Part 36 (1/2)
”Another condition of value in a coal mine is a good roof. There are many rich veins of coal that have only earth or soft shale above them, and they are practically worthless because they are unworkable. We fortunately have a superb rock roof over our mine.”
”But, Doctor,” said Tom, ”you told us the other night that coal is at the basis of modern industrial civilization. Then I suppose that those nations which have coal must be the foremost ones in industry and consequently in civilization.”
”Certainly they are,” said the Doctor, as the other boys gathered about to hear the talk; ”and they will be more and more so as time goes on.
England has more coal than any other country in Europe and so England is by all odds the foremost industrial nation in Europe, though other nations there have the advantage of buying English coal in an open market. Ever since our modern age of industry and machinery set in--that is to say ever since Old King Coal came to his throne--England has grown greater and richer, till now she is by all odds the richest country in Europe.”
”Haven't the other countries there any coal?” asked Ed.
”Yes, but comparatively little. Let me see if I can remember the figures approximately. Great Britain's coal fields cover nearly 12,000 square miles; France has only 2,000 square miles, Prussia about the same, Belgium has only 500 square miles, Austria less than 2,000; Italy none at all to speak of, and as for Spain, the Spanish indolence, which puts off everything till 'to-morrow' has prevented that country from even finding out what coal she has. Russia has vast fields and bids fair to take her place ultimately among the great coal producing and industrial nations of the earth. But as yet her coal fields are imperfectly developed and her coal production is only about one-thirty-fifth as great as that of Great Britain.”
”What about the United States, Doctor?” asked Tom, who was an aggressive patriot.
”Well, we have many times more coal than all Europe combined,” answered the Doctor. ”Great Britain's 12,000 square miles of coal lands sink into insignificance in comparison with our 214,000 square miles of measured coal fields, our 200,000 or 300,000 square miles in the Rocky Mountain states, and our totally unguessed-at coal fields in Oregon and Was.h.i.+ngton. As four or five hundred thousand and probably more, is to twelve thousand, so is our known coal area to that which has made Great Britain the greatest industrial nation on earth next to our own. And some of the British mines are pretty nearly worked out, while we have scarcely scratched the surface of ours.”
”Then this is likely to become the greatest industrial nation on earth?”
said Jack.
”It is already that,” answered the Doctor. ”We are selling our manufactured goods--even iron and steel products--in England to-day, almost as freely as we are selling our grain and our meat. I tell you, boys, there is nothing in this world that can happen to a man that is so good as being born an American citizen.”
”Amen!” said Tom. ”To employ the dialect of my friends among the mountaineers, 'them's my sentiments every time all over and clear through.'”
”All right,” said Jack, ”now let's get to bed.”
”I suppose there's a lot more you could tell us about coal, Doctor,”
said Jim, ”if there was time.”
”Of course there is,” the Doctor responded; ”but you'll learn it all practically. For we've a great mine here, and you boys will have first choice of places in its management.”
With that they all went to bed.
CHAPTER XLIII
_The Camp Venture Mining Company_
The next morning the Doctor ”drew” his c.o.ke oven, which was quite cool by that time. He minutely examined the c.o.ke and called Tom to look at it. ”You see,” he said, ”how perfectly it is fused. You see how free it is from any sort of admixture of sand or anything else. I tell you, Tom, we've got a great mine here, and it is going to make all of us comfortable for the rest of our lives. Your good mother is especially to be congratulated. This find will make her not only independent, but really rich. Now I want you to understand me, Tom. If your mother prefers to have anybody else manage this affair for her, I will instantly withdraw. At present I have no interest whatever here, and I can have none except by her consent. This mine is absolutely hers, to do with as she pleases. I want to serve her in the matter, by finding among my friends the capitalists who can make the thing 'go.' If she prefers to put the matter into other hands, I hope, Tom, you'll urge her to do so.”
Tom arose, took the Doctor's hand, pressed it warmly, and said simply:
”I'm not quite an idiot, Doctor. Go on with your plans.”
Somehow, although Jack was Tom's elder brother, the Doctor and indeed the whole company had learned to think of Tom as essentially the head of his family. Curiously enough his mother and the other boys themselves had learned to regard Tom in precisely the same way.
”But Doctor,” said Tom, eager to divert the conversation, ”why were you in such a hurry to put out the fire here that night when we first discovered the coal? Would it have burned any considerable way into the vein?”
”I can best answer you, Tom, by telling you that about fifteen or twenty miles back of Mauch Chunk, in Pennsylvania, there is a bed of coal that has been burning for about half a century. Everything that human ingenuity could do to put it out has been done, but all to no avail. The whole mountain is slowly burning away, and when one walks about on the crust he is liable at any moment to have a foot sink into the fire below. So you see why I didn't want our mine to begin its career by getting afire.”
The next thing on the day's program was work upon the second truss for supporting the mine roof, and this was got into place before midday, so that the afternoon was given to vigorous digging into the coal bank.