The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-11-10
ROGERS BROTHERS, FORMER
OHIO FOUNTAINS, MAKE GOOD
IN MOUNTAINS.
CLEAN UP SUM ON COKE
Holdings Said To Have Brought
Around Half NIiIlion-First To
Start Industry.

field by which the property of the
Elkhorn Consolidated Coal and
Coke Co., passes to the Kentucky
Solvay Coke Co., of Ashland. Ken
lucky. We learn the deal was con-
sumated several days ago, but title
passed on the first day of November
We are not advised as to the CON
sideration but understand about a
half million dollars worth of property
passes in the deal. The property
sold represents the holdings of the
Rogers Brothers in the Marrowbone
I District.
The Elkhorn Consolidated Coal
and Coke Co., is the largest indie
pendent producer of coal in the
Sandy Valley and the best equipped
of Pike county operations. Its daily
capacity is 1900 to 1880 tons. The
/ firm of Rogers Brothers who figure
in this deal and are the sole owners
Of the Elkhorn Consolidated Coal
property, is composed of our fellow
townsman, Mr.. Fon Rogers, who is
president of the Pikesville National
Bank, his twin brother, Lon Rogers
and J. l.. Rogers. The three broth
ers became interested i'm the Marrow
bone field in 1907 and have actively
directed the affairs of the ElkhOrn
Consolidated company ever since
The market for Marrowbone coal
was almost completely lost in 1907
and 1908 after the six coal plants on
Marowbone had operated more than
year. Four of these six operations
were shipping coal from both the
I Upper and the Lower MarrowbOne
seams. Two operations mined ana
shipped only the upper seam coal.
With the loss of the market to Mar
rowbone in 1908. the four plants that
had been operating both seams were
forced to abandon the lower scam
entirely, which seam on account of
the excessive ash and Laminated coal
| it contained, was considered worth
less. The plants operating this seam
withdrew their steel and IL laid dor
mant until 1911 when the Rogers
Brothers turned their attention 10
Coke. For long time 1T seemed
that the mining industry in the Mar
rowbone District was doomed to ut
Z faf in
panies including the operation owned
and operated by the stockholders of
the Land Company (The Big Sandy
of which Charles +. Heller, of Bos-
ton, Mass, was president made every
effort to sell their property, but in
vain.
One of the six operations was sold
at the Court House door under the
hammer" We understand the
Pike Consolidated Coal Company of
which Mr. Charles +. HELLER, of
Boston, man of great wealth was
president changed hands twice and
the other four only kept their heads
"abOve the water" These we un-
derstand to be the conditions of the
MarrOwbOne District i'm 1909 when
the Rogers Brothers facing a com
plete failure in handling the coal for
the general market. turned their at
tentiOn TO testing the cokeing quality
of the coal In 1909 and 1910 these
brothers shipped several car loads OF
Marrowbone coal to the famous Con-
melville Region of Pennsylvania
where they had several thorough
tests made by the best coke makers
known to the trade, among the ex-
perts being Mr.. T. j. Mitchell. per-
haps the best coke maker in the
United States.
Having demonstrated to their com
plete satisfaction the high coking
quality of their coal, the Rogers
Brothers set about building their
plant at Coaldale near Heller, in
1911. They are the pioneers, hav-
ing blazed the way as the first coke
makers in Eastern Kentucky. II
took a great deal of NERVE" to
pioneer the coke industry in this ter
ritOry as the coal had been rejected
as. merchantable coal. and was
knocked by everybody in the coal
trade and by. men buying coal in
BsssiSnn Kentucky When MarrQWs
bond. .saaied they. said, ,.we told yen
So" .,snd kept out of Marrowbone
territory. From the day they built
their first coke oven their success
was assured and the redemption OF
MarrBwbone coal made certain.
Those who knew these brothers best
never expected them to fell i'm their
EFFORT They were schooled rightly.
We understand they were poor farm-
or boys in the "pennyrile' district
of Western Kentucky Left father
less mt on early age ihey were ta1sht
IN NE school Of adversely Tie lessen