The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1889-02-14

hlhucUpOlIs, H.
The above information will be read |
with the greatest interest throughout
East Tennessee and the entire South,
in fact 1t means the immediate ex-
penditure ofnearly two million dollars,
and the consequent expenditure OF
several million dollars more.
The Charleston, Cincinnati and Chi |
cago, better known as the "3C's," is
The greatest railroad scheme inaugu-
rated in the South since the Concep
ton OF the Cincinnati Southern. IL
will cost nearly as much to complete
it, and will he greater agent for the
development OF the wonderful mineral
and timber resources OF the South than
the Cincinnati Southern ever was or
ever will be.
The company was organized about
three years ago for the purpose of build
ing grand trunk line from Charles
ton, S. c., to Chicago, ILL.,, via johnson
City, Tenn, Ashland, KY, and Gin
cinnati, Ohio. The company first Sc
cured the old Chattaroi road, running
from Ashland, KY, fifty miles in this
direction, along the Big Sandy river
This will be a link in the new road.
The next move was to buy up lot Of
short roads in South Carolina, run.
ming from Charleston toward the
northwest. Work has been progress
ing for some time on the extention OF
these lines into the mountains, and
cars are running from Charleston to
Marion, N. c., a distance of nearly
two hundred miles. The line is locat-
cd from that point through the Black
and Smoky Mountains, running
around the foot OF the famous Roam to
Johnson City, thence north to the ter.
minus OF the Chattaroi road
From Johnson City TO Cincinnati it
is $40 miles, and to Charleston about
100. The G. G. & C. when completed
will be the shortest trunk line between
the northwest and southeast Atlantic
coast. Take Johnson City as divid.
ing point northward, the line passes
through all the great coal fields Of the
Cumberland region. At point about
sixty-fye north Of Johnson City the
road strikes the Pocahontas or Flat
Top vein, and from there for distance
OF nearly one hundred miles the new
road will pass through almost a solid
formation OF soft and cannal coal.
The Flat Top and Elkhutn Goals are
recognized as the most superior coking
Goals in America and the very tact
that coke is being shipped from Poca
hOntas to nearly all the leading mark
cts in the country goes to verify the
assertion The supply is simply in
exhaustable. The road also passes
through the famous red and brown
hematite deposits OF South West Vir.
GINA, which are too, inexhaustible
and OF most excellent quality. At
the peaks Of the Cumberland the roao
strikes an almost unbroken stretch of
fine hardwoods.
Southwark from Johnson City the
line passes through the magnificent
fields OF magnetic iron ore known a.
the Cranberry vein. 1t also touches
the rich mica fields in Mitchell coun-
ty, North Carolina, which have been
worked for hundreds Of years 1t will
cause the development Of many other
ri,h minerals in Western North Caro-
hna, beside invaluable forests OF wal
Int cherry and other choice hard
woods Although much of the line
will be through the highest mountain
region east of the Rockies, it is claim
ed the engineers that the maximum
grade will not be over sixty-siz feet to
the mile. There will be several tun.
nels and great deal of heavy grading
The road will not parallel any ex.
listing line OF road, but crosses some of
the most important trunk lines in the
South, the Chesapeake and Ohio the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia,
the Western North Carolina, the main
line OF the Richmond and Danville,
the Seaboqrd and Roanoke, and the
south Carolina Central. The scheme
was organized by Gen. John T. Wilder
and Col. Thomas +. Matson, OF john
son City, Tenn, Hon. John Means, OF
Ashland, Ky, and the late Col C.
Powell, of this city. Later on they
got Boston, New York and foreign
capitalists interested and the compan, ,
is one OF the strongest in the country.
They own large bodies of coal, iron and
timber lands along the line which they
propose TO develop
THE CONTRACTORS.