1T259, 260, 261] testing lignite— localities of occurrence. 159 



Even large pieces of the pyrites generally will, in course of time, undergo the 

 same change — will burst open ami generally crumble into a powder consisting 

 chiefly of copperas. This change takes place rapidly when the mineral is car- 

 ried in the pocket, the cloth of which it will soon corrode. 



259. I have stated above, that good lignites are applicable to 

 most of the purposes subserved by bituminous coal, except (in most 

 cases at least) coking (1252). It cannot, however, any more than 

 the latter, be used in the place of wood charcoal, unless previously 

 carbonized. It has been usual, in this State, in neighborhoods 

 where lignite was discovered, to test its usefulness by trying it in 

 the forge, instead of charcoal, and as might be expected, the results 

 have been unfavorable. But the fault was with the experimenters, 

 for the best bituminous coal is well known to be entirely unsuited 

 to the blacksmith's use, unless when mixed, in small quantities with 

 charcoal. Thus applied, good lignite will bo found to answer the 

 same purpose ; it cannot, however, bo expected to perform what 

 even bituminous coal will not. But for boiler fires, grates, stoves, 

 furnaces, etc., good lignite is found to be little inferior to stone 

 coal; compact varieties resembling the latter, are very well suited 

 also to the manufacture of illuminating gas, and yield a coke suit- 

 able to all purposes where it is not subject to much pressure, or 

 lon«r transportation. 



260. It requires indeed, but very little foresight to appreciate the importance 

 of these deposits for the industrial development of the State. It is true that 

 thus far, talcing it as a whole, firewood has been abundant, and will be for some 

 time to come, so long at least as manufacturers shall employ, as they do at pres- 

 ent, but a very small part of the productive capital of the State. Should this 

 condition of things change, however (towards which there is now a decided 

 tendency), the call for fuel less costly in its transportaton — the distance of 

 which, in the case of wood, will rapidly increase — would soon put these beds of 

 brown coal into requisition. But even as it is, fuel is already becoming expen- 

 sive in some districts, by the increasing distance from the forest, and Western 

 coal, so largely used in the navigation of the Mississippi river, is being bought 

 at enormous rates in our towns, in order to be enabled to replace the open fire- 

 place by iron grates, or coal stoves. There is no reason, save prejudice, why 

 the native lignites should not be used in the same way. It is needless, how- 

 ever, to expatiate on the importance to any State, of possessing inexhaustible 

 beds of a fuel little inferior to bituminous coal. Common sense, as well as the 

 sad experience of older States, teaches plainly how little reliance can be placed 

 on a permanent supply of timber and fire-wood in any well settled district, 

 under the destructive and improvident management of this portion of the 

 national wealth, under which our forests dwindle at an alarming rate, so as even 

 to affect seriously the climates and meteorological phenomena. The increasing 

 floods, not only of the simlier stream?, but oi the mighty Mississippi itself, tell 

 as plain a tale as statistical data would mike it, o\' the destructive sway of the 



The forests of Mississippi are fist sharing the (ate of their brethren in iho 

 older States, and the years may be counted alter the lapse of which she must 

 draw for her fuel on the coal-fields of other St ites, unless she should think it 

 a wiser policy to avail herself of her own. 



fcttl. Localities of Lignite Bids. — I shall now give in brief a list 

 of the localities where, thus far, lignite b"dsof practical importance 

 have been observed by myself or others; with Mich observations as 

 may tend to give some light to the miner, on their quality and 

 availability. 



