Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-19

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<2aanSm, TasxwxLL COUNTY. VA.}
December IL. 1884.
So mid Il the development o. the re-
soorces a. this Rreat section OF the state
lhss ~ prouvcss can BE- nosed from month
Gsrs,ss twowouths AGO was up on thi.
pxseskortns branch Of tho Norfolk ana
Wteeesu 9osd. which hes opened up The
eosj ard hrmbcr Interests Of this part Of the
eIsec ma a,por4ioe Of West virginia. aud
rciswninr NOW. after that short lapse Of
tiusc, I ind marked advance has been
TIE shipihent Of coal has been largely In
Crossed. This place u ten miles from Po-
cehou<as, the terminus Of the brsncb road.
several new bousss have been put up In
the tine mentioned. ana Methodist church
commcpeed- 1.-The drsf church OF the place
ana fhe town IA very much enliyencd by
the eratyy-sncressed shipments OF coal:
The Norfolk and Western Railroad
Company has completed its branch
road down Buestone. some eight miles, 70
several now ccaLminss which have been
crpued at different points from four 70 SIX
mttts from the junction with tins ROAD,
Which ~ fcsr and half miles from tn,s
place, between here and fecanontas.
rev town has been started down on the
short brsuth. called BramwelI. aftcr the
superintendent OF these mines. ana Two
Sorces Of nripcrs are getting out coal OF
superior. aualfy, which IL added to the In
sTesped amount now drawn from the Poca-
bouess mlnes. Although II IL near Christ
mas. and hsnds are bard 10 get. there are
400 or 800 1T work vt these mines locke.
oysns). and the facilities for getting out
and handling the coal are 50 much in
creased that extra trains are continually
run 10 get efI the large supply. The other
dsv l73 ears were loaded Of Pocahontas, the
largest number ever loaded there In one
day when you know that these cars
esrvv 10 tons each you can have nm idea OF
the big output Of these mines-3.400 tons.
or a. g30, 600 pounds Of coal In q day, to
spv nothing Il he coke. You can Anagine
fhst the provisions for moving such q bulk
OF frt must be extensive, and one gets
. very good imprs ssion OF IT all from OBJ
scryaticn st this point, where everything
uasses along the road but q short distance
ir.u the hotel and In full view. II has
been necessary 10 furnish large number
of new cars and put some new engines on
the road, 80 that nearly every train that
Masses Icoxs brand new. Twenty-Five or
thirty cars piled up with coal and coke are
20 train, sndi they pass here with great
noise and rash--cnc big engine In front.
suocsler behind. There 10 3 heavy grade OF
fbout three. miles IRON this point TO Blue
Fielis, three miles east, st the top oil
the ridge, and the big I" Pusher helps the
long train over that rise, and then
away Il goes towards Central, hauled
bv one engipe. while the Pusher comes
putting Iacluto help up another train. and
20 II goes On nivbt and day. except sun
day-mmk that--while millions Of pent-up
hest srd power and light are daily dis.
tributed along .sT5 miles OF road-some at
Central, some a. Roanoke, Lyncbburg, and
Petersburg. and poured out IN its maenif.
cent overflow into the harbor OF Norfolk,
where the great ocs an-steamers and sailing
yes sells takeit up and carry 1t to every part
OF the world. The company has Norfolk
order for one hundred carloads per day
for the next twelve months. The lumber
business. too. Notwithstanding the activity
with which II has been conducted for the
last two years. seems to show no let-up.
The trade is confined almost entirely to
block walnut. Large yards are at Poca-
hontas, and many fats loaded with smooth
ly-hewn logs pass here. While there Is q
big trade, the logs brought here are sold on
The yard, bewn OF bark and surplus wood.
and then loaded on the cars and shipped
10 Norfolk, thence 10 Europe, while the
sawed lumter goes to New YORK and Bos-
ION There ale some Interesting features to
\ stranger about this trade. was surprised
10 find what large area OF country contri-
butes to II, and how valuable Is black
walnut log. They are brought here in
Every direction from the adjacent counties
u Virginia and West Virginia. Some
came here the other day from Buchanan
seventy miles away, the trip going
and returning taking seven days. A farmer
put there cuts down nice tree. loads II on
bis wagon. packs on a lot OF feed for his
.eam snd some dalons for himself and his
boy. and se,s out ON his long trip. When
he drives In the yard he sells his log for
e20, e25. or $40, buys his winter supply Of
salt and groceries flor there are eight or
len stores bere). puts some plank In the
wagon. loads up, and starts back next
But the great bulk OF the trade
comes from nearer. day or two's travel say,
md you often see a'wagon.bed chained on
he top OF the log 10 carry back the return
Dad, and often two dogs that are worth
more than $50. There are six huge black
logs lying out there m the yard that have a
history OF their own. They were no, long
.inee one big tree growing In the Richards
,f Tazewell. thirty miles from here. The
forest gisnt stood In his socks slxty.four
feet 10 the first limb. a dealer bought II
Tor SIS. Tie bad 1t cut down and sawed
up into TWO twelve-toot, two nine-foot, one
Itght-foof, and two seyen.f foot logs-the
buti.cut being fifty-one inches In diameter
aud the top-cut thirty eight inches. II cost
him S75 more 10 get the tree here, which
measures $500 feet. When he rolled his
Xix hig logs out on the yard the shipper OF.
Tered him eos per thousand feet-just
e522. 50-but The dealer asks 800. He
wants ESQ for his tree, which the
shipper thinks most seo much money.
so the big tree has not started
North yet, and the shipper tells
me thai this .trce is mo great
shakes alter all,o that be has one near
johnson. Tenn, that has 1900 feet more Of
lumber 10 il than the Taxewell giant has.
But Tazewell win not be entdone. and
" hile the tree subject Is being discussed, q
Tazewel!isn steps us and says he rode fif-
teen miles through one mans land on the
Peryyville road the Other day. and for miles
the bemlocks were immense, four and i've
feet In diameter; and another tells OF a
poplar IN Wrght's Valley, nine miles from
here, which has lorded It over the country
around and laughed ut the peaks Tor GEN.
turl,s. II Is twenty feet IN airthsat the
base, estimated seven and one half feet
through, and its height no man can tell.
One Of Major Hotchkiss's wood-gatberers
Is trying to get block or Of this tree TO
send 10 the New Orleans Exposition, and a
tree-mover offered 10 bring the tree to the
depot for 800. Don't think he can do 1t.
N9.