dling systems, it would not become me to dispute the don in America; but are we not every day told that matter with them at all. But whatever may be true New York, at least, will one day vie with that proud in regard to business, there can be no good reason, I metropolis of the British empire. The whole of am quite sure, for bringing out whole blocks of dwel-York island, I believe, is already laid out in anticipaling-houses to the very line of narrow streets, so as tion of the future greatness of the city. New York to have no yard in front, and then by narrowing the has her Battery, I know; and a few publick squares blocks, to crowd the houses one upon another in the of moderate extent, have been reserved in the plan; rear, so as to leave no space for gardens or fruit- but where is the reservation for even one great park. yards, when thousands of acres of cleared land, or to impart beauty and health and comfort to this com primitive forest, lie all around, inviting the builders mercial emporium of the Western continent? How to extend their town over just as wide a surface as grievously will this want be felt, when it comes to they please. This strange want of taste and fore- number a million of inhabitants, and how bitterly cast, this unaccountable disregard to health and com- will they regret the narrow policy of its founders. fort and beauty, will be matter of the deepest regret to those who come after us, some two or three hundred years hence, when many of our towns, which are now just springing into existence will have become great cities; and it will be too late to remedy the evils of our absurd and contracted policy. What a pity, that in fifty growing towns, which I might name, no open squares, of any extent, were left, in laying them out, and that as far as they have been extended, almost every rod of ground is covered with buildings. In most cases, perhaps something might yet be done, to redeem these embryo cities from everlasting discomfort, by seasonably purchasing and laying out the grounds which lie in the vicinity, so as to leave ample room for air and exercise for trees, and shrubbery, and flowers-for gravelled walks and wide avenues. How much to be desired is it, that suggestions of this sort should be speedily acted upon by those who now have it in their power to bless unborn millions, with health and convenience; and that those men of wealth and enterprise, who are founding new cities and towns in the far west and elsewhere, should, in the same "Upon our road," (from Jerusalem to Bethlehem,) way, hand down such invaluable comforts and bles- says Dr. Clarke, in his Travels, "we met an Arab sings, if they do not their own names to a grateful with a goat, which he led about the country for exposterity. And may I not just add in this connex-hibition, in order to gain a livelihood for itself and ion, how easy it would be to plant avenues, and lay owner. He had taught this animal, while he acout little malls and parks, and pleasure-grounds, in companied its movements with a song, to mount and around our thousand thriving villages. How upon little cylindrical blocks of wood, placed succesgreatly would it add to their beauty and multiply their sively one above the other, and in shape resembling attractions. I am mortified when I think how difficult it is, in most cases, to raise even a few dollars for any such purpose. In acting upon the maxim, that those who come after us must take care of themselves, as we have done, we neglect to take care of our own health and comfort.

the dice-boxes belonging to a backgaramon table. In this manner the goat stood, first upon the top of one cylinder, then upon the top of two, and afterwards of three, four, five, and six, until it remained balanced upon the top of them all, elevated several feet from the ground, and with its four feet collected In the small provincial towns of England, more upon a single point without throwing down the disattention has been bestowed upon this subject than jointed fabrick upon which it stood. The practice is with us. Still much remains to be done there as very ancient. It is also noticed by Sandys. Nothwell as here. At the last session of parliament, Mr. ing can show more strikingly the tenacious footing Buckingham, the great champion of temperance, possessed by this quadruped upon the jutty points brought in a bill which was favourably received, to and crags of rocks; and the circumstance of its abilaid and encourage the people in making such health-ity to remain thus poised may render its appearance ful and ornamental improvements as I have just men- less surprising as it is sometimes seen in the Alps, tioned. It was thought the bill would pass, and that and in all mountainous countries, with hardly any whatever appropriations the government may be in-place for its feet, upon the sides and by the brink of clined to make, will impart a favourable stimulus to most tremendous precipices. The diameter of the the people.

In respect to reserving and laying out pleasuregrounds upon a grand scale, in or near any of our cities, it may be said that we have no London, with its million and a half of people to be provided for; and that it would be absurd in us to fence off such territories as Hyde and Regent's Park for publick accommodation. It is true, we have as yet no Lon

rpper cylinder, on which its feet ultimately remained until the Arab had ended his ditty, was only two inches, and the length of each cylinder was six inches."

