The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1946-04-18
Strip Mining Operations Assume
Gigantic Proportions In Noble
County For Present Coal Boom

ty and are large strip-mine opera
tors.
The coal is being removed on land
about q miles east of Cumberland
from four-foot vein which lies at a
depth of from so to 70 feet. A sec
ond vein underlies the first, it is re-
ported and plans are being made to
work it by means of a shaft.
Already there are some 10000
acres under option for stripping in
the Cumberland neighborhood, the
prices ranging from $50 to S100 per
acre for the option. With few excep-
tions, the farms in the entire neigh
borhood are now under option, prac-
tically all land between Zeno and
Brookfield Baptist church being in
cluded with the takers moving this
way. On number of the farms the
option to purchase the land has been
exercised. Notable among the excep-
tions is the Beckett farm, which
once brought price of $4,000 and
another farm adjoining. The fine
farm formerly owned by Herbert
Oglevee and devised by will to his
brother, E. R. Oglevee, is among
those under option.
In Manchester
Out in Manchester, Morgan count
ty, Felix Angelo of GAINESVILLE has
purchased So acre tract from the
William Brothers farm near Ohio
and has cleared a square, prepara-
tory to removing coal.
Southeast of Reinersville, the Ross
Marshall farm has been leased by
Lawrence King of Noble county who
i now conducting strip-mining opera
tions and trucking coal from the To-
cation. 1t is reliably reported that
Mr.. King has options on the Binion,
Cannon and Dale Gilliland farms.
Taking Options
Concerning strip-mining and coal
options on the west side of the county
the following is taken from the
letter of the Rolling Correspondent:
Morgan County Herald.
With Clyde Kineaid at the wheel,
we rolled over vast acreage in Un-
ion, Malta and Deerfield, last week,
notarizing coal options. In most cases
land owners are signing up. While
the option is for coal-and not min
eral rights and under surface opera
tion-we are not advising folks what
to do. 1t seems they are well pleased
with the work of Mr.. Kincaid. We
are informed the block when COM
pleted will be grand total of $4,000
acres. Unlike oil and gas leases, they
don't have to have every farm to
operate.
Some Geological Notes
Meigs creek coal, which is the
principal deposit in the area now
coming under the spotlight, accord
ing to the state geological survey,
lies in a field extending from Seneca
township in Noble county, south as
far as Fearing and Muskingum town.
ships in Washington county. In Nor
gan, it lies east of the Muskingum
and, according to geological reports
is found from "a to al feet in depth
in Bloom, Bristol, Manchester, Gem
ter, Morgan and Meigsville. Under
lying it at a depth of from 80 to
100 feet, is the Pittsburgh No. 8,
which is not heavy in this county,
being estimated to vary from two
feet to a very few inches in thick
ness. In Meigsville, there is small
seam of the Pomeroy or ga coal
about II to 20 inches thick, lying Is
feet above the Pittsburgh.
The Meigs creek strata is fairly
consistent and a large number of
farms are heavily underlaid with the
seam. The value of such land for
purposes of strip-mining can be seen
by computing the amount of coal
under an acre Of land. On basis Of
a four foot thickness, an acre Of
land would produce 174,240 bushels
or 6,969 tons of coal and at prices
now being offered of 10c per ton to
the landowner, an acre would net
nearly $1,000 even if the vein were
less than four feet thick.
Lovers of the soil and persons with
an eye to the future, point out, how
ever, that such price is all too
small when it is considered that land
once strip-mined becomes a barren
waste. A ride through the country
where strip-mining has been prac-
iced is not a pleasant experience;
L
Tered absolutely non-productive for
century or more to come, is sad
sight, indeed.