The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-12

Brief History OF the Rise and Fail o
IFondals, Near WslIsvills-Has II 1
Possible FutuFOS
1EoNDALE, JEREERsoS Co., o., Dec. 10.
Editors IntelllgsuesE
suchof your readers as have had occasion
to travel over the o. & P. railroad between
Wheeling and Cleveland during the las;
fifteen or twenty years have become more
or less familiar with the fact that place
named lrondale, short distance west oil
Yellow Creek junction, is situated upon
the line Of said rdad, They have also most
likely become somewhat acquainted with
It's history, its ups and downs, its occa-
sional evidences OF life and activity and It's
succeeding relapses and collapses. Per-
haps brief historical sketch Of the place
may be OF some interest to your readers on
the Ohio side.
In early days-beiore the railroad was
built-this place was known as Boiles's Salt
Works, This was prior to the development
OF the coal interest here, Although the
hills were full Of coal wood was used for
fuel in the manufacture OF salt, and 1t WIS
was not until nearly all the timber on u
section OF land was burned up that coal
came into use. The salt boilers, wood chop
pers and haulers were u jolly set OF fellows,
and many are the stories still told Of how
they carried on, There were no saloons in
those days, but pure "old rye" was bought
by the barrel and drank Us freely us milk
or water, and many were tho tlstiCutfs in
dulged in by those under the influence.
But their blood was not poisoned or their
brains Crazed by the liquor OF those days,
and when they sobered up they always
made friends and were rational men again,
For a considerable time after the manu-
faCture OF salt WIS discontinued there was
no business OF any sort carried on, and the
tract Of land changed hands, being used
for general farm purposes, sheep and WOOL
growing especially,
In the meantime the g. 4 P. railroad
had been built, running through the prop
erty, and it was again sold to a coal COM
pany, After spending thousands OF dol
lars in developing tho coal mines without
succeeding in getting market for their
coal, the enterprise was abandoned and
the property again changed hands, 1t was
then that our friend John Hunter, who
has figured conspicuously in all the vicissi-
tudcs Of the "IrOndale Coal and Iron Com
pany," came 10 the surface. He was n
man who knew no such word as full, very
sHnguine in his temperament, and visions
OF busy, bustling town, with rolling
mills and blast furnaces, rose before his
Imagination likea dream Of Aladdin, A !
ter years of anxious toll he succeeded In
getting David Morgan, practical iron and
coal man OF Pennsylvania, interested In his
project, and to become a partner with him
in the ownership A company was organ.
lied and the work Of building the rolling
mill and tenant houses ut once commenced,
After the mill was built the blast fur.
mace was erected, and rs II by magic
town Of over 1000 inhabitants sprung up,
and everything for the future looked
promising But, alas, clouds begun to
gnther Even before tho panic Of 1873 |
there was trouble, and 1t began TO be whis-
pered around that mismanagement II not
something worSe, was sapping tho enter
prise, and that tho concern would probably
snut down. And finally II did shut down,
Nnd the developments that have come to |
light during the long and tedious litigation
show that fraud, irregulNrty and gross mis-
were responsible for It's col.
lapse.
After years Of painful suspense and
anxious waiting, during which thousands
and may say hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars In one shNpeand anotherhave been
sacrificed, there seems to be reason to hope
that the blast furnace will be once more
started. 1t is at least out OF the courts, and
Is again in the hands Of individuals who |
1vill nrrn IN tr, rnaliya pn,OntLtu,, fror, kbn
investment sooner or later. Even should
the Iron Works DO wrecked, the coal and
fire clay interests are OF sufficient import
lnce to engage the attention OF capitalists,
rs there Is an inexhaustible supply Of botli
Ihese articles on the premises, easy OF
lCccss, and two yards Of brick and fire clay
have been in operation forsome years, one
by lease on the property and the other i'm.
mediately adjoining. There has also been
some talk OF starting pottery, rs all tho
requisite facilities for that purpose to DO
had at any other place in this region are at
hand here.
1t would not DO OF interest to the general
reader to enter into details showing the
loss sustained by the long delay In the set.
Ting up OF the affairs Of this concern, but
we will cite one or two instances which
will give an idea Of the vast total. There
were eighteen large frame blocks contain.
ing eight rooms each, and accommodating
two families, costing in the aggregate $780,
900, each block bringing In monthly rent
OF $40. These buildings were owned by
tho Alliance Rolling Mill Company, which
had an interest In the works here, and
niter years Of expense in the payment OF
taxes, they were sold for 81 200 for the en-.
tire lot.
During all this time these houses have
been empty, but they arc still in fair
state OF preservation, and are now owned
by T. NJ jenkins, OF the "World's Tourist"
Of New York city, gentleman who owns
one Of the finest houses here, which Is 0c.
cupied by his family q part Of the year
On last Monday the land, coal and town
lots and houses In body comprising 724
acres Of land, and lO5 houses and lots, were
sold by the Sheriff for $l1 ,G73, and the mill
md furnace for $34,G07 Tho land alone
brought $4,000 nearly thirty years ago |
II seems strange that in the iacs Of
a general revival OF business all
over the country that such property
on tho line Of ono Of the principal railroads
Of the country, possessing so many advan.
tages, should be allowed to sell at such q
low rate. But II Is to be hoped that begin.
ming at the bottom once more more per.
manent and substantial business will grow
up. BE II said to the credit Of John Hun.
ter and David Morgan that in all the
crookedness connected with this affair
they have been able toshow clean record.
NJ