ford. "He comes out all the brighter
and cleaner by contrast when the dirt is washed off."

If Derrick's right ear did not burn and tingle with all this praise, it
ought to have done so; but perhaps he was too busy telling the exciting
news of the day at home to notice it.

He did not walk past the Jones's house, nor hesitate before ringing the
door-bell on this occasion, as he had the evening before, but stepped up
to it with all the boldness of one who was about to meet and greet old
acquaintances. Besides, his mind was too full of the sad fate that had
befallen his mule to admit of more than the briefest consideration of
personal feelings.

At the supper-table the conversation was wholly of mines, collieries,
and the perils of miners' lives, in regard to which Mr. Jones related a
number of interesting incidents.

"How wonderful it is!" said Miss Nellie, who had listened to all this
with eager attention. "Who first discovered coal, anyway, Uncle Warren?
and how did people find out that it would burn?"

"If you mean who discovered anthracite coal, I believe the credit is
generally given to a man named Philip Gunter, who lived in a cabin on
the side of a mountain not far from where we are now sitting. He was a
hunter; and the story goes that one day in the year 1791 he had been out
hunting for many hours, without securing any game, which made him feel
very badly, for when he left home that morning there was no food in the
house. Towards night he was returning, greatly depressed in spirits, and
paying so little heed to his footsteps that he stumbled and fell over
some obstacle. Stooping to see what it was, he found a black stone,
different from any he had ever before noticed. He had, however, heard of
stone coal, and thought perhaps this might be a lump of that substance.
Having nothing else to carry, he decided to take it home as a curiosity.
Soon afterwards he gave it to a friend, who sent it to Philadelphia,
where it was pronounced to be genuine coal. A few gentlemen became
interested in this discovery, and formed themselves in the 'Lehigh
Coal-mine Company.' A mine was opened, and four laborers were employed
to work it; but as there was no way of getting the coal they mined to
market they were soon discharged, and the project was abandoned for the
time being.

"Nothing further was done until 1817, when Colonel George Shoemaker, of
Pottsville, took four wagon-loads of anthracite coal to Philadelphia,
and tried