KENTUCKY 



3228 



KENTUCKY 



over 3,500,000 pounds of raw wool, and 2,000,- 

 000 pounds of scoured wool. 



Minerals. Kentucky has great mineral re- 

 sources, which up to the present have not 

 been fully developed. The principal product 

 is coal, and Kentucky usually ranks fifth 

 among the coal-producing states, being sur- 

 passed only by Pennsylvania, West Virginia, 

 Illinois and Ohio. The annual production is 

 about 20,000,000 ton, valued at about $20,000,- 

 000 at the mines, which is about three-fourths 

 of the value of all the mineral products of the 

 state. There are in Kentucky two separate 

 areas belonging to two important coal fields. 

 In the eastern and southeastern part of the 

 state there is a coal area which belongs to 

 the extensive Appalachian system, while that 

 located in the northwest belongs to the inte- 

 rior field, a continuation of the coal fields of 

 Illinois and Indiana. 



The mines yield an excellent quality of bitu- 

 minous coal, and about 100,000 tons of cannel 

 coal are extracted yearly. The production of 

 cannel coal is greater than that of any other 

 state. Coal was mined here as early as 1827, 

 and Kentucky was the third state in the Union 

 to become a regular producer of coal. Beds of 

 excellent iron ore are also found in the coal 

 regions. Clay suitable for brick and tile and 

 for pottery is found in abundance, and the 

 products manufactured from clay have a value 

 of nearly $3,000,000 a year. Petroleum and nat- 

 ural gas are found in several places, and build- 

 ing and other stones are extensively quarried. 

 Considerable quantities of both Portland and 

 natural-rock cement are produced. Kentucky 

 ranks second among the states in the mining of 

 fluorspar. 



Manufactures. The state has potential re- 

 sources for a large industrial development. It 

 possesses great mineral wealth, extensive for- 

 ests, large herds of cattle ; it grows large crops ; 

 it has numerous waterways that afford cheap 

 transportation. But, although its industries 

 show a steady growth, Kentucky is not yet 

 truly an industrial state. Its special industries 

 are the distilling of alcoholic liquors and the 

 manufacture of tobacco. The distilling of liquors 

 has been conducted here for over a century, 

 and the product, known as Bourbon whisky, 

 after the county where it was first produced, 

 enjoys a great reputation. The industry was 

 established in 1794, when a large number of dis- 

 tillers from Pennsylvania removed to Kentucky 

 after the Whisky Insurrection (which see). In 

 ihe manufacture of distilled liquor Kentucky 



holds second place among the states, its prod- 

 uct being valued at over $44,OOjQjOOO, or about 

 one-fifth of the total value of the liquor dis- 

 tilled in the United States. The output in- 

 creased between the years 1909 and 1911, then 

 gradually decreased, and in 1915 suddenly fell 

 to one-third its former dimensions, due to the 

 rapid enlargement of prohibition areas. 



The manufacture of tobacco is also one of 

 the oldest industries in the state. It dates from 

 the eighteenth century, when tobacco was here 

 legal tender and every town had its tobacco 

 factories. Louisville has been for a long time 

 one of the great leaf-tobacco markets of the 

 world. 



The lumber and timber industry is growing 

 very rapidly. Its products are valued at over 

 $20,000,000 a year, having trebled in value 

 since 1890. Logging is important on the rivers 

 in the mountain regions, and numerous planing 

 mills have been established near the forests. 

 The product of the flour and grist mills are 

 valued at over $22,000,000 yearly. Meat pack- 

 ing and slaughtering is an important industry 

 that is developing very fast. The manufacture 

 of leather from the hides of the animals slaugh- 

 tered is important, the bark of the numerous 

 chestnut oaks supplying excellent material for 

 tanning. Iron and steel mills are increasing in 

 number, the raw material being supplied by the 

 extensive iron ore deposits found in the state. 

 The value of all the manufactured products 

 exceeded $230,000,000 in 1915, showing an in- 

 crease of nearly eighty per cent since 1900, but 

 of less than three per cent in the last five years. 



Transportation. The Ohio and its numerous 

 tributaries furnish extensive waterways suit- 

 able for cheap transportation, but the state is 

 quite inadequately supplied with railways. In 

 fact, there are extensive areas covering thou- 

 sands of square miles which are wholly with- 

 out railway communication. Such is the moun- 

 tainous region in the southeastern corner, and 

 the south-central part of the state. Ken- 

 tucky had 3,810 miles of railroads in 1915. The 

 chief lines are the Illinois Central; the Louis- 

 ville & Nashville; the Chesapeake & Ohio; 

 the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific 

 Railway; the Louisville, Henderson & Saint 

 Louis; and the Southern Railway. The blue- 

 grass region is supplied with excellent carriage 

 roads, while fairly good roads are found else- 

 where. The Dixie Highway crosses the state 

 from Louisville to the Tennessee line. 



Government. Kentucky is governed under a 

 constitution adopted in 1891. This is the 



