Coal Fire by
It is truly astonishing, that the inexhaustible bedsmines of
anthracite coal, lying along the Schuylkill river and ridges, valleys
and mountains, from old Berks county to the mountains of Shamokin, were
not found out and applied to domestic uses, fully fifty years before
they were! Coal has been exhumed from the earth, and burned in forges
and grates in Europe, from time immemorial, we think, yet we distinctly
remember when a few canal boats only were engaged in transporting from
the few mines that were open and worked along the Schuylkillthe
comparatively few tons of anthracite coal consumed in Philadelphia, not
sent away. As far back as 1820, we believe, there was but little if any
coal shipped to Philadelphia, from the Schuylkill mines at all.
Our venerable friend, the still vivacious and clear-headed Col.
Davis, of Delaware, gave us, a few years ago, a rather amusing account
of the first successful attempt of a very distinguished old gentleman,
Gov. Mifflin, to ignite a pile of stone coal. The date of the
transaction, more's the pity, has escaped us, but the facts of the case
are something after this fashion.
Gov. Mifflin, of Pennsylvania, lived and owned a fine estate in
Mifflin county, and in which county was discovered from time to time,
any quantity of black rock, as the farmers commonly called the then
unknown anthracite. Of course, the old governor knew something about
stone coal, and had a slight inkling of its character. At hours of
leisure, the governor was in the habit of experimenting upon the black
rocks by subjecting them to wood fire upon his hearths; but the hard,
almost flint-like anthracite of that region resisted, with most
obdurate pertinacity, the oft-repeated attempts of the governor to set
it on fire. It finally became a joke among the neighboring Pennsylvania
Dutch farmers, and others of the vicinity, that Gov. Mifflin was
studying out a theory to set his hills and fields on fire, and burn out
the obnoxious black rock and boulders. But, despite the jibes and jokes
of his dogmatical friends, the old governor stuck to his experiments,
and the result produced, as most generally it does through perseverance
and practice, a new and useful fact, or principle.
One cold and wintry day, Gov. Mifflin was cosily perched up in his
easy-chair, before the great roaring, blazing hickory fire, overhauling
ponderous state documents, and deeply engrossed in the affairs of the
people, when his eye caught the outline of a big black rock boulder
upon the mantle-piece before himit was a beautiful specimen of
variegated anthracite, with all the hues of the rainbow beaming from
its lacquered angles. The governor thought a heap of this specimen of
the black rock, but dropping all the documents and State papers
pell-mell upon the floor, he seized the piece of anthracite, and
placing it carefully upon the blazing cross-sticks of the fire, in the
most absorbed manner watched the operation. To his great delight the
black rock was soon red hothe called for his servant man, a sable son
of Africa, or some down South Congo
Yes, sah, I'se heah, sah.
Isaac, run out to the carriage-house, and get a piece of that black
Yes, sah, I'se gone.
In a twinkling the negro had obtained a huge lump of the anthracite,
and handing it over to the governor, it was placed in a favorable
position alongside of the first lump, and the governor's eyes fairly
danced polkas as he witnessed the fact of the two pieces of black rock
assuming a red hot complexion.
Isaac! again exclaimed the governor.
Run outget another lump.
A third lump was added to the fire; the company in the governor's
private parlor was augmented by the appearance of the governor's lady
and other portions of the family, who, seeing Isaac lugging in the
rocks, came to the conclusion that the governor was going clean crazy
over his experiments. It was in vain Mrs. Mifflin and the daughters
tried to suspend the functions of the chief magistrate, over the
Go away, women; what do you know about mineralogy, igniting
anthracite? Go way; close the doors; I've got the rocks on fireI'll
make them laugh t'other side of their mouths, at my black rock fires!
In the midst of the excitement, as the governor was perspiring and
exulting over his fiery operation, a carriage drove up, and two
gentlemen alighted, and desired an immediate audience with Gov.
Mifflin; but so deeply engaged was the governor, that he refused the
strangers an audience, and while directing Isaac to tell the strangers
that they must come to-morrow, and while he continued to pile on more
black rocks, brought in by Isaac, in rushed the strangers.
Good day, governor; you must excuse us, but our business admits of
Can't help it, can't help yousee how it blazes, see how it
burns! cried the abstracted or mentally and physically absorbed
But, governor, the man may be hanged, if
Let him be hangedhurra! See how it burns; call in the neighbors;
let them see my black rock fire. I knew I'd surprise them!
But, governor, will you please delay this
Delay? No, not for the President of the United States. I've been
trying this experiment for eight years. I've now succeededsee, see
how it burns! Run, Isaac, over to Dr. 's, tell him to come, stop in
at Mr. S's, tell Mr. Hto come, come everybodyI've got the
black rocks in a blaze! And clapping on his hat, out ran the governor
through the storm, down to the village, like a madman, leaving the
strangers and part of his household as spectators of his fiery
experiments. Just as the governor cleared his own door, a pedler wagon
drove up, and the pedler, seeing the governor starting out in such
double quick time, hailed him.
Hel-lo! Sa-a-a-y, yeou heold onyeou the guv'ner?
Clear out! roared the chief magistrate.
Shain't deu nothin' of the sort, no how! says the pedler,
dismounting from his wagon, and making his appearance at the front
door, where he encountered the two rather astonished strangerslegal
gentlemen of some eminence, from Harrisburg, with a petition for the
respite of execution.
Halloo! which o' yeou be the guv'ner? says the pedler.
Neither of us, replied the gentlemen; that was the governor you
spoke to as you drove up.
Yeou dun't say so! Wall, he was pesky mad about som'-thin'. What on
airth ails the ole feller?
Can't say, was the response; but here he comes again.
Now, now come in, come in and see for yourselves, cried the
excited Governor of the great Key Stone State; there's a roaring fire
of burning, blazing, black rock, anthracite coal!
But, alas! the cross sticks having given away in the interim, and
the coal being thrown down upon the ashes and stone hearth,was all
Wall, says our migratory Yankee, who followed the crowd into the
house, I guess I know what yeou be at, guv'ner, but I'll tell yeou
naow, yeou can't begin to keep that darn'd hard stuff burning, 'less
yeou fix it up in a grate, like, gin it air, and an almighty draught;
yeou see, guv'ner, I've been making experiments a darn'd long while
The laugh of the governor's friends subsided as the pedler went into
a practical theory on burning stone coal; the respite was
signedhospitalities of the mansion extended to all present, and in
course of a few days, our Yankee and the governor rigged up a grate,
and soon settled the questionwill our black rocks burn?