Never speak to deceive, nor listen to betray.
Friendship once injured is for ever lost. bi
Gossiping and lying go hand in hand. was

ANTHRACITE COAL TRADE OF PENNSYLVANIA. | lie near together on the easterly side of the Susque Written by the Hon. CALEB CUSHING, from Mass., for the North hannah, upon or below its north branch, and bear a American Review, for January, 1836. striking similitude each to the other in geographical position, extent of area, and geological features. They are, first, the coal-field of Mauch Chunk and Schuylkill; secondly, that of Beaver Meadow, Shamokin, and Mahoney; and thirdly, that of Lackawanna and Wyoming.-Each of these fields forms a long elliptical basin, with a well-defined border of red shale, and surrounded by a barrier of long and sharpmounted ridges. Two of these fields, the first and the second, run side by side, ranging a little north of east; the remaining one is somewhat apart from them, and has a more northerly direction. They may be considered, indeed, from their proximity and general resemblance, as constituting one single coalregion; although, as will hereafter be explained, there is great difference in the superficial character of the country which they respectively traverse. There is a difference, also, in their history, and in their statistical relations; which renders it necessary they should be treated of separately and somewhat in detail.

We visited, recently, the anthracite coal mines in the interiour of the state of Pennsylvania. The spectacle of enterprise, industry, and prosperity, which we there beheld, was most imposing to the eye, and most instructive to the mind. In the heart of a wild broken territory, amid the sharp ridges of the Alleganys, intersected by the hundred rivers and streamlets which swell the tides of the Delaware and Susquehannah, in what was but a few years ago one of the most desert regions of the United States, we found a numerous and fixed population, with all the appliances of refined life, and a multitude of improvements, in rail-roads, canals, and other publiek works, of which the most advanced people in America, or even in Europe, might justly be proud. A new world seemed to have sprung up in the wilderness, as if by enchantment. Smiling villages were spread out in peace and abundance beneath overshadowing peaks, and beside mountain-tops reaching up their bleak summits to the sky. The dwellings of cultivated competency, and warehouses stored The Mauch Chunk and Schuylkill coal-field comwith merchandise, stood on the very edge of the old mences near the river Lehigh, on the east, and primeval forests of the continent. Here was the reaches westerly to the left bank of the Susquecentre of a vast business, which had all at once viv-hanna, extending thus about seventy miles in length, ified the surrounding country, converted the wildest while it is only from one to five miles in width, bewaste into the theatre of active life, given a fresh ing pressed in between Broad mountain on the north, stimulus to individual enterprise, created an inex- and Sharp mountain on the south. These mounhaustible source of wealth to the state in which it tains, and the coal-field itself, are penetrated more lay, and opened a new commerce and a new bond or less by numerous streams, particularly the Swaof fraternity to the whole Union. We left the scene, tara, the Schuylkill and its branches, and the Lehigh, with a strong and abiding sense of the energy and affording outlets for the coal, and natural passes for spirit of our people, with renewed admiration of the the location of canals and rail-roads, which pervade resources and destinies of our country, and with deep- the district in all directions. But there is room for felt gratitude to that bountiful Providence which be- distinction as to the different parts of this field, in stowed upon us this our happy land. We cannot regard to the position of the coal, its quality, the hope to communicate our feelings and impressions mode of working it, and the means of its conveyance by words; the scene should be seen to be appreci- to market. ated. Nor shall we attempt to do so. Neither shall One portion of this field, its western extremity, we enter into any speculations or inquiries concern- on the Swatara, and near to the Susquehanna, is not ing the geological history, formation, or natural char-accessible for the Atlantick trade, in competition with acter, of anthracite coal. The objects we have in the residue; and therefore, although it has a limited view are more plain and practical. We have col- market in the interiour, it is not possessed of the lected, from personal observation, from correspond- same general interest and importance as that which ence, and a large mass of printed matter, a variety is watered by the Schuylkill and Lehigh, and need of facts respecting the production and commerce of not occupy our attention. anthracite coal, a summary statement of which we At the eastern extremity of the field, are the works propose to lay before the readers of the Review. of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation company, which Pennsylvania abounds in mineral treasures of the are, in many respects, peculiar, and are conducted most useful kinds, that is, iron and coal; these being on a scale of great boldness of design, and comprethe precise means, out of which the actual grandeur hension of enterprise. Disregarding the obvious and opulence of Great Britain have in great part outlets of the basin by the waters of the Schuylkill, sprung. On a future occasion we may recur to its they have ascended the mountain-barrier to its very deposites of iron ore, and of bituminous coal; our summit, entered the coal-field by a rail-road, and thus present concern is with its anthracite coal exclusive-diverted the coal from its natural channel to the waly. It is singular that, with the general knowledge ters of the Lehigh at Mauch Chunk. To effect this they already possess of their unexampled mineral object, Messrs. Josiah White, Hazard, and Hauto, resources, and their liberality in the promotion of having acquired the property of the Mauch Chunk publick improvements, the people of Pennsylvania mines, obtained an act of incorporation with mining have not caused to be made an accurate geological and trading privileges, and undertook the task, which survey of the whole territory of their state, by suit- had repeatedly before been attempted without sucable scientifick persons, according to the course re-cess, of rendering the river Lehigh navigable. To cently pursued in the state of Massachusetts. So enable them to accomplish this, the state ceded to far as the anthracite of Pennsylvania has been ex- them the sole jurisdiction of this river, for the displored, and its presence fully ascertained, it occu- tance of eighty-three miles, and the free and unconpics three separate and distinct beds or fields, which trolled use of its waters. This grant has rightly VOL. I.-30

