Show BEGAN COAL OAL MINING YEARS AGO First mention menton of ot the occurrence of coal In the United States according to the United States geological survey sure Is mado mato In the Journal joural of or Father Hennepin Hennepin Hennepin Henne- Henne pin a French Jesuit missionary who in 1679 recorded tho the site sie of or a n cole mine on Illinois river near tho the present cl city of ot Ottawa Ill Il The TIme first actual mining mining- of oC coal In was was tho the Richmond Basin Va about seventy years ears after Father discover discovery In Illinois but tho the first records of ot production from froni the time Virginia mines were for the time year when according to one authorIty authority au au- tons were mined Ohio I probably ranks second In priority oCI of oC production as coal coal was discovered I there In 1756 1156 but the tho records of oC production pro pro- ducton date back only to 1838 Tho The mining mining of or anthracite In Pennsylvania he began an about 1790 and It Is said sald that that in 1807 five fifty tons were shipped to Columbia Co Co- Co- Co lumbia lumbia Pa Reports of oC the anthracite coal trade trado are usually begun with tho year 1820 when hen G 6 long long- 1011 tons were shipped to Philadelphia from tho the LeI Lehigh Le- Le hl high h region Prior to this however In islE a shipment of two twenty tons I was WaR made from also to Philadelphia and In tho the following ta talila ta- ta lila ble tho the production is considered to have ha c begun in that year It I Is probable that the th actual production prior to 1320 was b between bat tween 2500 ton ton tons The The- production for fOl 1911 was ics short tons |