6 Coal Mines in the vicinity of Richmond, Va. 
The coal from these pits ignites easily and burns freely, being 
very suitable for grates, locomotives, &c., but unsuitable - for 
smiths’ use. There are several seams of these coals; the first 
from twelve to sixteen feet in thickness, the next ewenti eight 
inches, the third four and a half feet. Other seams are known — 
to exist below these, but have not been worked. These coals 
were discovered about thirty years ago, by a craw-fish bringing 
up coals to the surface above his hole. Wooldridge’s old pits 
were discovered by the wheels of the waggons running on the 
Buckingham road turning up coal in the ruts; and the coal at 4 
the old Green Hole pits was said to be discovered by a deer jump- 
ing across the creek and throwing up coal on the snow. The — 
time of the discovery is not accurately known. 
The Mid Lothian Coal Mining Company’s pits lie immedi- 
ately south of the Maidenhead mines, southwest of Railey’s pits, 
west of the Creek Company’s mines, west and south of Stone- 
henge, and adjoin all these mines. This company procured a 
charter in 1835, and was organized in 1836. The sinking for 
coal preceded the organization of the company, and was in an- 
ticipation of it. The tracts of land contain four hundred and 
four and a half acres; upon the northeast corner, being the rise, 
a shaft had been previously sunk and worked ; it is five hun- 
dred feet deep. By improvident mining, it crushed the pillars of 
coal, settled down, and was abandoned in 1836; there not being 
more than five or six acres worked by the then lessees. These 
lands, being two tracts, were valued at $300,000, and owned by 
Wm. Wooldridge’s heirs, to wit, Dr. A. L. Wooldridge, Jane A. 
Blam, Charlotte Wooldridge and myself. The capital was divi- 
ded into three thousand shares of a hundred dollars each; and 
one third, being one thousand shares, was soldeto some thirty 
shareholders, in and around Richmondesiigiiaamalyes of the most 
respectable and wealthy class. . The $100,000 cash, the amount 
thus raised, was given to the company as a capital for sinking, 
purchasing machinery, for laborers, &ec. Four shafts were com- 
menced, nearly in a line on the run of the coal, extending a mile 
or more. In the autumn of 1839, coal was found in one shaft, 
at the depth of seven hundred anit twenty two feet to the coal, 
at which time the other three were temporarily suspended, one 
being six hundred and twenty five feet deep, one three | 
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