During the year 1834, the freight transported on the Lehigh canal, amounted to 129,083 tuns, of which 106,518 tuns consisted of coal, and the residue of flour, iron, lumber, stone, and other articles of merchandise.

been deemed since an improvident one; but the | facility and profit; because they can be so propped company proceeded to execute what they had un- and roofed, as to enable the miner to remove all the dertaken with a spirit worthy of the enterprise. At coal, without any hazard; while those of twenty or an expense of about two millions and two hundred thirty feet must be worked in chambers, and large thousand dollars, they made their mines accessible pillars of coal be left to support the roof; and even to the river Lehigh, and opened the river itself, by then the miners are exposed to injury from falling a series of works, considered the best of their class fragments or masses of the mineral. It is the uniin the United States. versal practice in this region to undermine. As the veins generally dip in the direction of the mountainsides, the mode of working in the interiour of the mine is regulated in part with reference to this fact. They run a drift, or tunnel, into the mountain above the water-level, and construct a rude rail-road upon The coal of the Lehigh company, at least at their its floor, and then pierce the seam of coal horizonold and principal works, forms an immense mass of tally for a convenient distance; by which means the carbonaceous matter, intermixed with alternate lay- entire breast, as it is called, of the seam is exposed; ers of earth and slate. This deposite they strip, or and the miners work up the acclivity until they uncover, by digging off the superincumbent earth, so reach the summit or outcrop, throwing the coal beas to leave bare the mass of coal, as in a clay-field; | hind them, where it is loaded into cars, drawn out and thus the coal is mined. It is conveyed a short by horses, screened and separated into the different distance up the ridge of the mountain top, thence it sizes, and conveyed to the landings, or shot at once ascends by means of an inclined plane, and a rail- into canal-boats. In some cases, very ingenious road upwards of eight miles in length, to a chute of mechanical contrivances are used in screening the seven hundred feet in two hundred and fifteen of coal; of which a very perfect example is to be seen perpendicular height, at Mauch Chunk, when it is at the station of the Delaware Coal company.embarked in the navigation of the Lehigh. This Hitherto the veins have been worked almost exclurail-road, being the first of any extent ever construct-sively from the water-level upward; and instances ed in the United States, has in years past attracted the attention of travellers on this account; as also from the interesting fact of a descent on a rail-road for eight or nine miles, by the mere specifick gravity of the cars. It is also curious, in another point of view. Enormous trains of loaded coal-cars descend by gravity, to the head of the chute, after which the empty cars are to be returned to the mines and reloaded. They are accordingly drawn up the inclined plane by teams of mules; but these animals cannot be induced, either by persuasion or force, to descend the plane on foot, and it becomes necessary to provide cars, in which they may ride down, and which they very contentedly draw up again, together with the empty coal-cars. Circumstances like these give zest and piquancy to the inspection of the works of this Company; the relish of which is enhanced by the beauty and sublimity of the surrounding scenery, mountain after mountain stretching out beneath your eye, as you glide in your self-moving carriage along the descending side of the long steep ridge, overhanging the bright village of Mauch Chunk.

