Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-01-31

we observe good many ABOUT mere
who look like they needed work wheth-
err they want it or not. We are glad to
see this work progressing, and are hap.
Ply to know that 1t will be prosecuted
with great energy to speedy compile
ton. Messrs. Mills & Rowland will
do their work on time. They expect
TO complete their work by January 20,
1881. They look like. that sort Of
melL-Harrisonburg Commonwealth.
A Railroad that is now Rapidly
Approaching Completion.
| The Rich Mineral Region which II
Irauerses-The Northern Terminus
-Forfy-fwo Miles in Operation
What The .ruiare may DeUelop-Hs-
! toric Ground
| Especial Correspondence of The Baltimore
American.
PHILADELPHIA, January 26.-The active
! demand for iron and iron ore has gwen
| the Shenandoah Valley Railroad a"toom
which is carrying it rapidly forward 10
completion. 1t traverses i region exceed
ingly rich in mineral deposits, and from
the Potomac river southwark toits pres
cnt terminus on the line of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad there is scarcely
an interval Of ten miles 1T which q nine
of iron ore could not be opened anu pr0ht-
ably worked. Four companies, organized
for the purpose OF mining iron ore ana
manufacturing iron, have applied to the
Virginia legislature for charters, ana at
least three of them intend locating on the
line of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad.
This road and the new enterprises
which are fastening its construction are
attracting more attention in Philadelphia
than in Baltimore, although Baltimore is
the natural market for the products of
the country through which it passes. 1t
crosses the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
ut Duffield Station, about ninety miles
west of Baltimore, while it is more than
twice that distance from the same point
to PHILADELPHIA. The Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company and the Cumberland Rail
road Company are both quietly assisting
the Shenandoah Company, not so much
by actual contributions of capital as by
substantial promises. The road is being
built by corporation outside of the rail-
road company, called the Shenandoah
Valley Railroad Construction Company,
which has its headquarters at 80 South
Third street, Philadelphia. The money
is raised here, and all the operations OF
the company are directed from this point
although the President, Hon. VIM. Mines
Jr., resides at the Shenandoah Iron
Works, Page county, Va.
THE NORTHERN TERMINUS.
HagerStown is the northern terminus
of the road. 1t runs south through Wash
ington county, nearly parallel with the
Shapsburg turnpike, takes the village of
Fairplay i'll its line, cuts across the west
ern border of the battlefield of ..Antietam
to Sharpsburg, and thence to Shepherds
town, on the Potomac, four miles distant.
The division north of the Potomac will be
about sixteen miles in length. -Four miles
south of ShepherdStown 1t crosses the
main stem of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road, and ut Charlestown it crosses the
valley branch of the Baltimore and Ohio.
The general course is southwark, through
Clarke, Luray and Page counties, keeping
from fifteen to twenty-five miles east OF
the Valley Railroad with the Mansanut-
ten range Of mountains between. 1t
crosses the Manassas Gap Railroad two
miles from Front Royal, and at this point
is its present termnus-that is, trains 60
of the road is being actively pushed for
ward, Wavnesboro', on the Chesapeake
and Ohio Road, some twelve miles east OF
StauutOn, being the objective point.
FORTY-Two MILES IN OPERATION.
From Shepherdstown, On the Potomac,
to Riverton, on the Shenandoah two
miles from Front Royal the road is COM
pleted and in active operation. This COM
pleted division is ~ miles in length. AT
Riverton Il bridge is being built across
the Shenandoah near the forks, and from
this point the road takes the south fork,
following its course to the Shenandoah
Iron Works, in Page county. The north
ern division (frOm Shepherdstown to la-
gerstown) is under contract, and will be
completed during the coming summer.
The division extending from Riverton to
the Shenandoah Iron Works (about %
miles( is now being graded, and, in fact,
for some distance south of the Shenan-
doah the track has been laid and i con-
struction train is being used, although
the regular trains are obliged to stop at
Riverton, on account the bridge not
being completed.
IRON FROM ENGLAND AND PRUSSIA.
The company has purchased ! / 900 tons
OF iron and steel rails i'll EurOpe-S, 600
tons from English manufacturers and 81
900 from krupp'S celebrated works ut
HeSsen, Prussia. OF the English rails,
about 5000 tons have already been deliv-
cred at Baltimore, and used in laying The
track between Shepherdstown and the
forks of the Shenandoah. Each mile of
track requires So tons of rails, Some of
the English rails have also been delivered
at New York 1t is probable that the re-
mainder of the English and all the Ger
man rails will be delivered at Baltimore,
and, in fact, the construction company
would rather receive them there than at
any other port, because it is the most con-
yenient, and requires less transportation
by land.
WHAT THE FUTURE MAY DEVELOP.
tits more than probable that the pro-
jectors of the Shenandoah Valley Road
contemplate a junction with the Atlantic
and Mississippi Road (Mahone's CONSOLE
dated line) at Salem, some so miles south
west of Staunton, either by securing the
unfinished extension of the Valley Road
or by building a parallel road; but moth
ing is said about tapping the main out
let of the southern system of railroads at
present, the purpose being to reach the
iron beds on the south fork of the Shenan-
doah at the earliest day possible, and up
on this object all the resources ofthe COM
pany are concentrated. Mr.. Mines, the
president of the company, has been man
ufacturing iron at the Shenandoah works
ever since the close of the war, and such
are the facilities for making charcoal iron
in this region and so excellent is the
quality of the ore, that he was able 70
keep his furnaces in blast during the long
period of business depression, when the
iron industry in other parts of the coun-
try was utterly paralyzed. When the WA
ter was so low that the iron could not be
floated down the river in scows it was