CARROLL COUNTY.

Production, 920 tons.

This county is underlaid by the coal measure formation, and coal has been found in various parts of the county; but very little mining is carried on here; the coal varies in thickness from 18 to 24 inches, and is the same seam as that so extensively mined in Ray county; it is overlaid by a good roof and is easily secured with timber. There are several parties operating mines at Little Compton, and in the vicinity of Carrollton, to supply the home demand; the product of the mines, with other information, will be found in the statistical tables of this report.

CEDAR COUNTY.
Production, 730 tons.

Very little mining is done in this county; the coal is found in local deposits in the hills, and the mines are entered by drifts; it varies in thickness from 24 to 35 inches; it is of good quality and overlaid by very good roof; the mines are located in the vicinity of Jerico, and are operated to supply the home consumption. Names of parties operat ing these mines, and the product of the same, will be found in the statistical tables of this report.

CHARITON COUNTY.

Production, 185 tons.

While Chariton county is all underlaid by the coal measures, and the coal found at various parts of the county, yet very little coal has been mined.

John Huenten is operating a drift mine near Guthridge mill to supply home demand.

R. W. Isle operates a mine at Indian Grove to supply the home consumption.

The Salisbury Coal Company was formed during the spring of 1894; it sunk a prospect shaft and struck a 5-foot seam of coal at a depth of 185 feet; a larger shaft was sunk at once, about 175 feet from the trial shaft, and on September 1, a 43-foot vein of coal was struck at a depth of 175 feet; head gear, top-house and a tipple have been erected, and a switch-track laid down; machinery and ropes, cages and pit-cars have been built, and the mine will soon be in operation; it is located on the southwest side of the city, within its corporate limits.

CLAY COUNTY.

Production, 19,371 tons.

KANSAS CITY POSTOFFICE.

North Kansas City Coal Co.-Oliver C. Hutchinson, manager. Mine located at Randolph, 6 miles northeast of Kansas City. Shaft 430 feet deep and operated by first-class machinery. A 12 foot ventilating fan is used to ventilate the mine, which was giving good results at dates of inspections. First inspection was made August 19, 1893, and the ventilation was found good; otherwise the mine was in poor condition, with very little improvement made since my former visit. The shaft bottom was in very bad shape and needed retimbering. There were about 40 men at work on this date. The company started to sink an escapement-shaft in January, 1893, and was down about 250 feet on date of this visit. December 11 I visited the mine again, and found the ventilation up to the requirements of the law, but the mine was in the same condition as on my last inspection, with about 50 men at work.

The sinking of the escape-shaft was progressing very slowly, as only 25 feet had been sunk since my last visit of August 19. I left the mine, as usual, full of good promises that the work would be pushed with more speed in the future. On the 7th of March I inspected the mine again and found the inside workings in very poor condition, with no improvement made during the year, as much as the mine needed it. I was greatly disappointed to find that the escapement-shaft had not gone down a foot since my last visit, and the following letter was sent to the company:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., March 8, 1894.

North Kansas City Coal Co., Kansas City, Mo.:

GENTLEMEN: In the month of June, 1893, you promised me your escapementshaft would be finished during the month of September next following. Having visited your mine yesterday, I was surprised to find the escapement-shaft not yet completed. Your carelessness and neglect in this matter convince me that I have been too lenient, and now I am forced, by the condition in which I find your mine, to insist that you increase the force at work on escapement-shaft, and complete the same not later than April 15, 1894. I expect to visit your mine before the date fixed for completion of shaft, and hope to find the mine in better shape. If escapement-shaft is not completed on the 15th day of next month, I shall order the mine closed until the same is completed. Trust you will consider this final and act accordingly. Very respectfully, CHAS. EVANS,

State Mine Inspector.

To the above letter the company replied "that it would be impossible for them to complete the escape-shaft in the time limited, and the

they would close the mine then in order to do the necessary repairs, and to put the mine in good shape for the winter trade."

On the 11th of April I made another visit to the mine, and found that the same had been closed down as far as the mining of coal was concerned, and only a few men were at work taking the water out and retimbering the shaft bottom. About the first week in July, 1894, we were informed that the plant burned down during the night, but fortunately there was no one in the mine at the time. Since the above was written we visited the mine again, and found that the pumps and pitcars had been taken out of the mine, and the same had been temporarily abandoned with the escapement-shaft uncompleted.

MISSOURI CITY POSTOFFICE.

In the summer of 1893 the citizens of Missouri City formed a coal company and sunk a shaft on the west end of the town, which will be connected with the Wabash railroad. I visited the place on the 12th of April and found the shaft down 145 feet, with 25 feet more to go to reach the coal. The shaft was making a large amount of water, which greatly retarded the progress of the work. As soon as coal is struck the mine will be equipped with machinery, and the shipment of coal will commence at once.

COOPER COUNTY.

Production, 2000 tons.

