Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-04-07
Lumber Interests Along the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway.

Observing the number of lumber-trains
on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway passing
through this city from the West, we were
on the lookout to see what the trade jour
nails would have to say about that class OF
commerce, which has its transit by ou'
doors. The Chicago Northeastern Lum
herman, in its Washington correspondence,
throws light on this feature of inland traffic,
which is from West Virginia. The opinion
is expressed that it will soon have control
of that market, and that the time is not dis
tant when it will govern the spruce lumber
trade of New York City.
The Lumberman, in further discussing
the matter, remarks:-ssThese and similar
changes which are coming to the surface
impress us with the fact that the timber
supply of the country is not as yet fully un-
derstood."
This new development in lumber is most
ly, if not altogether, the enterprise of the
company which has its mills at Ronceverte,
on the Chesapeake 6 Ohio Railway, in
GreenDrlef county.
1t is stated by those who know from OBJ
servation that the reports and maps of Prof.
Sargent, published by authority of the Gov
ernment,. underestimated the area and the
quantity of valuable kinds of the'lumber re-
sources of West Virginia. There seems to
have been no question of the fact, so far as
the country tributary to the Chesapeake &
Ohio Railway is concerned, for enterprise
and recent development in limited Sec
ton of the daughter on the borders of the
parent-State have contributed something
doubtless, to aid the conclusion of the
Lumbe,man that sthe timber-supply of the
country is not as yet fully understood"
The readers of the SPECTATOR will re-
member that last Fall it chronicled that at
the depot of the Chesapeake & Ohio Rail
way in this city was unloaded a locomotive
for a narrow-gauge railroad, and rails for
several miles were also taken off at the
J Valley depot, all of which were transported
by wagons to the pine forests of Pocahontas
county, on the Greenbrier river. From the
river several tracks have been laid out to
the forests, and since that time the little
engine has been doing its work with vigor in
hauling down to the river the logging" as
it is termed, which is the source of supply,
pushing its way into the important relation
of controlling markets. This forest enter
prise is part of the plans of the establish.
ment with its mills and headquarters al
Ronceverte. The logs are foated down the
river to the mills. Verify this little engine
and the tracks over which it runs are doing
great work at the base of operations in
developing the resources of our interior
country, not only rich in lumber values, but
which will play an important part in future
industries, for that little machine is to be g
potent agency in leading that section, re
mote from transportation, in the way of flu
ture progress.
In connection with the above, we give the
following from the Greenbrier Independent
of the list inst, received since the above
was written
"The heavy rains of the past week caused
an unprecedented rise in Greer brier river
Anthony's creek and other streams in this
section. The great rise in the river anG
Anthony's creek brought down an immense
lot of logs, filling the booms of the St. Law
renee Boom and Manufacturing Company
above and at Ronceverte beyond their Ca
pacity, thus resulting in the loss of many
logs. 1t was big drive for the Company
however, and will keep their extensive es
Enlistment at Ronceverte and their EN-.
ployees busy for months to come. 1t will
also be big thing for the growing town Of
Ronceverte. We congratulate the Con1pa
ny, the employees, the town and the public
generally, as it will be "a boom all around
We find also in the Pocahontas Times Of
the 25th ult. the following relating to the
lumber trade having it's outlet by the Ches
apeake & Ohio Railway
"The ark, S. men and 16 horses started
down Greenbrier river today with IL, 600,
900 feet of lumber. Col. Jno. Driscol ha:
the lumber in charge. May they all lane
safe.
''Col. Houck, a wholesale lumber dealer
Of Washington, is here looking at our lum
ber.''