The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1888-08-30
The Coal and Timber Lands in South
west Virginia.

III lIlC SOuVHWtbG COFneT Ol IIl6 Olu
State If Virginia there is a tract OF
country comprising several counties
that has up to quite recently been a
practically unknown territory. AL.
though lying adjacent to the earliest
settlements of the country it has re-
mained up to the present time little
more than a hunting ground, For
years the tide of immigration from the
east has left this little strip of country
out in the cold. Shut in by noun.
tain barriers on all sides, and being a
country unsuited to agriculture and
unattrative to farmers the star of EN-.
pre- in its westward course passed
quickly over the mountains Of Virgin,
ia without stopping. 1t was not until
within the last two or three years when
the timber supply of thickly settled
communities began to fall, and the
marvellous increased consumption and
demand for coal began to be felt that
this section OF the country has been
quietly explored and its immense re.
sources in coal, iron and timber dis.
covered. Here can be seen a country
covered with the finest of timber and
underlaid withimmense ledges of coal.
The coal is in layers varying in thick
ness from two feet to fourteen feet
thick, the different layers being sepa-
rate, or laying one above the other,
from one hundred to two hundred feet
apart. The principal layer, or that
which is chiefly depended upon for
mining purposes, is about seven feet
thick, and is known as the Pocahentas
vein OF coking coal. This can be seen
byanyone wherever stream cuts down
the mountain sufficiently to expose
the vein, or in many places where
land owners and inspectors have made
Openings" These places show solid
banks Of coal where a man OF middle
stature standing on tiptoe can just
reach to the top. The timber is yel.
low poplar, oak, chestnut, cherry and
walnut.
Through the western end of this
territory runs vein OF iron ore. In
their natural geological position these
two minerals (coal and iron) are wide.
ly separated, but at various points in
southwest Virginia, as il in compensa.
tion for the rough interior OF tn e coun.
try, kind nature, by some disturbance
or upLeaval of the earths crust, has
generously left these two minerals in
close proximity, thus plainly inviting
the erection OF furnaces.
OF course but for the building oI
railroads this country would remain
undeveloped, but the demand for coke
to supply the furnaces of Tennessee
Alabama, and the south, together with
the great quantities demanded by the
shipping interests via Norfolk, Va.
has started the railroads into this
country from all directions
Nothing has 50 stimulated these al
the success of the mines in the oca
hontas district. Here the railroad frs
reached the coking coal fields of tht
South, that before were emily supposed
to exist in the vicinity of Connellsville
Daily train loads are now going ou
from her to supply the furnaces Of til,
south and west going across the Mis-
sissippi, and even to the foot of and be
yond the Rocky Mountains. Wha
has been done in the Pocahontas dis
trict will be done all through this coun
try, and investors are no more anx
ious to get hold of the coal while tn,
land is cheap than the railroads ar,
to haul it out
The Louisville and Nashville Rail
road is now building eastward from
point on its Knoxville branch in Ken
lucky to meet the Norfolk and Wes
tern Road near Big Stone Gap. TIL
South Atlantic and Ohio is building
north via the same point to the Obi
River, and the Charleston, Cincinnati
, 4 Chicago Railroad will penetrate tn
J coal region in north and south d
rection, a short distance east. Thi
road will form great trunk line cor
! meeting at present Charleston, s. G
/ with Ashland, Kyn distance OF SO
: miles, crossing in this distance seve
railroads and the famous deposit {
. Cranberry Magnetic iron ore, whic
| is situated only eighty miles from tn
S largest coking coal fields in the worlC
: and crossing the East Tennessee Vii
e ginis & Georgia Railway system q
e johnson City, Tenn, a point fft
Y miles from the coal and thirty mile
v from the iron ore, and passing over tn
e fossil ores between Johnson City an
the coal. The work is progressin
Y from Charleston through South Ca