The State of Missouri [pp. 481-489]

THE STATE OF MISSOURI.
the artisan of every clime and nationality, to a home in Missouri, to
a co-operation in the development of its measureless resources, and
to an enriching participation in its prosperity.
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MILLION TONS OF COAL IN MISSOURI.Coal underlies a large portion of Missouri. It has already been
discovered in 30 counties. Beds of cannel coal, 45 feet thick, have
been found. There are 160 square miles of coal in St. Louis county.
The amount of coal in Cooper county has been estimated at 60,000,000 tons. Under every acre of Boone county there is supposed to
be at least $1,000 worth of coal. The deposits in the vicinity of
Booneville cover an area of 2,000 square miles. The strata have a
mean thickness of three feet, and are calculated to contain 60,000,000 tons of coal.
The following estimates are based upon the survey of Professor
Swallow
Counties. Square Miles. Mean Thickness. Tons of Coal.
Andrew, ]
Atchison, I
Buchanan, 2,000. 10 feet, 20,000,000,000
Holt, if only 2 feet, 4,000,000,000
Platte, J
Chariton,
Linn,!40 12 feet, 18,000,000,000
Livingston, if only 4 feet, 6,000,000,000
Macon, )
State of 6, 887. 8 feet thick, 200,000,000,000
Missouri, ('* if only 4 feet, 100,000,000,000
Upon this lowest estimate-which is more than 34,400,000,000
tons below the calculation of Professor Swallow-it would take, at
100,000 tons a day, more than 3,000 years, at 300 working days
each, to exhaust the coal deposits of Missouri.
Iron abounds in different portions of Missouri, but the stupendous
masses of almost solid iron found in St. Francois, Iron and Reynolds
counties, dwarf the discoveries of other localities into insignificance.
Before the blomaries of Ironton, the furnaces in other sections of
the State must pale their ineffectual fires. The results of Dr. Litton's investigations have been often published, but perhaps the use
for which this article is designed will justify their reproduction.
Shepherd Mountain is 660 feet high. The ore, which is magnetic
and specular, contains a large per centage of pure iron. The height
of Pilot Knob above the Mississippi River is 1,1 18 feet. Its base,
581 feet firom the sumlnit, is 360 acres. The iron is known to extend
440 feet below the surface. The upper section of 141 feet is judged
to contain 14,000,000 tons of ore.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES OF MIssoURI.-Missouri presents to
the farmer those conditions of climate which are most favorable to
husbandry. The cold of the Northern latitudes restricts the variety
of production, and blockades communication with icy barriers. The
heat of the South enervates energy and invites to indolence. Missouri enjoys the genial mean which permits the widest range of pro
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