The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-05-29
WEST VIRGINIA RESOURCET.
A New Road I'm the Great Mineral Re-
gion-- Senator Davis Explains.
A Representative Of the 4 mericaa
met ex-senator Henry G. Davis Of
West Virginia, a the Merchants
Club Yesterday and said q him.

met ex-senator Henry G. Davis. Of
West Virginia, A. he Merchants
Club Yesterday and said % him: )
Il see from the papers, Senator,
that you met President Roberts and
his party of Pennsylvania railroad
people at Cumberland few days
ago"
"Yes," said he, "they we're making
their usual annual trip Of inspection
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?''la Ell u7 sa,.D
..As the public is somewhat inter
ested, have no objection to stating
that we are now making the neces-
sary surveys, with view of perma-
nently locating the line, which is in
tended to begin at the West Virginia
Central Road Junction, about mile
west of Piedmont, and follow the
Potomac river to Cumberland, dis
tance of about twenty eight miles.
The first two miles, beginning at the
junction, are located, and we have
some fifty to sixty men at work.
There will be no tunnels on the line,
and the gradV Gill be comparatively
light, descending with the great ma
jority Of the loaded cars"
II am told there is u great deal of
coal, timber and iron ore on the line
of the West Virginia Central Road. 2
"a great deal hardly expresses
it. There are vast tracts of fine
lumber 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
the noted big yein.' We also have
some twenty saw mills in operation,
and more contemplated. A large
tannery is being built at Davis, and
a wood7pulp mill is projected. Very
recently good quality of iron ore
has been found near Fairfax Stone,
and it is being shipped from there
to Pittsburg.' M
rs the new road you are talking
of building in the interest of the
Pennsylvania or the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroads. -
Neither. 1t is purely a business
enterprise, mainly in the interest Of
the West Virginia Central road and
the development of the country il
penetrates. The West Virginia Cen.
trail wants competing outlets to sue
cessfully market the rich products
of the country it has opened up, and
with this connecting link to Cumber-
land it would have choice of three
competing lines of transportation
viz, the Baltimore Il Ohio and Penn
sylvania systems, and the Chesa,
peake and Ohio canal. 1t is true
this road will parallel the Baltimore
q Ohio part of the way, but that
is often done to reach competing
points. If the situation were revers
ed and the Pennsylvania road reach
ed Piedmont, while the Baltimore 4
Ohio stopped at Cumberland, it il
likely that we would want q connec
ton with the b. &. o. as we now de
with the Pennsylvania. We expeci
to give all three lines of transporta
ton at Cumberland fair share O
our business, providing, of course
the rates of freight are equal, ant
they treat us in fair and just way
The distance from Cumberland Il
New York by both the Baltimore 4
Ohio and Pennsylvania roads i.
about the same-350 odd miles,
"Do you contemplate extending
your West Virginia Central roaf
enthusiastically through West Vir
ginia?" 10, nt sa ,y sstt I
''Not at present; but as soon al
the times are more favorable, ant
business will warrant it, we expect
to connect with the Chesapeake ant
Ohio system. 1t is about sixty
miles from Piedmont to Davis, tn,
present termination of the West Wiz
ginia Central road, and about l2t
miles from Davis to the Chesapeak,
and Ohio road, and we can reach .
connection by going down either thu
Greenbrier, Gauley or Elk river val
leys. II the latter route, which is ,
little the longest, be chosen, it woule
bring us to Charleston, the capita
of the State. There is no railroad
by the way, for fifty miles on eithel
side of this contemplated connection
and the road would run nearly it,
whole route through coal and iror
ore territory, covered by virgin
forest of finest timber"
II am told that Davis, your pres
ent terminus, is fast improving
Where is its exact location?"
Yes, Davis is rapidly assuming
the appearance OF. a thriving town
it is, located at the junction of tn,
Beaver and Blackwater forks of th,
Cheat river, in Tucker county, Yves
Virginia, in the center of vast Goa
and timber region. We have bull
a machine shop and engine hous,
there. and we expect to make thil
place the headquarters Of the com
pany. Mr. Elkins and myself con
template building at Davis. ane
making it our future residence. TIL,
company is building hotel Their,
also, which will be completed by
June Goth; if you should meet will
good hotel man send him to me, al
the hotel is for sale or rent. Tn,
Blackwater Falls, which were mad,
famous by Porte Crayon years ago
are near Davis; they have fall 0
eighty feet, sixty three of which
are perpendicular. This segion il
famous for mountain trout, and ther,
are parties from Pennsylvania ant
elsewhere there now tishing.-Balti
mare american.
OF the Same Opinion. e -
Hon. William T.. Wilson is per
haps the best Representative in Con
gress that West Virginia has eve