Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-12-13
RAILROADS. RAILROADS. RAIL
ROADSl

Our West Virginia minerals are being
threatened with inyasions from almost
every point Of the compass.
The world Is Just coming into posses
sion Of the secret We have 50 long kept, |
that our hills and mountains are set IN
diamonds.
As the information spreads, railroad
projects spring up all around us, bent
on digging up and carrying away our
mines OF wealth.
The latest enterprise OF this character
is a copartnership between Cumberland
and MoOrefeld, in Hardy county, to
build a road between these two points,
for the purpose Of transporting the rich
ore veins of Middle Mountain, in Har-
DIV. to be utilized in Cumberland,
Il is also calculated that il access by
such road can be had to these ore
beds, they can also be delivered in Pitts
burgh at s. per ton, and handsome
profit remain to the shipper.
We have only one objection to these
railroad enterprises, and that is, that
they all are tending to run away with
our resources, while We continue to buy
and transport from other States what
We need for home use. But we have no
dog-in-the- Manager policy to interpose.
II our people wont open means OF ac-
cess TO. and use their own minerals,
which are better than they buy away
from home, we viii not complain II out
side PARTIES dig down and run away with
every hill and mountain in the State.
We. therefore. join heartily in this
little scheme between MOoreheld and
Cumberland to empty the contents OF
one Of the richest mountains IN the
state into the lap Of Cumberland. They
are going 10 build the road for their
mutual profit. That is the point, and
that nobOdycan complain OF. 10 won't
help Wheeling or any other part OF the
State very much, but We are for it. We
want Hardy county to yet cash for her
/ solid mountain. We want her To get
sn rich that all the other counties will
become envious. We want her to put
ON airs and make all other counties that
have mountains iull Of ore, ashamed Of
themselves.
But il may be that Cumberland will
not want an the ore of Hardy county.
Pittsburgh will want finger in the pie
/ ii it becomes nois2d abroad that Cum.
berland is seeking this ORE mountain.
Prrbapsan arm of the Pittsburgh South
rrn might be extended out in that To-
cality aud give Pittsburgh more direct
route than by way Of Cumberland and
the b. x D. road.
At any rate, Pittsburgh should be AL
/ vi,rd of what is going on, and we sug-
vest To Governor MATHEWS that when
/ he goes up there To address the Cham
Der Of Commerce, heiniorm them ofthe
iactrhat Cumberland is about to run
away with one Of our richest mountains.
We find i'm the Cumberland Times some
account Of the contents Of this noun
tain, OF which. also, they should be all
vised.
The name Of the mountain in queS-
ton is properly Middle Mountain, but
more commonly known rs the Iron
Mountain. Il is fifty miles long and
I 1000 feet high. Ii is represented to be
iull OF veins Of ore measuring in thick
ness from "a To "a feet, and running to
a depth rs vet uuaSccrtainei. These
ores are known 10 extend through the
entire mountain. They analyzc from
7 5S % 20 per cent.
/ The following comments of the Times
will be as interesting tu Pittsburghcrs
as they are To Us:
With cost ot - per ton for ore at
Pittsburgh from Lake superior and
Pilot Knob, which yields little 1t any
larger per crntJgc, and arr OF no better
quality, We 10 not conceive why Hardy
,,untv could not send It's ore 10 that
market 40 ~ per ton. The distance
would De- but 20 miles, and Il the
charges were one cent per ton per mile,
. tine. revenue would certainly be not less
than SlGOOJO per annum, for the de
mlul would 40 no time fall below
5nOuOO tons of ore. This ore Yields, ac-
corliug to locality, from 80 10 - per
cent of metallic iron. The l4-foot vein
of brown hrmatite has few impurities,
and Yields G3 per cent OF iron, and -
located six miles east Ot MOOreheld
. Next comes a wien Of red hematlte, yield
inns, 81 ppr cent Then We have red
ip~>nlilcruuS hrmdlIte vein which Yields
6O Ter cent. There are richer veins,
though they have not been Analysed
fully rs vet Prof ChaS. +. Dwight, Of
Wheeling. male personal inspection
of these lands I'm 1876, and gives GER
tifcatc "a, 10 the quality Of the ores, IN
which he says:
81 have personally and with care ex-
amined the lands and ores belonging to
tine south Branch Iron, Land and Tim
her COMPANY on Middle mountain, in
the county of Hardy, West Virginia;
that the analysis hereto annexed OF the
ores. brown hcma,itc. selected by my
. sell at the opening Of the vein, Is genu-
inc and correct; that the SAID ore exists
. i'm immense quantities on said lands and
. i'm valuable working veins of miles IN
length aud at least fifteen feet in width;
that said ores are, in my Judgment, east
, ~ smelted, and valuable indeed Tor
. manufacturing purposes, and will meet
with very ready sale at good prices IN
market: that there are other valuable
veins oi ore, red hematite and fossil, eN-
listing in large quantities upon said land,
and which will prove very valuable 70
. be manufactured upon the land, and ]
can unhe~itatingly recommend said ores
a. valuable and certify that they exist IN