The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-01-13
coal commercially.

| producing coal commercially. A
number of years ago Hamilton, Har
din and Story produced considerable
coal, but of late years these have not
been classed with the coal producing
counties of the state. This does moi
mean that there is no coal in these
counties now, but that commercial
mining has been suspended. 1t is
understood that there is considerable
of coal field in the southern part OF
Story county that has been prospect
ed and only waits for some big com
pany to start operations. | have
been informed that the coal in this
field runs from 31S to Az feet in
thickness and is of excellent quality.
In Hardin county renewed interest
has recently been manifested in the
coal production of the county. This
has come about by reason of some
prospecting that has recently been
done showing an excellent coal field
rear Eldora. Several hundred acres
have already been proven, and this
will mean the development of a large
coal mine there soon. Further pros
pccting may result in the finding Of
other coal fields in this county.
Hamilton county at one time had
a number Of small mines working
but no large developments have been
conducted in that county, and but
little prospecting mas ever been done.
or the other three counties men.
toned above, Boone is by far the
largest producer, and yet Boone does
rot now mine the quantity of coal that
was mined in former years. Boone
county was one of the first counties
i'll the state TO assume prominence in
the. coal industry, and mining has
been conducted in that county for
more than half a century. One of
tho mines in this county was recent
ly abandoned after being in continu-
GUS operation for forty-two years.
The coal measures of Boone county
extend north and south across the
entire county along the Des Moines
river. Tho Ogden Consolidated
Coal Company is the largest coal
now operating in the county
The prospecting done by this COM
pany has been at greater depths
than that done by others. They have
already put down three shafts at al
depth of 270 feet, and are now engag-
ed in putting down another. The
coal found at this depth is of excel !,
lent quality and contains but little |
ash.
Webster county lies the farthest |
north of the commercial coal produc-
ng counties of Iowa. Coal was first
mined in this county as early as 1860
so that the mining of coal has been
for more than fifty years.
Not a great deal of coal is mined in !
his county at the present time,
hough the near future may see
of coal mining opera
ions. Webster county has the dis
inCtion of being the only county in
oWa producing camel coal This
found in the vicinity of Kalo.
The output of coal from Greene
ounty has not been large for some
ears. In the southeastern part of
he county coal has been extensively
mined near Angus, and at one time
here were more than dozen mines
n operation in that part OF the coun-
y. Coal is now being mined near
tippey and Angus. 1t may be that
he future will see considerable coal
aimed in Greene county, but this can
e brought about only by systematicl
respecting. The quality of coal
reduced in these counties with an
lyses from each field will be given
! another article later on.
L. f. Stamm.