The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-07-07

sources of the country through which the |
road was to pass, the preliminary
were Instituted to consum-
mate the organization contemplated Ne
gotiations were commenced for the purchase
of large surveys in Virginia and West Viz
ginia, embracing valuable coal and iron de-
posts, extensive timber wealth, and large
agricultural and pastoral territory. aggre-
eating over two hundred thousand acres,
and lying in twenty-one counties of the
two States. These negotiations have been
closed, and the surveys. embracing the an
thracite coal fields of Augusta and Rock
ingham counties, passed into the hands OF
the Atlantic and Ohio Company. Judge
Shelley, of this place, has, for the past ten
days, been in the east arranging a mortgage
of $9,000,000 upon these valuable proper
ties, comprising the railroad completed from
Fredericksburg to Orange C. H., the grad
ing of the Narrow Gauge from Harrisonburg
to Highland county and in Kanawha county,
w. Va. and the extensive acreage with
all its marvellous natural wealth mentioned
above. The whole scheme has been brought
to a successful termination the capital
for the construction of the road secured
and the agencies for its progress and CON-
pletion put in motion. And this great I'M
dertaking. with all of its combinations and
interests, has been engineered through
| three years of constant toll and incessant
labor. accompanied with successive disap-
pointed and assured hopes, by a man who
is more misunderstood in this portion of
Virginia and has been more malgned than
any one who has ever given his .tIention
to great schemes of public improvement
and material development. We mean Mr..
K. n. Pool. His has been the master mind
that conceived. planned and executed this
important work. which promises a future
for Virginia and West Virginia, in the PEN
etration of this isolated territory and the
exposure of this fabulous wealth, whose
fruitions will be realized in the busy indus
tries which must follow and the prosperity
that W i'll be diffused from one extreme Of
the line to the other.
The gentlemen who have taken hold of
this improvement and are now addressing
their minds and ample means to its prose-
cuton, are among the most successful bust
men of the country. Their first step was
to employ competent and widely known
engineer, whose word is law in the scien-
tific world, to exam inc the entire country
to be traversed from the Potomac to the
Ohio. His report having verified all the
representations of the resources to be de-
veloped, the next step was to remove the
complications arising from previous organi
cations and plans for the construction OF
the work, and to negotiate for the purchase
of the properties to be utilized and devei-
oped by it, and the necessary money for
that purpose. These having been uccess-
fully disposed of. the experience AID capac-
ty of an eminent lawyer were employed to
place a mortgage on the properties so Sc
cured, so as to fortify all investments and
render the plans and arrangements an as
sured success. These arrangements having
been satisfactorily progressed, the further
practical work, in placing the engineers in
Lie litlu Has DttU eutcteu, anu Tile WDUit
scheme is now in the first st ges of deter
mined execution Thorough examination,
bv diamond drills, of the anthracite coal
fields of Augusta and Rockingham is now
in progress to settle the question whether
the coal exists there in sufficient quantities
for commercial purposes. An experienced
practical operator is. by this time, on the
ground, and will in a reasonably short time
give the facts of his experiments.
By slow and patient processes this i'm
portant scheme has been brought to its
present state OF completeness. Its progress
will be watched with concern all along the
line, for it comprehends interests of meal
culable value to the people of this portion
of the Valley, and indeed to the entire
States of Virginia and West Virginia. II
will open up one of the finest mineral, tim
Der and pastoral countries on the CONT
nent, and by its connections with the
Narrow Gauge system of the West and
Northwest. establish another highway over
Virginia for the trade and travel OF the
extremes of the Union.
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