The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-04-16
THE KANAWHA VALLEY.
Development Of Its Mineral Re
sources-Coai and Salt Works
Facilities for Iron Manufacture.

up the Great Kanawha river, in West
Virginia, and examined the character
istics of its valley, it has occurred X
me that q brief account of the same
might possess interest for some of you
readers, although there may be nothing
new to those who arc already familiar
with that part OF the Old Dominion
The valley having been occupied during
the late war by both armies, at different
periods, its industrial interests were
Frustrated for several years, and are
now just beginning to revive slowly
the inhabitants emerging from the de-
vastating effects of war with scarcely
any means left for prosecuting the
works that were established and il
successful operation, namely, coal and
salt works. The salt works of the
Great Kanawha have been famous fol
many years, but the mining of coal fol
shipment along the Talley of the Ohio
river is comparatively of recent date
although ii was the quality and abun'
dance of the coal that led to and ren.
dered profitable the extensive mauufac'
ture Of salt. A few years before the
war several independent coal works
were established and put in successful
operation: one at Cannelton, about
ninety-fye miles above the mouth OF
the Kanawha; one called the "Old Do
minion," about eighty-three miles; one
at Paint Creek Oil Works, eighty one
miles; one called "Winfrede," about
seventy-three miles; another had been
organized at Coalburgh, about seventy,
seven miles; and another on Coal river
the mouth of which is about torty.eight
miles from the Ohio river, and some
others were started. At present there
are the Cannelton, the Coalburgh and
the Coal river works in operation, ship
ping coal TO Cincinnati and other
points.
The manufacture of salt was almost
suspended during the war, and it has
only reached to little more than hall
Of the maximum quantity formerly
made. 1t is now estimated at one and
half millions bushels per annum, aud
the price is about fifty cents per bush,
el in the market of the Ohio valley.
Quite recently the attention of iron
men has been more particularly direct
ed to the Kauawha Valley, and it seems
to be well worthy of it, rs th0re are ev
licences and Indications of large quanti
tics of very superior ore existing under
highly favorable circumstances, so that
although the mining of coal and manu-
facture of salt will always constitute
important industrial interests, recent
examinations by competent iron experts
have rendered IL almost certain that the
raising of iron ore, and the smelling OF
iron in the valley of the Great Kanawha
will very soon be an important, and
perhaps the leading industrial interest
1t is in the latter respect that the val
ley of the Great Kanawha has an interest
or will present special interest to the
iron manufacturers of Pittsburgh, as
well as to those of other places easily
accessible from the Ohio river. 1t is
believed that there is no iron field in
any part of the United States that com.
bines better facilities for the cheap
manufacture of iron of good quality.
There are tracts of land on the Great
Kanawha upon which the iron, the
csal, the limestone and the fire clay,
all of good quality, are abundant, and
living either on or within few miles of
the main stream, winch is Dayigable at
I'll times when there is navigation on
the Ohio, and at all times when the
Ohio is too low for profitable steam
boating. The Kanawha has been so far
improved as to be at lcasL equal to the
Ohio river navigation for ninety miles
up the junction of the Gauley and New
river, which form the Kanawha, which
distance embraces the coal, salt and
iron region now under consideration:
and the natural resources of the valley
are so great that it may be regarded as
quite certain that whenever the Ohio
shall be essentially. improved the navi-
CATION on the Kanawha will be main
tanned on par with it, and this, | will
state, can be effected at reasonable cost.
The flow of water in the Kanawha is
much greater proportionally in the low
water season than the flow ON the Ohio
river above the mouth of the Kanawha
At no distant period the railroad from
Richmond, Virginia, will be extended
aud constructed through the Kanawha
Valley to the Ohio river, TINS atfording
a convenient eastern outlet for the pro.
ducts of the valley, and adding to the
value of the lands.
The present unsettled condition of the
political affairs of the South it is true
are not favorable to the early compile.
tion of important public improvements
but it is to be hoped that no great
length of time will elapse ere our Union
shall be firmly re-established, and all
its great industries once more encOur-
aged and fostered, and placed in flour.
ishing state.
Meanwhile, it may be worth while
tor our Pittsburgh iron manufacturers,
who are noted for their foresight and
far reaching practical Judgment, to
take note of the present condition oi
things in the valley of the Great Kama
wha.
Men of good Judgment who have
carefully examined the region, and cal
culated the cost, declare that good iron
can be made at this time, with wages
as they now stand, at less than twenty
dollars por ton. If this be true, here we
have an iron field, distant only about
three hundred miles by water from
Pittsburgh, whence large supplies OF
good metal may be delivered in this
Oli1 AOl hOO OAOOOuihS tNcuOy Lilly NOl
lars per ton; and, if wages should here.
after fall, at less than that price.
Lands containing good coal, ore, lime
limestone and fire-clay may now be
purchased at very reasonable rates. The
people Of the Kanawha Valley are well
aware of the great value of their nat.
ural mineral resources, but they hare moi
the means for derelopiHg them. Before
the war, capital had begun to 60 into
that region, and beginning was made
in the mining of coal for shipment
over two millions of dollars were thus
invested, chiefly New York capital; but
it had not yet extended to the erection
of furnaces. Attention quite recently
has again been directed to the region
and some New York and Boston mel
are now looking into it in connection
with the iron business. Now is the time
according to my Judgment, for Pitts
burgh men to examine into this iron
district, and secure soon, at reasonable
rates, a proper interest in the same
And why not the controli
From ny own personal observations
/ am enabled to state, that without any
question, there is abundance of good
coal suited to the manufacture of iron
and fhere ara yeips Of iron ara of excel.