South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-23
GOAL DISCOVERED JUST
OUTSIDE OF MISHAWAKA
Deposits of Soft Coal Discover
ed on SChmeItz Farm, One
Half Mile North City-Min-
ing May Again Be Renewed.

Coal mining may be another in
dustry TO Mishawaka if the coal
vein, recently discovered on the Will
liam Schmeltz farm, one and one
half miles north of the city proves
o be rich enough.
Last week a. A. FELTON,, with
force of men, was cleaning out a
three foot ditch, which runs directly
through the SchmeltZ farm. While
at work digging, one of the men of
the party struck a hard solid sub
stance. which was at first thought to
be rock. A pick was procured and
after loosening considerable of the
substance il was examined and was
found to be coal. Over two bushels
of it was taken and brought TO the
home of William Schmeltz, 1011 n.
Main st. Here it was burned in a
cooking range.
Samples of the coal were taken to
several coal dealers in this city, who
proclaimed it as fine and rich grade
of soft coal as they had ever seen.
Several more bushels have been TAX
en- from the vein and is being used
by Mrs. Schmeltz and few of the
neighbors.
Mrs. SchmeltZ stated Friday morn
ing that an investigation would be
made on the farm to determine if the
coal deposit is large enough TO war
rant the services of engineers to
thoroughly examine the amount of
coal on the farm and the vein. When
sue htest will be made is not known.
This is the first coal that has ever
been found in this vicinity although
many people thought coal could be
| found here as oil, gas and iron-ore
have at different times been taken
from the ground in the past. North
of Mishawaka some prospecting has
been done for oil and at the present
time oil can be seen floating on the
surface of a creek near the DeGoote
! farm.
few of the older residents will
recall the time when bog-ore was
found in considerable quantities here
and mined on the south side of the
river. From this ore iron was man
ufactured by the old st. Joe Iron
works, which according to history,
was organized by Alanson NJ. Hurd
and which was a germ, from which
the present city sprang.
I After the discovery of this ore,
Mr.. Hurd secured the services of
William l.. Earl, in 1882, to investi-
gate and thoroughly examine into
/ the nature and extent of the iron ore
deposits in this section of the coun-
try. After due examination Mr..
Earl found that all the claims that
had been made by the discoveries
of thi sore were we'll grounded and
that iron ore, in great abundance eX-
listed here. His favorable report in
duced Mr.. Hurd to embark in the
manufacturing enterprise which lat
rproved to be the organization and
establishment of the present city. In
the spring of 1893 Mr.. Earl with a
large force of men from Detroit,
Mich, came down the river from that
city and erected the first building,
the large frame structure which at
that time served as an abode for the
workmen and was later on converted
into an extensive general merchan-
disc store. Before the close of that
year. the blast furnace had been full
ly constructed and a number of 9TH
er buildings erected for the accom-
mediation of a population of about
100 people, chiefly the men en-
ployed at the Iron Works.
Town Organized.
During the summer of 1888, the
town of est. Joseph Iron Works
was laid out and the government was
lpetitioned 20 establish a postoffice al
this point, the old Indian name OF
Mishawaka was selected by the gov.
eminent and has been retained to the
present day.
The company continued to operate
its blast furnace, until 1858, wheI
the supply of ore failed and it was
obliged to discontinue the use OF
bog-ore, which had been the incep-
ton of the enterprise. After this &
foundry was erected with other ne
cessary machinery and a well-eQuip
ped iron works was established
which was of material benefit to the
town.
1t is hoped that the deposits vii
be heavy enough to warrant the