Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-02-01
Developing West Virginia.

Ex-senator johnson ~ Camden has
completed the formation of two cor
porations that will give tremendous
! impulse to the development of West
| Virginia. Mr.. Camden has just an
nounced his plans In connection
with several friends he has formed
two syndicates, one to build railroad
and the other to form coal and coke
company. The railroad has been in
corporated under the general laws OF
| West Virginia and will extend along
| the banks of the Monongahela river
| from Fairlnont to Clarksburg, dis
| lance of thirty-five miles. Senator
| Camden has been able to make salts
factory terms with the present man
agement of the Baltimore 4 Ohio Rail
road Company in the matter of traffic
arrangements. The new railroad will,
by the system of railroads now opera
ted and controlled by Senator Cam
den, be able to reach every point Of
Importance in that part of West Vir-
GINA. With the railroad, which is
known as the Monongahela River
Railroad, he has formed the Upper
Monongahela Coal and Coke Compa-
ny
The property includes fifty thousand
acres OF coal area, along which nine
foot vein of the celebrated Pittsburg
coke and gas coal crops out along the
surface and entirely above the water
level. The region is a continuation of
the Pittsburg coal deposit at its wild
est part and constitutes the great coal
seam of the United States, that in this
part of West Virginia attains its best
developments. The new railroad will
connect with the Parkersburg and the
Wheeling branches of the Baltimore
IL Ohio and enable the coke and coal
to find markets in Cincinnati, Indian
apolis and st. Louis, and the points
west to ST. Louis in the Southwest,
and Chicago and the lakes on the
Northwest The new coal will not
compete with the deposits of the
Georges Creek region, where the
Consolidation and other companies
are located. nor with the Elk Garden,
where the West Virginia Central is in
terested, because unlike them it is a
gas and coke-making coal. The road
is expected to make the greatest local
feeder of the Baltimore & Ohio for the
West.
Senator Camden is the principal of
the syndicate which raised the money.
The railroad will be of standard guage
and built of sixty-seven pound steel
rails. Along the line the coal and coke
company will build five hundred coke
ovens. All the money, about $4,000
900, has been raised and the road has
been bonded for 100000 a mile. The
bonds, which pay per cent, are for
thirty years and have all been sold,
and the road will not come on the
market for subscribers The road will
reach Weston and Buckhannon and
it is contemplated TO extend it az far
as Braxton Court House, on the Elk
river, making system of roads which
will reach every important point that
is drained by the Upper Monongahela.
The coal fields opened up by this
new enterprise will be almost as large
as the combined regions of Connells-
vile and Pittsburg. The vein has
been opened on every farm along the
whole line of the projected road. 1t
possesses the advantage of being near
many of the most important markets
for coal and coke. The capitals Of
the two companies are of course sep
arate.