Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-06-01
West Virginia Resources.
A Ne,o Road i,u the Great AfiRerui Re-
gioR-Seaator DGUTs EIpIGias.
rFrnn the nnltimore American.l

From the Baltimore Ameriean.l
A representative, of the America,s
met ex-senator Henry g. Davis, of
West Virginia, at the Merchants Club
yesterday and said to himf
'sI see from the papers, Senators
that you met President Roberts and
his party of Pennsylvania Railroad
people at Cumberland q few days
ago. ti
" Yes," said he, they were maxi
ing their usual annual trip of inspec-
ton over their many lines of road, and
invited me to meet them at Cumber-
land to talk over the contemplated
new road from Piedmont to Cumber-
land-the Piedmont and Cumberland
Railway"
!" Are you going TO build the new
road? r.5
/" As the public is somewhat in
terested, have no objection to stat
ing that we are now making the ne
cessary surveys, with view of per-
mancntly locating the line, which is
intended to begin at the West Virginia
Central Road Junction, about n mile
west of Piedmont, and follow the Po-
tomac river to Cumberland, n distance
of about twenty-eight miles. The
first two miles, beginning at the juno
ton, are located, and we have some
fifty to sixty men at work. There
will be no tunnels on the line, and the
grade will be comparatively light, de-
scending with the great majority of
the loaded cars"
oro fold fhora is ryroat IaaI NJ
coal, timber and iron ore on. the line
of the West Virginia Central Road"
"'A great deal' hardly expresses
it. There are vast tracts of fine lum-
ber and millions of tons of coal of
splendid quality. There are now six
or seven coal mines opened on the
road, four of which are working tho
noted big vein.' We also have some
twenty saw mills in operation, and
more contemplated. A large tannery
is being built at Davis, and wood
pulp MILL projected. Very recently
good quality of iron ore has been
found near Fairfax Stone, and it is
being shipped from there to Pitts
burg"
g Is the new road you are talking
of building in the interest of the Penn
sylvania or the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad?" -.r..r.-.,
90 Neither. It is purely a business
enterprise, mainly in the interest of
the West Virginia Central Road and
the developments of the country it
pcnetrates. The West Virginia Cen
trail wants competing outlets to sue
cessfuIly market the rich products of
the country it has opened up, and,
with this connecting link to Cumber-
land, it would have a choice of three
competing lines Of transportation,
viz, the Baltimore and Ohio and
Pennsylvania Railroad systems, and
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. 1t
is true this road will parallel the Bal
timore and Ohio n part of the way,
but that is often done to reach COM
peting points. If the situation were
reversed and the Pennsylvania Road
reached Piedmont, while the Balti-
more and Ohio stopped at Cumber-
land, it is likely that we would want
connection with the B. & o., as we
now do with the Pennsylvania. We
expect to give aIllthree lines of trans
portation at Cumberland fair share
of our business, providing, of course,
the rates of freight are equal, and
they treat us in fair and just way.
The distance from Cumberland to New
York by the Baltimore and Ohio and
Pennsylvania Roads is about the same
$50 odd miles" ..-..-.-.,
"Do you contemplate extending
your West Virginia Central Road
southwestwardly through West yfr-
ginia?" . Tl513p biGau Il
Not at present; but as soon AS
the times are more favorable, and
business will warrant it, we expect TO
connect with the Chesapeake and Ohio
system. 1t is about sixty miles from
Piedmont to Davis, the present ter
minus of the West Virginia Central
road, and about 12O miles from Davis
to the Chesapeake and Ohio road, and
we can reach a connection by going
down either the Greenbrier, Gauley
or Elk River Valleys. If the latter
route, which is little the longest, be,
chosen, it would bring us TO Charles
ton. the capital of the State. There
is no railroad, by the way, for fifty
IlllCS Ou tituGI Sl0c VI Suto COhbSh4-
plated connection, and the road would
run nearly its whole route through
coal and iron ore territory covered by
a virgin forest of finest timber. :" '1@
- am told that Davis, your pres
ent terminus. is fast improving
Where is its exact location? %, ..,r..
ss Yes, Davis is rapidly assuming
the appearance of thriving town; It
is located at the junction of the Beaver
and Blackwater forks of the Cheat
river, in Tucker county, West yir-
ginia, in the center of vast coal and
timber region. We have built a ma
chine shop and engine-house there,
and we expect to make this place the
headquarters of the company. Mr..
EIkins and myself contemplate bull
ding at Davis, and making it our future
residence. The company is building
hotel there also, which will be COM
pleted by June 2Oth; if you should
meet with q good hotel man send him
to me, as the hotel is for sale or rent.
NW