The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-03-14
a Great Railroad Combination.
Chesapeake and Ohio an Important
FsCtor.
THE FUTURE 1T PROMISES.

|
to become an important factor IN the vast
CON bnation and that it Kill be grand
for the trade and travel OF
the West. \ Orthwest aud southwest, and
reaching across the continent to drain the
Pacific slope. We remember, many years
ago. to have read prediction made by
Hon. A. FL. IL. Stuart. in which he said in
in enumerating the many ads
want ages of Virginia that the Chesape axe
Bay aud the Pacific Ocean would even
tualy o. brought in close commercial
proximity by means of com municatlon |
across her territory. 1t seems that this |
graad contamination Is now before US.
The scheme TO consolidate under one ca |
pabIe management. with M. Il. ingalls, as
the controlling spirit, the "l3ig -Four. p"
the Bee Line. the Indianapolis and st. |
LOUIS road, the Cleveland. st. Louis ard
Kansas City road. the Cleveland, Column
bus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and the
Chesapeake and Ohio roads, is worthy OF
this age of wonderful progress and devei'
opment. 1t means the shortest through
line from the West and Southwest to the
Atlantic coast. az we'll as between the
Pacific slope and tile Atlantic, and to
make Virginia the great highway for the
afllaent trade that will be drawn to the
trunk line by this combination.
The simple fact of the immense traffic
of the West, Northwest and Southwest
let Of
Virginia in itself would not bring with it
immediate benefits to this section of coun'
try. But the control of the Richmond
and Allegheny road by the Chesapeake aud
Ohio, was effected for the purpose OF
detecting the heavy freights over the lat
ter to the former at Clifton Forge, be
cause of the more favorable grades of the
Richmond and Allegheny. This fact urges
the necessity of local development to
make the Chesapeake and Ohio earn re
munerative profits between Clifton Forge
and Richmond. as we'll furnish business
for the empty ears going west. We have
between Clifton Forge and the Blue Ridge
the resources. v hen developed. to meet the
of the Chesapeake and Ohio management.
| Al the Bius. Ridge there is ine Xhausti
biz supply of red oxide Or specular iron
ore. which can hold its own in any market
| in the country, and which is In dems nd
where yer high grade iron is m ade; as we'll
as brown hpmatite of excellent quality. AT
Ferrol, seventeen miles west of Stanton.
| is one of the largest, if not the largest ard
richest deposit of brown hematite to be
found in the Union. carrying from 81 t.
81 per ceut. OF ne.aliic iron with rhos-
pborns NOT TO exceed ore per cent. 1t is
easily mined. with an incline It half a
mile from the N ines TO the rairoad. At
Buffalo Gap another immense iron fed,
fully proven, touches the railroad, to in
crease the volume OF freight that would
be created by active, practical develop.
ment.
But there is another source of traffic
aud business which probably oyersbadows
them all. and is destined to work leyolu
ton. not only in the sluggish methods OF
our people. but in the flu ell supply of this
portion OF the State. as we'll as all local
tiles contiguous TO the Chesal cake a I'd
.OhiO railroad. 1t s the ant Lracite coal
fields Of North River Gap. with brown
hematite ard red sha!e iron OF es ,alm ost side
by side with the COAL To reach thes g
mines of wealth and pour it into the lap
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio. requires the
construction of a road but seventeen miles
long. passing through rich agricultural.
pastural and mineral section, aud when
completed. vi draw The trade of North
west Augusta. Southwest Rockingham.
Iii .hland. pocahontas and Pendlet on
counties. with an indefinite field of de
velopment before it. by the extension of
the line. 1t could be made to penetrate
the richest coking coal fields of West
Virginia, and deliver htuminons coal at
S;aunton at less haul by IS miles than the
present source of supply, 1t would also ac
cnmmodate one OF the best and NEST ex-
trnsiye timber regions on the cont inent.
virgin and isolated at this time and mae
cesslb de for want Of rail communication.
Il would be difficult to estimate the I'M
mense traffic that would thus be controlled
and made 10 contribute TO the eastern as
well as western bound business of the
Chesapeake and Ohio.
At North River Gap. where anthracite
coal and iron ore come together in limit
less abundance. furnaces could be estab-
lished to manufacture anthracite pig iron.
! thor l,f ~ i..}, ~
augment the commerce which only re-
qures the creative forces Of money and
energy to bring into existence.
We do not know that the management
of the Chesapeake and Ohio has ever h I'D
its attention called to this new field of
business and the Importance of this pro.
posed road as feeder. A liberal charter
for the road exists, a company has been
formed and plane are maturing for its
construction. The coal fields can be
reached within eighteen miles over favor.
able grades. and at minimum cust.---
Once reached by rail. the advantages for
iron manufacture would be SO apparent
that capital would speedily seek invest
ment and furnaces be established. Apart
from this. the country that wauid he
drained by the road would furnish rem
lucrative local business for the enterprise.
and open up region with indefinite pos
sihilities for the future.
But the paramount consideration would
be the anthracite coal. There are five
seams ranging from 2. to feet in thick
ness, above water level and pronounced
by the largest coal dealer in New York.
after testing it in his own CRATES. to
he the best burning anthracite coal
he had ever seen. 1t could be laid down
in Cincinnati for from one to two dol
lars less thaa the Pennsylvania authra-
cite aud IN Richmond at a similar re-
duction, to say the least. 1t could be
placed in Staunton for three dollars less
ban is now being paid for anthracite, and
com mand the markets now supplied by
! PENNSYLVANIA mines. " hich are ace0mmo
dated by the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road. The revolution il the anthracite
coal traffic would be immed late and
! far-reiching, and give the North River
| Gap mines a trade that would at once
| make them Il source of immense renumer
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