South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-04-14
ON % R E s
way 60 to Assf vSsak Jse@ Or sUy,y-
MooRksrEf1. W. Va. q
Aprifs, ie76. s.

NooREBTEfu. w. VA
| April :, 1876, s.
In your issue OF Che tat Instant. you
publish an interesting letter from Prof.
&. +. Dwight in regard to the late OK.
cursion made by iron men from your
city over the Cleveland and Pittsburgh
Railroad the iron mines IN Amherst Co,
Va. Prof. ID. seems torcongratulate your
tpeoplc upon the probability Of being
able. ut an early day. TO secure. thoir
supplies OF iron ores at % per ton, in
steatt Of about $i2, s.s OF presehis II
| would be wise to secure the Virginia
ores at such reduction, procis1sd no
better and cheaper ores caSs BE- had. But
why go TO Missouri, or Lake Superior,
or Eastern Virginia, for those supplies
which lie at yonr very doors. In exhaust
less quantities and OF superior quality
II has been said Of the ladies that they
consider nothing pretty, unless il has
come a long distance. and cost great
deal Of money. Can it be that shrcwd,
keen. calculating iron masters Judge their
iron ores by the same standard Of excel.
lence? Ii so, have nothing more to
say but If they want'thc best quality
of ores at the lowest cost. Hardy coun.
ty. can supply "them and their heirs
forever" with iron ores containing from
so to GO per cent. of pnre iron deliver.
ed ut Wheeling at 81 to IS per ton on
one condition.
Middle Mountain. which begins about
one mile South OF this place, and runs
about South 23.degices West, for some
40 miles, is, unlike the mountains on
the East and West OF it. a limestone for.
nation. wonderfully rich in iron .depos.
its. It.has. been examined by several
geologists. especially Mr.. Crook, for the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company.
and Mr.. w. S. Rowson, Of New Jersey.
and MIRA r. Guerard. of the Centen.
NAL office, in youi city. who pronounce
the quantity inexhaustible, and tie dual.
ity rarely surpassed. A vein Of red
hematitc, twenty-six feet wide has been
opened, and mn analysis male mt the
Iron Masters Labatory, Philadelphia.
shows it to contain seyenty.two per cent.
of oxide and fifty OF pure iron. The
sample was taken from or near the sur
face. There are some thirty other veins
OF the same ore unopened. A fifteen
foot vein Of brown hematite has been
opened, anda specimen analysed NJ the
same labatory shows 'scventt.eigiit per
cent. of oxide of iron and ffty-fivc PER
cent. ofpure iron. a four foot vein OF
fossil ore has been opened, and a sam.
pie, analysed as above. showed 81 per
cent oxide ofiron, and 81 per cert pure
iron.
Several other analyses have. been
made, one by Prof G.. r.. Dwight, of your
city, and show but the slightest traces
Of sand. sulphur, OF phosphorus.
Samples can he seen at Governor Ja-
cobis residence. aud. unless already for
warde6 TO Philadelphia, also at Prof.
! Naury's Office in your city. challenge
he closest scrutiny into these Il tements.
being Convinced that il the iron men oil
Wheeling and Pittsburgh could but
know. for themselves. what excellent
ores. and at what small cost thew car he
procured in Hardy. they would promptly
build the twcnty-tliree miles from this
point TO Romney, which would tie neces
sary for the transportation ofthese ores,
and which constitutes the condition men.
TONED above This short road would
traverse fertile valley. and would re.
quirc but little grading The right Of
way would be granted by the counties,
which would probably subscribe some.
thing besides. The Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad has frequently intimated It's
Willingness TO mid such on enterprise,
which. in the judgment Of Assistant Bn-
gnecr cambridge, could be accomplish.
ell Of n cost of S2S0,0O0. lfyour iron
men could save two and half dollars
per ton on ores, how long would it take
to save the cost OF this road? Tie Vir.
ginia ores would have to break bulk M
Bucahannon, and also ut Huntington.
in order to reach your city wharf. while
Hardy ores woull not break bulk NJ all
before being dumped just where you
want them.
Ii Prof. Dwight and his iron friends
will but pay Moorefeld n visit. | will
guarantee them warm reception, ami
tn Middle Mountain will make them
open their eyes and say. az did the
Queen Of Sheba,'' Behold the half has
not been told me-
Further information will checrrnlly
be granted by Hon. Thomas Maslin. =.
A. McMeclIeu. Senator r. y. Sherrard,
or myself; but the best thing 10 10
would be that your iron men should pay
as visit Come soon, and stay as
long as YOU can.
II. l.. HOOVER.
ACdDENT.-The little son Mortimer.