The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1922-11-08

around MunlenDerB mine Is diHlOst
a curiosity. These miners dig, pre-
pare and load an average of 5,000,-
900 tons year and draw wages
amounting to s650,OOO a month, or
the great sum of s7,S00,0O0 a year.
On mine equipment and supplies is
spent annually $75O,O00.
1t can be seen that of the third
largest coal State in the Union, Muh-
lenberg county is a most important
constituent: Its Importance was
considerably heightened from May
to August of this year, when most of
the union mines of the nation were
idle as a result of the strike. Dur
ing this period Muhlenberg worked
at full capacity and did much to
stave off the possibility of a coal
famine, as well as increased its own
prosperity.
Altogether few counties in Ken
lucky have come so rapidly to the
fore in the last few years. The war
gave Muhlenberg its first great JIM
petus by making coal mining profit
able, where before mines had had Il
very difficult time to get along.
Some inkling of this may be had
from the tax figures. In 1917 total
assessed valuation of Muhlenberg
land was $4,451,69S; in 1921 it was
s1S,463,SS5. Taxes paid in 1917
were $71,227; in 1921 almost dou-
Bile that amount, or s135,453 was
paid.
A trip to the two key cities OF
Muhlenberg is perhaps even more
eloquent that things are humming in
this neighborhood. Central City and
Greenville both bear testimony to-
progress. The one is young, vigor-
Gus. alert. boom town with not
enough room to house the people
who want to live there. The other
is older and more sedate, the seat
of the county, whose quaintness
gains by the contrast that beautiful
new buildings afford and whose
quiet power is proved by the fact
that its bank deposits total nearly
Two millions of dollars.
In Muhlenberg is the largest sim
gle mining operation in the West
ern Kentucky field and one of the
two or three largest in the State.
This is the Graham mine of the w.
G. Duncan Coal Company. The Dun
cans are old Muhlenberg county peo-
pie, having come here many decades
ago from Scotland, about the time
Lord" Alexander, one of their coun-
trymen, began the operation of his
famous Airdrie furnace near Para
disc on Green river. w. G. Duncan,
now an old man, has had remarka-
bly, successful career, having work
ed at every angle of coal mining
from the pick-and-shoyel stage up
ward. His two sons, A. w, Duncan
and w, G. Duncan, Jr., are secretary
treasurer and superintendent, re-
spectively, of the coal company.
The Graham tipple has the enor-
nous capacity of 5000 tons of coal
for an eight hours run. Its average
production is $500 tons scaled down
to fit the car supply. At the Ora
ham mine is what has been called the
best equipped power plant in the
Western Kentucky coal field. 1t has
practically the same output as the
great st. Bernard plant at Earring
ton. These two supply electricity TO
all parts of Western Kentucky.
Working only ninety-six days in
1921, the two mines of the Duncans
the Graham and the Luzerne-
produced 375,9O2 tons of coal and
employed the services of 635 inside
men and 1876 outside men.
Other splendid coal-mining opera
tions in Muhlenbeig are conducted
by. Black Diamond Coal & Mining
Company, Drakesboro, II. Mills, SUI
perintendent; Bevier Coal Company,
Cleaton, j. p. Cox, Superintendent;
Beech Creek Coal Company Beech
Creek, j. II. Chumley, superintend-
ent; @. NJ. Miller Coal Company,
Central City, ID. A. WOODBURY., super
intendent; Crescent Coal Company,
Bevier. r. p. Wright, superintendent,
Greenville Coal Company, Greenville
and Powderly, C. NJ. Martin, super
intendent; Green River Galleries
Company. Mogg, r f.. Roland, SUI
perintendent; Gibraltar Coal Com
pany. Central City, J. A. Smith, SUI
perintendent; Hayden Coal Com