The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-06-21
81 sssssazslass
Harrisonburg Items.
LRnnorted for lie NIRGINIAN. j

ssAt asession of the Institute Major } led
Hotchkiss spoke on the mining resource
of the Nirginias. He said there was n
anthracite coal III Virginia worth a button
He felt obliged to make this declaration
because Wall street was all the time start
ing companies Oh bogus anthracite coal
beds in this State, and he wanted all TIN
members of the Institute to tell anybod.
who said there was anthracite coal III Vn
ginia that Jed. IIotchkiss said it is a lie.
promised last week to produce the Ger
tilicate of Maj. Jed. Hotchlliss, which
when read by the readers of the VIRGIN
IAN will cause them to worry over the gal
liant Majors conundrum more than ovel
| the famous HIS puzzle of several years
ago.
The report OF jed IIotchkiss, consult
ing engineer" made April 18th, 1877
dated Stanton, Va, consisting of 80 pages
made to the Royal Land Company, con.
tains among other gems the following
He gives the following as the schedule OF
property owned by the Royal Land Com
pany.
Tracts Is. 'Aggregating 5.6l5ac of
anthracite coal lands, on the headwaters OF
North River, i'll Augusta and Rockingham
counties, Virginia.
Tracts 7-l2. "Aggregating 80, s43 acres
of anthracite coal and iron lands, on the
waters of the Shenandoah and Potomac
rivers, in Augusta, Rockingham and Shen-
andoah counties, Virginia"
rN,.,af lt;. -0a ,o,.nc ~ ,,,,+I,,aoajo onaI
land, on North Branch of North River,
Augusta county, Virginia" <
Tract l5 "43 1909 acres of anthracite
coal lands in Augusta and Rockingham
counties. Va"
The reader will observe that the Major
knew at that time of 142, 4S7 acres of an
M1acite coal lands in Virginia. which be-
longed to one company. Now one word as
to the Majors opinion us to the quality and
quantity OF this anthracite coal which the
Major had existing i'll Virginia in 1877.
The gallant Major says on page 1918 of
his report The Mbjoned excellent report
OF Mr.. Geo. b. Strauch. the mining en-
gineer OF the Royal Land Co., with it's ac-
companying theoretical cross section (,chich
Ifiaty endorse, as 1t agrees uih ma oun Oh
Sefrdtt0nS, as RECORDED IN SEVERAL PRE-
vIoUs REPoRTs). gives q correct idea of
the condition and thickness of the coal
seams here found, us at present developed y
Now reader, we will give you from page
SO of this book what Engineer Strauch says
THE coal which has been mined from
openings, Is On anthracite of very white
ash, and free burning.
Again he says, I'VE have tried this coal
III an ordinary coal stove and found it eQatal
al erery respect TO Pennsylvania anthracite. y
But Major Hotchkiss in his report SAYS
further, The report of Messrs Booth &
Garrett, the well-known and thoroughly re-
liable analystsof Philadelphia, presents the
facts OF the kind, composition, character,
present development, properties, number
OF beds, &C., of these Goals so fully, and in
such clear, straight forward and succinct
manner, as to have little room or need for
further particulars. Their report is full
oil the most valuable information and its
carefully considered statements, it is use
less to say are worthy Of the fullest conf
dence.
Now, reader, we give you few brief
extracts from Messrs. Booth Il Garrett S
report. On page Al we find the following
SIN order to set the question at rest we
present the analyses OF COAL one of the
Lykens Valley Penna. coal, the others of
two of yonr Goals, from openings on Briery
Branch and Little Coal Run, five miles
apart.