National Republican., 1883-06-11
NEW SOURCES OF WEALTH
Opened UP by the Railways I'm Virginia
Splendid Fruit, Lumber, Coal, aud Iron.

Opened UP by the Railways In Virginia
splendid Fruit, Lumber, Coal, aud Iron.
LYNoHBURe, June o.--The extension of
railways has given a great impetus TO SOW
oral industries of this state which have here
tofore scarcely deserved tho name. In Pat
rick county, for example, the finest apples
and peaches In the world have bcon gr0ur for
many years; but little use has boon made of
them except for home consumption In tho
form of pies and mountain whisky. In
this and several adjoining counties in
the southwestern portion of the state
is found some Of the finest timber imaginable.
But like tho fruit is has been of little service,
except for homo uses, because of tho difficult
ties of transportation. But since this country
has been connected with the rest of the world
by rail, the immense value of these produce
tions has begun to be appreciated.
Within the last few months single trees have
been sold TO northern purchasers for as much
as 500 piece standing in tho forest Somo
Of these furnish logs u hundred feet long,
and nearly every day car loads of this timber
pass through this CITY, measuring frequently
as much as five and six feet in diameter. 1t
is the finest cedar, walnut poplar. and hickory
in the world, and can of course, be put TO the
most valuable of uses. The sale and trans
portation of fine apples amount already to
Without railways none Of these things would
ever have reached the markets or uses of the
world, but would have remained almost en-
tirely worthless to their owners.
After leaving this city on Tuesday night
last, the mining engineers visited Pocahontas,
the terminus in Luzcrnc county, of the New
River railway, which has Just been opened as
"A coal feeder of the Norfolk and Western. 1t
is in tho center of a great coal region, tho
most extensive and valuable, perhaps, in the
world, and the road passes through the pic
turesque and rich counties of Pulaski, Giles,
Mercer, in West Virginia, and part Of Taze-
well. Pocahontas is called the Flat Top coal
region, and 1t is there that bituminous
coal exists in untold and unmeasured
quantities. 1t is said by distinguished
aud experienced gcologists to bo the
finest in the world. It's leading advantages
consist in its superior excellence for coking
and for steam and easiness in being mined
MIR. w. a. Lathrop, the engineer and superin-
tendont in charge, says that from one open
ing alone he could produce one thousand tons
per day for eighteen years. The ablest pro-
iossional engineers estimate that there are
7OO,0O0OO0 tons in these mountainous
hills ready to bo operated upon. Mr.. Il.
Il. Steele, of Philadelphia, is the pres
ident of the Southwestern Virginia Inn
provement company that owns aud operates
these mines. Coking operations on an ex-
tensive scale are now in full blast. As many
rs 200 ovens have already been put up, with
a capacity of 800 tons per day, and others will
be built as fast as needed. great quantity
of this coal will be shipped, and is now being
shipped in its natural state for steam and do
mestic uses, and q coaling station will bo
established at Norfolk for ocean steamers. If
to these immense coal deposits be added the
iron ores, the lumber, and the cattle of this
fine section of the state, it will readily be seen
what untold wealth is deposited there, and
what an immense volume of traffic the Nor
folk and Western company have added to
tho main line by the construction of the new
branch. These new mines, when in full op-
Grafton, 1t is expected will supply nearly all
of the furnaces of Virginia and the south,
and. when the western railroad connections
are opened this coal region will come directly
in competition with the Connelsville mines
that now supply nearly all of tho north and
west as far as Colorado.
Judge Latham's court has been in session
one week, but no business worthy of special
mention has been transacted. Several indict-
ments were made by the grand jury, but none
of political interest, though strong efforts
were made to indict several for alleged cleo
tion frauds and bribery. The jury was COM
posed of ten colorcd and eleven white men,
the number of the former being unusually
large.
The democrats arc holding meetings at all
of the June courts to appoint delegates to
their July state convention. which assemblies
in Lynchburg July % to organize for the No
vember elections. The convention is ex-
pected to be full one.
The women's board Of missions of the NJ, l..
Church South is now in session in this city,
and is fine looking body of ladies, repre-
sentng several states The society is only
some four years old, but has met with re-
marksble success, having already 1000 auxil-
iary societies with membership of $4,000,
which is rapidly increasing. 1t has ten
schools and twelve teachers in China Brazil
and Mexico, and its work is quite extensive
among the border Indians. Mrs. Hayes, now
of Baltimore, but formerly Of Virginia, is pres
ident, aud presides at this meeting.
FIRST Of the B. & o. Special Excursions to
Luray Wednesday, June l3