There is considerable coal in Cooper, and mining has been carried on in the county for a great number of years, but on a small scale The coal lies in local deposits, and pockets are mostly of the cannel variety; it is found all over the county, although there is a small seam of bituminous coal worked in the vicinity of Boonville.

BOONVILLE POSTOFFICE.

H. W. Jenkins is operating a drift mine near Boonville; coal 18 inches thick, and worked on the long-wall plan; the coal is consumed in the neighborhood.

Chas. W. Hazell operates a drift mine near Boonville; coal 17 inches thick, and is worked on the room and pillar plan; the coal is consumed at home.

Missouri Valley Coal Co.-Mine located four miles west of Boonville; connected with the Boonville and Lexington branch of the Mo. Pac. R. R.; shaft 95 feet; steam-power is used for hoisting. This is a pocket of coal situated on the south side of the Missouri river, and has been worked for a number of years; it is of the cannel variety,

and is mostly used to make gas; coal consumed in Kansas City and at local towns along the road.

The Stanley Coal Company, of Sedalia, operated a mine last year near Vermont station.

A pocket of good cannel coal was discovered, and operations were at once commenced to work the same. The coal is about 6 feet thick, of very fine quality for gas purposes as well as for fuel.

DADE COUNTY.

Production, 2639 tons.

Mining has been carried on in Dade county for a great number of years, but only on a small scale to supply the demand of the surrounding neighborhood. The coal is found in the hills, and the mines are entered by drifts; it will average about 32 inches in thickness, and is of very good quality. The mines are located 12 miles from a railroad, and the coal is taken away in wagons and consumed at Greenfield, Golden City, Lockwood and the surrounding country. Following is a list of the names of parties operating mines in this county :

SYLVANIA POSTOFFICE.

R. M. Shook.-Mine located at Sylvania; slope opening; coal 24 inches thick, and worked on room and pillar plan; about 8 men employed.

Robert McCluey.-Mine located at Sylvania, slope opening; coal 30 inches thick and worked on the room and pillar plan, employing from 4 to 6 men.

McCombs' mine, located at Sylvania, drift opening; coal 30 inches thick and worked on the room and pillar plan, employing from 3 to 4 men in winter.

The McGarveys' mine is operated by Thomas Allen; slope opening; coal 30 inches thick and worked on the pillar and room plan; about 6 men employed.

W. E. Sutton is operating the Seaton mine, which is also located at Sylvania; coal 34 inches thick and worked on the pillar and room plan, employing from 3 to 4 men.

GRUNDY COUNTY.

Production, 35,000 tons.

Grundy county has maintained her old position during the past year as the twelfth coal-producing county of the State. Thirty-five thousand tons of coal were produced during the past year, which was sold for $66,625. This, as compared with the preceding year, shows a slight decrease in tons, and 15 cents per ton in the price received for the output at the mines. Following is a description of the mines:

TRENTON POSTOFFICE.

There are only two mines in operation in this county at present; both of which are located at Trenton, and are owned and operated by the Grundy County Coal Company. Both mines have shipping connection with the C., R. I. & P. railroad, which road consumes the product of the mines, except that which is sold to supply the home market. The coal is 18 inches thick, and overlaid with a good slate roof, requir ing very little timber to keep it secure; it is well adapted for the longwall method of working, which system is followed; eighteen inches of the slate is taken down in the roadways of all the rooms, to make height to load. The price paid for mining varies in the two mines, as well as in summer and winter.

Mine No. 1 pays $1 per ton in summer and $1.123 per ton in winter; while, mine No. 2 pays $1.25 per ton in winter and $1.12 per ton in summer. The coal is dumped and run over a screen at mine No. 2 before it is weighed; this I consider in violation of section 7054 of the mining law of this State. Following is a description of each mine as found on dates of inspection :

Mine No. 1 has a shart 210 feet deep, and is equipped with steampower for hoisting. The mine has been in operation for about 18 years, and is very extensively worked. The curbing of the shaft is rotten, and needs to be retimbered; the engine-house and pit-top were burned down on the 6th of April, but have been rebuilt; this change has made considerable improvement, as the old buildings were very rickety. The engine has been repaired and reset on a more substantial foundation than before. New-hoisting ropes have been put on, and new cages have been built, all of which leaves the plant in better condition than it has been for years. Ventilation is supplied by a 10-foot fan, which was giving very fair results at date of inspection, considering the long distance, and the contracted air-ways the air has to travel in. The air is divided into two currents, and forced by the fan around the face of the workings, thence returning and escaping out through hoistingshaft. Enough air was circulating through the mine to comply with the requirements of the law, and was well distributed to all workings. The roadway is dry, high and in very fair condition. The product of this mine is consumed by the railroad company, in coaling its engines at the mine. The coal is of a very good quality for steam, and all other fuel purposes.

I. Bingey, foreman.

Mine No. 2 has a shaft 170 feet deep, operated by first-class machinery. The engines were built by the Ottumwa Iron Works Company,