Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

INGHAM COUNTY NOTES

227

that the venture will be a success and add materially to the wealth
and prosperity of the village.
In 1916 the attention of a correspondent for the Ingham County
News was called to the above article, and L. C. Webb, the only
stockholder among the thirteen mentioned, then living, was interviewed and completed the story of the enterprise that began so
hopefully in a search for "dusky diamonds."
As nearly as can be located, the "diggings" were made on land
lying just west of Sycamore Creek between Ash and Elm streets.
After each stockholder had sunk about $135, with only some
holes in the ground to show for the outlay of. money, work was
abandoned and all hope of this becoming a coal mining region
was given up, and the little excitement it had created died a
natural death.
The stockholders were said to feel quite chagrined over the
failure of their venture, for they had made such thorough investigations before making their plans known that they felt reasonably
sure of success.
In 1872 it was announced that coal had been found three miles
north of Mason in Alaiedon Township, and for a time considerable
excitement prevailed, but the mining idea soon died out, and was
not revived until in November, 1874, when the following item
appeared in the Ingham County News:
"The prospects for a successful venture in coal mining on the
Brown farm in Alaiedon seem now to be good. About two years
ago there was considerable stir raised about this mine, and Brown
succeeded in leasing his farm to an eastern miner who predicted
that there was valuable deposits of coal there.
"Later the party, for some reason, seemed to become discouraged about the matter, and forfeited the amount he had advanced
to Mr. Brown to secure the lease.
"It was thought then, and has so been considered since, that
the mine was a failure, but Mr. James Jenkins, of Jackson, has
recently prospected in different places on this farm, and becoming
convinced that there is a good show for coal has leased the farm of
Brown.
"Mr. Jenkins is a miner of experience, having been mining captain of the Woodville Mine at Jackson for seven years. IIe
claims that he has got as 'good a thing' as there is in the State,