But the most interesting and valuable part of the coal-field is the central or interiour track, known as the Schuylkill Region, which is twenty miles long, and from three to four broad. In this region, the numerous headquarters of the river Schuylkill have cut boldly through the strata of coal, presenting a succession of elevated summits and deep ravines, admirably fitted for extensive mining operations. Here the coal is in veins, generally having an inclination or dip to the south, and consequently reaching the surface, when they are discovered by the depression of the soil over the coal in the process of decomposition, and by the cropping out, as the black dirt, which often appears at the surface, is termed. The dip is an angle of from forty to sixty degrees, the vein descending to an unknown depth. The beds vary in thickness, from one or two up to thirty feet. Those of from five to twelve feet are considered the best, as they can be worked with greater

occur, of two, three and four seams of coal, one above another; but experiments are now in train for pursuing the veins in the opposite direction downwards, by sinking shafts below the water-level, and clearing out the water through the agency of steam power, as in England.

There is a great diversity in the quality of the coal in the various parts of this basin, and even in a single region of it. In his very able report, Mr. Packer speaks of this point somewhat inaccurately. He alludes to the fact that some of the coal ignites more readily than the rest; and that the red-ash coal is by many regarded as of superiour quality; and then proceeds to say: "With these exceptions, there is little difference in the quality of the coal of the region; certainly no more than in trees of the same species, growing upon the same soil, or in coal taken from different parts of the same mine; and if coal of a superiour or inferiour quality be found in market, it is only because the vender has been more or less careful in freeing it from slate or other impurities."This is far from being correct. If the writer had said that there was the same difference in quality, as between trees of different species, say walnut, oak and maple, growing upon the same soil, it would have been a more just representation of the fact. This truth is perfectly notorious to those who are familiar with the coal region. Anthracite is now divided, for practical purposes, into three classes: that which burns freely and leaves a residuum of red ashes; another harder and more difficult to ignite, leaving a residuum of white ashes; and purchasers of coal for consumption can rely upon this as an easy and conclusive test of its quality. The Lehigh coal is white-ash, less easy of ignition, but esteemed for manufacturing purposes: the Schuylkill coal of the better mines is red-ash, and the most valuable for domestick use. Very frequently, however, you will find veins of an inferiour quality, within fifty or a hundred yards of the best. In a transverse section of the several coal veins from the

in which their flattering anticipations are so fully realized, presents a fine example of the publick good which was achieved by publick spirited men, pursuing their own advantage by liberal expenditures of their wealth, in modes still more conducive to the publick advantage; and it affords one of a thousand contradictions to the mad outcry against corporate investments of property, issuing from that extravagant spirit of ultraism in all things, good or evil, which at this time agitates the publick mind in one part or another of the United States.

Sharp to the Broad Mountain, made by Mr. James | with their Address in 1820, in which they state Wilde, of Pottsville, he lays down seventy-two dif- their anticipation of the vast benefits to result from ferent veins in the space of four miles. About one its construction, down to the Report of the last year, fourth part of the best of them are now worked, some much more extensive than others, and differing very materially in quality; and we feel confident that one half of the whole number cannot be worked until the others are entirely worked out, or at least worked so deep below the water-level, as to enhance greatly the expense of mining. Besides the difference in the purity of coal from different veins near to each other, there may be remarked this general difference; that, commencing at the southerly termination of them in the Sharp Mountain, the coal in the vein as you proceed north to the Broad Mountain, gradually becomes harder; and also, proceeding east towards Mauch Chunk it grows harder; while proceeding west beyond Minersville, it becomes softer, until in the neighbourhood of the Susquehannah, it becomes too soft and brittle for profitable transpor-Years. tation. This view of the subject is confirmed by 1826 reference to the weight of the coal, in the different 1827 parts of the field. Thus, at Mauch Chunk, its spe- 1828 cifick gravity is 1,494; on the waters of the Schuyl- 1829 kill, in and about Pottsville, it is 1,453; and on the Swatara it is 1,400. We make these remarks, of 1831 course, without reference to the fractures or faults, which occur in a vein occasionally, owing to the imperfection in the formation of the coal, a disturbance of it by great natural convulsions.

