Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-10-29
HISTORY OF
ANTHRACITE
Estimated That the Pennsylvania
Fields Contain Billions Of Tons
OF the Valuable Product.
FIRST USED FOR SIDEWALKS
Early Miners Found Difficulty in
Teaching People That the Coal
Was Good for Heating.

Anthracite, This is the word that
was strikin terror and alarm TO mil.
lions of Americans. II is not a
new word, but II has a new meaning.
Originally 1t represented nothing but
the coal bin, which could be filed by
a telephone call at a moments notice.
But il meant a vision Of pinching
cold. IT brought to view thr horrible
spectacle of rioting mobs. 1t pictured
want and desolation when the miner
and his family we're thought of. and il
pictured suffering and misery when
the worlds poor who are dependent
on the miner for coal were considered.
This word has become such a vital
part of the life OF the American peo-
pie that it is a striking example OF
how the world becomes independent
OF what may be termed the latter.day
progress of mankind. Just 100 years
ago Philadelphia received her first
shipment of anthracite coal. II came
to the city in two river arks. and was
used IN gravel the sidewalks. A small
quantity of this coal was burned in
a CRATE, but the experiment was not
a success, and IN 1906. when another
ark load of coal tied up at the wharf
in the Quaker city it was rejected
no one wanted 1t. In 1903 Judge Fell
of WilkesbarKe successfully burned
anthracite in n crate. In 1872 another
effort was made to market anthracite
in Philadelphia, but nine wagon loads
which we're sent there from Pottsville
had to be given away.
Although the outcroppings Of an
thracite coal in the region of Penn
sylvania. so rich in this product, we're
SO evident that anthracite must have
been known to the Indians, the first
authentic rate in connection with an
tlracite in 1852. In that year Par
shall Terry and a company of Con
necticut pioneers founa coal at the
mouth Of Mil creek. on the banks of
the Susquehanna, near the site OF the
present city of W~ilkesbarre. In 1863
Obadiah Core, a blacksmith. used an
| thracite for fuel in his forge. In ITS
tire proprietary government OF Penn
| syivania had coal floated down the
Susquehanna river from W~ilkesbarre
to Harrisburg-then Harris Ferry
from where it was hauled in wagons
to the arsenal at Carlisle for use in the
manufacture of munitions of war, and
similar shipments were made annu-
ally during the revolutionary war.
The operation of the first anthra-
cite coal mine was begun by John and
Abijah Smith of Derby. Conn. who
settled at Plymouth. Pa. In 1905. and
bought up a tract of coal lands. They
began shipping by arks Immediately
to points along the Susquehanna riv-
er. 1t was necessary, however. to ere.
ate a demand for the anthracite. and
the Smith brothers usually accompan.
led their cargoes and taught the PEG.
pie how to burn anthracite. At this
tiHlt dDtHfdtllt SOlu lOT SlD n ION III
Baltimore and $l2 a ton in New York,
where 1t was used almost exclusively
in FORCES.
The real history of the anthracite
coal industry begins in 1920. when 365
tons of coal were shipped to Phila.
delphia from the Lehigh region. Dur.
ing the next ten years the trade from
the Lefigh region was firmly establish,
ed. ana the Schuylkill region was
opened up on the completion OF water
communication from Philadelphia.
During the latter part OF This period
the Delaware & Hudson Coal company
was organized and began the shipment
of anthracite from Carbondale by the
canal and the gravity railroad.
The process Of mining anthracite
coal consists of two methods-strip.
ping and closed work. Stripping is
the process where the coal lies near
the surface Of the ground as II does
In many instances in the anthracite
field. The closed work Is that done
under ground. or at the bottom OF a
shaft. Owing to the character of the
deposits the room and pillar system
is employed. When the shaft cannot