Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-11-30
The Valley Railroad.

Inc valley Railroad.
Now that a contract has been entered into
with Northern capitalists which secures the
speedy completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad, the interest felt in improvements by
our citizens will be concentrated upon the Val
ley Railroad.
They will be pleased to learn, as stated by
the Baltimore Gazette that, as the time APP
proaches when an act, authorizing the subscrip-
ton by the city of Baltimore of the sum of
one million of dollars to the stock of the Valley
Railroad company, is to be obtained from the
Maryland Legislature and to be submitted to
the voters of Baltimore, the feeling in favor of
the completion Of the road, and the conviction
of the necessity of its construction, are daily
becoming stronger among those, at least, who
interest themselves in such matters and who
have the welfare of Baltimore really at heart.
The continued developments of the wealth OF
Virginia, which will become, by the construc-
ton of this road, tributary to Baltimore city,
are simply astounding to those who have given
no attention to the subject We do not allude
to the rich agricultural produce of splendid
and fertile region, which, of itself, yearly in
creasing, demands an iron road, and would soon
supply local trade and traffic sufficient TO sup
port it, but to the vast mineral resources
which have remained so long almost untouched,
simply from want of modern facilities of COM
munication The extension of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad from Stanton to the White
Sulphur Springs has, however, finally attracted
attention to the immense deposits of valuable
iron ore which exist between the Blue Ridge
and the Allegheny Mountains New York and
Pennsylvania and Maryland capital has been
invested near the line of the present road to a
large amount. Mineral property in Augusta,
Rockbridge and Allegheny counties, has been
purchased to a large extent, and within the
past four weeks We hear of additional transfers
of real estate to Pennsylvania iron masters.
From Staunton to the White Sulphur Springs
there are, at intervals, splendid deposits Of ore,
stretching away far to the north and the south
of the line Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Road
Indeed, it seems now to be an acknowledged
fact that there is belt of land, lying along the
Allegheny range, extending $50 miles through
Virginia, which is filed with iron ore deposits
of unusually good quality. 1t is directly
through the heart of this region that the pro-
posed Valley Road will pass from Stanton to
Salem. This of itself would give an immense
value to the road, would make it particularly
important to the State Of Virginia and render
it an unusually valuable connection for the city
of Baltimore But recent developments have
demonstrated that this region is not only album
dainty supplied with iron ore, bat that vast
veins of anthracite coal also lie embedded in
the earth, beneath its surface. Explorations
recently made by Baltimore company, which
has bought largely and is actively at work near
Buffalo Gap, have resulted in the discovery of
anthracite coal within few rods of the depos-
its of iron ORE On the opposite hill is large
quarry of limestone, suitable for fux. So far,
no such formation has been discovered in this
country, and if the veins of coal turn out as
well as it is now confidently anticipated they
will, the Valley of Virginia will possess re-
gion destined to become more famous than the
famous Gartsherrie district of Scotland, and in
which better iron will be produced for less
money, and IN larger quantities than in any
other civilized country in the world.
The developments of mineral wealth ia Vir-
ginia and West Virginia have, We learn,
virtually ensured the speedy completion of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad through the
Kanawha Valley to the Ohio river, and through
the most extensive deposits of camel and btu
nous coal that are known to exist When the
Valley Road is opened to Salem, and the Ches-
apeake and Ohio Road is completed to the
Ohio, the vast mineral resources of Virginia,
the coal and iron, which form by themselves
two great and important elements in State
wealth, will begin to be developed These two
roads will be main stems, to which hundreds
of lateral roads will transfer the products OF
mines and furnaces, for the accommodation OF
which they will be built Coal and iron will
be the great substratum of Virginia's prosper
! ity, and great State. which has always prided
itself on its agricultural power, will become
rich and strong by the development Of its min
eral and manufacturing interests. The days
may yet return when pig metal, or more prob
ably rolled iron, will be shipped from the james
river to the markets of Great Rritain