And this leads us to another consideration of great practical importance to the consumer. The veins have a uniform range, longitudinally with the basin, north seventy-two degrees east, so that whenever a valuable vein is opened in one tract of land it can be traced to the lands adjoining; and the more celebrated veins have been opened in many places for several miles beyond the first pit. Such are the Peach Mountain, Spohn, Lewis, and Gate veins, which were opened before rail-roads were constructed, at points convenient for conveyance by turnpikeroad to the landings at mount Carbon. By the introduction of rail-roads, these veins became accessible at various places in the Schuylkill valley; and there are examples of a vein thus traced and identified for the space of ten miles. This fact shows the necessity of buying coal with reference to the vein from which it is obtained, without being governed exclusively by the name of a particular pit, mine, or property; for it is by regarding the mine, rather than the vein, that retail venders of anthracite coal, from the Schuylkill region, have fallen into so much idle competition of names, and quackery of advertisement, for the purpose of drawing customers. Whoever buys red ash coal, prepared for the market by the Delaware Coal company, the North American, or any of the respectable individual proprietors or miners in the Schuylkill Valley, may rest assured that he has a good article and the best of anthracite coal for domestick consumption.

The Report of the company, for the year 1834, presents the following progressive increase of business, omitting the earlier year of its incompleteness:

Total Tunnage. 32,404

65,501

105,463

Tuns Coal.

16,767

Total Toll. $43,108 87

31,360

58,149 74

47,284

87,171 56

134,524

52,973

120,039 00

180,755

89,984

148,165 95

196,413

81,854

134,005 92

1832

1830

1833
1834

Commensurate with this augmenting business of the canal, has been the prosperity of the Coal Region, of which it is the outlet. It is an open highway, free to all the world, at the regular rate of tolls. Consequently, the navigation of it is in individual hands, partly of the proprietors of mines, who convey their own coal to market, partly of persons who pursue the business of boating alone, depending on freight from proprietors or undertakers of mines. The mines, also, are in the hands of private corporations, companies, or individuals, invited to the scene by the facilities it affords, in its natural and artificial features, for the prosecution of individual enterprise; among which persons, if any single one may, without derogation to the rest, be signalized for his active and intelligent usefulness, it is Mr. John White, the founder and controlling spirit of the Delaware Coal company. The consequence of all this has been the rapid growth of a flourishing population, of which Pottsville is the centre, strongly reminding the beholder of the similar results of wellapplied and well-combined capital and industry, as exhibited in the correspondent case of Lowell in Massachusetts.

The immense business of the Schuylkill valley, it is also interesting to observe, has been growing up simultaneously with that of Lowell, in about the same space of time. Indeed, the prosperity of the manufactories of Lowell, and that of the collieries of the Schuylkill valley, are much more intimately The Schuylkill region seems to have been connected, than a superficial observer, looking only marked by nature, for individual enterprise; and to the distance of the two places one from the other, the State was careful to keep this object in view, in would be prone to imagine. Coal was known to the incorporation of the Schuylkill Navigation com- abound in this region, so early as 1790, and perhaps pany, on whose canal the coal is conveyed to Phila- before; and the mines at Mauch Chunk were pardelphia for distribution along the Atlantick. The tially opened prior to the year 1800. It was used history of this canal, as recorded in the annual re- to a very limited extent by some of the blacksmiths ports of the officers of the company, and beginning in the neighbourhood; but not esteemed as of much