Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-06
NEED FOR G[OLOG|SI
BY DEMAND FOR COAL LANDS.
QUERIES COME EVERY DAY.
No State Report on Minerals Issued.
Since 1852 = Resources are vast.
and Valuable Land LIES Compar-
attveIy surine Beneath The P1ow.

yssEE = ~
ana Valuable land Lies CompaT.
attveIy suPine Beneath The P1ow.
The number Of inquiries that have been
received at the Department Of Agricul-
ture during the past year about the
mineral lands Of Virginia, demonstrates
the need Of State geologist.s Com
missioner Koiner said yesterday that the
funds OF his department were not avail
able to gather statistics Of the minerals
of the State, and there is no approprla-
ton made by the Legislature for that
purpose.
There has been no State report on the
minerals Of Virginia since the Rodgers
report of 1s5c, which is too out of date
for practical purposes to-day. Queries
continue to come to the Agriculture De-
partment daily from every section of the
United States, about coal lands and
other mineral territory In Virginia. To
meet the demands for information in this
line, Commissioner Koiner has kept on
file a list of persons who have mineral
lands for sale. and from this source he
supplies; as far as he can, the desired
information.
One Of the chief. advantages to be deriv~
ed from the Virginia, exhibit at the st.
Louis Exposition will be the collection Of
data on the mineral lands of the State,
which will fully set forthcin printed mat
ter to be distributed at the exposition.
a portion of the $4,000 appropriated for
the exhibit will be devoted to bringing
to public attention the vast mineral re-
sources Of the State in some compact
form, and it is hoped that the data thus
obtained will be supplemented hereafter
by more complete information secured
from thorough mineral survey Of the
State, for which an appropriation from
the Legislature will be necessary
STIMULUS IN COAL LANDS.
| There has been a. great stimulus to the
development Of coal lands during the past
| few months Mr.. Koiner stated yester-
day that during his recent trip to Roam:
| oke, in conversation with a number OF
! gentlemen interested in coal properties
| along the branch lines Of the Chesa peake
! and Ohio railroad, it was stated that over
| fifty new lines had been opened within
the past three months. The operators ant
investors believe that the high price
| of coal will BIZ maintained during mex
| summer, as people who have been com
PEELED to pay high prices for. coal Thu:
winter. on account of the strike, will lay
in an unusually large supply during thu
1 summer, in order not to be caught witt
4 empty coal bins when the cold season o.
1908 sets in.
Statistics concerning the labor employ,
ed in the Virginia mines have been col
| lected by Commissioner J. 3. Doherty
!; Of the Labor Bureau, and from time t
/ time the railroads have issued 1nforma
ton about the coal properties, and min
! ing lands along the routes of the various
roads, but no data of the mineral re
sources of the State have been collected
/ Systematically and distributed through
/ out the country, and in the absence Q
i such statement, the mineral development
!. of the State has suffered. North Carolin;
i is ahead of Virginia in this respect
for her State geologist has gathered fact
/ concerning the resources OF the state
/ and they have been heralded abroad
while Virginia, with far greater minera
4 resources, has not had her advantages i
! this direction properly advertised.
/ VALUABLE MINERAL LANDS IN
KNOWN.
/ MANY a farmer is now runningsa ploS
over land that is rich in minerals, sal
/ Commissioners koiner, but he doesn'
1 know it, Thousands of acres Of Ian
1 that are assessed at a, dollar an acre
/ Welding only, a trifling revenue to tn
/ treasury of Virginia, could be made
l source of valuable taxable property, It 1t
! mineral value were carefully examine
and set forth by investigation Of Stat
i geologist. s40oo,0O0 worth of copper hay
/, been shipped from one section of Viz
i ginia during the past year. and 10
/ ginia during the past year. but for year
1 prior TO the Development OF this land 10
mining purposes, the land was take
| solely as farm land, because its rea
value as mineral land was not brough
! to light by the examination of ! geolc
1 gist appointed by the State to look ate
/ its interests in this direction.
4 "a thorough investigation of the miner
& al resources Of the State set forth tn
!. annual report of a competent geologis
appointed by the State for that purpose
s would unquestionably reveal the pres
ence of minerals in sections of Virgin
8 that to-day are unknown. to the owner
OF the land and consequently to the ou'
3 side world seeking investment III sue
4 properties This is what COMMISSIONS
/ 1<oiner thinks Of the matter, and the hrs
steps in the direction of getting tn
information into printed form for :Wld
distribution, will be taken by the con
Z mission provided for by the Leglslatuf
4 ia properly present the advantages
Virginia at the st. Louis Exposition