The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1911-01-20


on the explosion following the census
returns | have wandered far from the
subject OF my paper; this may be,
Nevertheless, | am thinking OF our
buried treasures that may come
nearer to explaining the disappointing
census figures than do the reasons
have heard and read,
| am thinking Of the treasure
washed from our at one time cultur-
able hillsldes and dipping farmlands,
through poor agricultural methods
and buried in the Gulf OF Mexioo-re'
sultlng in the emigration OF the care
less stewards 70 new lands.
| am thinking OF our treasures In
men and women-the thousands OF
them--who, so far as we are con
cerned are "buried" In Oklahoma, In
Texas and in other States, as the re
suit OF the efforts OF local emigration
agents. who have been and are now
working 365 days In the year to So
bury themi And what are We doing
10 Offset this emigration2 Surely, the
glowing accounts Of these other lands
that our own home papers print, and
that the alien papers and magazines
that come into the State print, along
side with catalogues Of our own faults,
do not constitute an Offset,
with local agents working for emf.
grafton TO other States, and some oil
our own papers indulging In editorials
that tend . persuade the world that
Kentucky is among all the States the
worst governed, the worst taxed, the
worst In educational facilities and the.
worst In miscellaneous wAys--inelud-
ing murder arson and feuds-how
could one expect the population OF the
State TO grow? With our own people
persuaded 70 leave and strangers
scared out Of coming, II seems to me
that only an optlmist OF the rarest
breed would expect growth, kentuoky
has done well to show any Increase az
all; she has done so despite persuad'
ed emigration and self.abuse.
Gentlemen, let us stop humping our
own heads. We do have our faults
We do have some feuds. Our taxation
system may not be perfect. Our edu'
cational facilities do need to DC IN
creased and improved. We should, IN
deed work to remedy every defect
But why be so violent about It? Why
explode so much dynamite In order to
dIslodge few obstruCting rocks thht
the whole State Is blown up2 There
are ll9 counties In Kentucky. why
+ hold up the delinquenCies Of some one
OF them I'm such fashion as to make
them appear representative OF all oth'
or counties? Why not emphasize the
fact that the State as whole Is one
Of the best places In the whole world
IN which 10 make home and rear
the generations that are TO follow us
You know that TO be true. why nol
emphasize the fact that feuds anc
transformations are no more representa-
tive OF this State than are the feuds
and murders In other States repre-
sentative OF them7 You also know
, that to be true,
Some years ago the late Richard +
. Rothwell said In an editorial In tht
Engineering and Mining Journdl
Kentucky is by nature, beyond al
oueation, one Of the most favored
, states in this country" No one ques
, tons that. but according TO my read
ing most persons put the States value
in agricultural advantages to the iore
: front whereas, fine as II Is for farm
ing purposes, II is, taken as whole
greater in mineral way. This LAT
> ter fact is, apparently, more keenl'
b appreciated by citizens Of other state
Z than by our own people II Is easie
! 10 obtain Kentucky capital for the de
yelopment OF mineral deposits In 9th
or states than Il Is to get II for tn
development Of better deposits In GU
+ own State. II seems true, indeed, ina
''To be interested In distant objects
!. like the moon, and to neglect wha
lies at our feet, appears TO be trai
81 human nature" ..
T or the total eXpanse OF the Stat
o 1888 square miles,, about 1867
a uuare miles are covered by coal.beal
ing formations IN which occur, n
cordlng to locality, from nine
g twelve or more workable Goals; n n
I gion Of about 1000 square miles !
10 the west Is rich In veins Of fluorspai
:, barytes and calespar, with some lea
and zinc; In the central part leat
o baryets and calespar veins, with som
a fluorspar are found In enormous nun
e Der distributed over an area Of abou
:, 1000 square miles, over the whole Q
JaeksOns Purchase region, about 2,Si
. square miles. splendid clays abount
70 together with sands OF high yalu
n valuable silicious earths Ignite bed
A and other minerals; adjacent to tn
eastern and southern margins of tn
II western coa'feld is an area of perhap
LOCO square miles in which are foun
q excellent plastic clays and some koi
=. line, while on the western margin 9
. the same field are large areas Of higl
T. class refractory clays. or "tlre-sands,
a. with some kaolins, In addition, "
I. have great areas Of fine clays and c,
Il Matchmaking materials on the rim {
: the central region; superior cemer
. materials are also found In the ma
% gins OF both coalhelds and elsewher,
[. Then, also, we have large areas OF tn
:, highest grade Of flreclay In the cas-
ern coalfeld, hundreds Of square mile
a OF excellent iron ore, favorably place
n with reference to fuel and flux grea
v areas OF limestone and sandstone {
:, the highest value for structural an
other purposes; large areas Of "roc
o asphalt" for paving, road-maklng an
II other purposes; an abundance Of wei
X distributed road.naklng material otl
:, err than limestone, consisting Of clay
- for burning as such or mixed wit
D. sand, also ebert and black shales