From the Logan Banner of Logan, WV, in a story titled “Origin of Coal,” comes this bit of coal history dated May 24, 1927:

ORIGIN OF COAL

It is a self evident fact that coal is of vegetable origin, and the evidence of which can be briefly stated, based on present scientific study of this subject:

1. Vegetable remains long extinct are found plentiful in close proximity with coal seams; stumps, roots, leaves and stems are found int eh slate overlying the seam and under clay, and are found even imbedded in the seams themselves.

2. This vegetation is associated with the coal seam and often becomes coal whiles till retaining its original form and structure.

3. This vegetation is found and recognized in the whole coal seam, even the coal ashes carefully examined under a powerful microscope show vegetable cells.

4. The perfect gradation may be traced from wood through the different kind of coal, and by chemical analysis.

5. Peats may be manufactured into a substance having many of the qualities of coal, and we may say further that all carbon and hydro carbon have organic matter.

The Flora or plant life of the coal measures are of the most abundant and perfect of all the extinct plants. It has been estimated that there are about 2000 known species of plant fossils in the coal measures. This Flora is really interesting to the geologist in that it furnishes a key to the evolution of the land plants. These plants are found preserved in some form in the coal seams in the overlying slate and rocks and underlying clays and slates.

From address by Charles E. Krebs, at convention of Mine Inspectors Institute of America, in session at Charleston last week.