Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-14
.KEB Is boo NJ E D
ONCE PROSPEROUS MINING
TOWN WILL SOON EXIST ONLY
IN MEMORY.
Working Out OF the Mine Which Is
the Life Of the Town is Practically
Accomplished - Mine May Soon be
Abandoned and Equipment Moved.

Within q few weeks, possibly within
a few days, the once prosperous and
thriving little town Of Keb, four miles
northwest Of Ottumwa, will receive its
death blow in the closing down of the
coal mines which for fifteen years have
madesit famous. For many months the
little town has seen Its doom approach
ing. @s8 $50
Since early winter Its inhabitants
have watched the daily diminishing
output Of its mine. When the days
work was done the miners have sat
around their winter fires and discussed
the rapid and fatal dwindling of the
splendid vein Of GOAL which formerly
laid some ninety feet beneath the sur
face.
Like a bolt from a clear sky. the
friends OF the little mining town who
have not known OF its impending fate,
came the notice Thursday that the
| post-ofice located III the company store
at the mine has been ordered discon.
tinued by the postal department Feb
ruary %. On March l 1t Is said the
little town is to be placed on rural
route service from Chillicothe.
In its most prosperous days Keb was
town of 500 or 600 people. It's mine,
the pride and the life Of the town
had q daily output OF nearly 1000 tons.
Keb coal was known through many
states and bought in preference to al.
most any other output In Iowa or the
middle western states. Today, with an
almost daily prospect for the final shut
down, the demand for Keb coal still
exceeds the greatest possible output
OF the mines most vigorous days.
In the fall OF 1889 the place where
Keb is now located was bare spot of
ground. Under the direction of T. j.
Phillips, superintendent OF the White
breast Fuel company, the late O. NJ
Ladd was sent into that section of the
country to prospect for coal and a
promising place for a mine. The spot
where Keb was later located on the
top Of bald knoll was selected as the
most suitable for the shaft.
During the following spring the
shaft was sunk and the equipment,
most of it from the mines Of Cleveland,
which had begun to fall, hurried into
place. Work started of with rush.
Miners focked to the place and In a
few months the town had population
Of 800 or 400. The mine had been
equipped with machinery capable of
handling 1000 tons Of coal per day.
Within couple OF years the mine
had reached this capacity and contin.
ued with steady output until the
property along with other property Of
the Whitebreast company passed into
the hands of Receiver I. w. Fowler,
in December, 1899.
Under the receiver the property was
operated till July, 1901, when It was
turned over with the other former
properties OF the Whitebreast com.
pany to the Illinois and Iowa Fuel
company. Under this management It
continued almost until. the present
time
The daily product which for years
had averaged about 900 tons daily, con.
tinued this average practically through
the receivership Of Mr.. Fowler. Soon
after the property passed into the con-
troll Of the Illinois & Iowa Fuel COM
pany, the daily output began to de-
crease. From the once heavy output
the product has dwindled to less than
200 tons daily.
Within the past few days the mine,
or, rather the equipment OF the mine,
has been sold to the Phillips Fuel COM
pany. 1t is understood that ais soon
as the difficulty of mining the coal
and the decreased daily output renders
the further operation of the mine UNI
profitable, the equipment Is to be
moved to another location.
AS yet the population OF Keb has
mot very greatly decreased but every
week is witnessing the removal OF one
or more families Many Of the min
ers who have made Keb their home
for several years are already out on
prospecting tours seeking new loca.
tons.
The removal Of the equipment will
mean the desertion of the town. Only
the company store may remain for
aside from its trade with the miners