The coal mines of the Bon Air Company are situated in Cumberland and White counties, where three collieries and two hundred coke ovens are in operation. This is where all the celebrated grades of Bon Air coal and coke are mined and made ready for market. The daily output is about 2,000 tons of coal and coke. The Bon Air Coal & Iron Company is one of the largest companies in the South and its extensive business interests are managed by the following gentlemen: John P. Williams, president; J. M. Overton, vice president; W. C. Dibrell, treasurer, and C. Cooper, secretary. The main business office is in the Arcade Building, Nashville. Here are inexhaustible deposits of the Florida white rock, the best phosphate known to commerce. A field of it is being developed in the adjoining county of Decatur, near Parson’s. It runs from 75 to 83 per cent B. P. L. It is far superior to the Mt. Pleasant phosphate, containing as it does but little deleterious substance. This land is controlled by the Beech River Phosphate Company. T. S. Hughes, Clifton, Tenn., is secretary, and Jno. A. Pitts, of Nashville, is president. The lands of this company, consisting of 9,261 acres, are situated in Decatur county, Tennessee, just west of the Tennessee river, and from two to seven miles distant from that stream, and lie along both sides of Beech river, a tributary of the Tennessee, and the Perryville Branch of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway—(originally the Tennessee Midland). The best rock as found analyzes as follows: Per cent Moisture 50. Mixed oxides, iron and aluminum 1.38 Bone phosphate 84.89 The composite analyses of twenty different samples selected at random from various parts of the property, showed: Per cent Moisture 40. Bone phosphate 74.98 Mixed oxides, iron and aluminum 2.49 These analyses were made by Prof. J. C. Wharton, of Nashville, Tenn. The location of the property is especially favorable to transportation. A large part of it is immediately on the railroad, and all of it is easily accessible by spur track; while if desired, tramway could easily be provided for carrying the output to Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi river points. It is a difficult matter to make a computation on the tonnage, but it has been estimated by experts at from ten to fifteen million tons. From the developments as made, and the rock exposed, a conservative calculation places 500,000 tons in sight. It has been demonstrated that the rock can be prepared for market and loaded on cars at Parsons, Tenn., for $1.25 to $1.50 per ton, including all expenses. Underlying Clifton and adjacent to it are inexhaustible beds of the best hydraulic limestone cement-making rock. This section also abounds in acres for the manufacture of paints and the finest of lithograph stone.