
country in the world. Many years ago
The United States passed England in the
amount Of its manufactures in the az
gregate, as it did in 1900 in the total OF
its coal output. A vast portion of Amer
ica's development IN the hundred years
has been due to the coal deposits which
are scattered so munificently throughout
the country. The steamboats, on ocean,
lake and river and the locomotives could
not be run nor the manufactures of all
sorts be operated to anything like the
present extent if there were no coal to
supply the power. The crate which was
employed on that epoch-making day of
February, 1902. was exhibited on its CEN
Etennial Of 1902, but some Sort of a me-
mortal ought to be put up to the man
who used it on that occasion. Pennsyl-
wanna ought to erect monument to
Jesse Fell. just as California should do
to James W. Marshall the man who dis
covered gold in the raceway of Suffers
mill in 1S4S, and as Colorado ought to Go
to Pixies friend, James Pursley, who,
| finding gold III the Rocky mountains in
1905. refused the brides of the Mexicans
OF Santa Fe, with whom he passed the
remainder of his days, to lead them to
the place. and left it to be rediscovered
half century later by Russell, Gregory
and their companions, and enrich his
own country.-St. Louis Globe Democrat.