The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-10-16
PIIrTSBURGH'S RIVAL.
The Upper Monougaheta- Coal
Region in West Virginia
AND THE NEW CAMDEN ROAD
Giving the Pittsburghers Much Con
ccru-wnI Ruin Themiu tho Coal
and Coke AIarkOts-A CanaIto
Lake Erie Her Only Hope,

PIrrsBURGH, Pa, Oct, l5,-The State
development boom in West Virginia,
and particularly the new coal, coke and
railroad operations now commencing in
the Monongahela Valley and those in
the West Virginia Central aud Kama
wha regions, which are not 80 new, but
no less important, have set Pittsburghers
to thinking, The city has begun to
realize that she Is about to lose her pres
tige as a coal and coke centre, and some.
thing must be done 10 save her, The
fact that the Monongahela region will,
on the completion Of the new road be-
tween Fairmont and Clarksbure, now
under construction, be able to ship coal
and coke by rail cheaper than by boat /;
that 1t will be placed lS9 miles nearer
Chicago than Pittsburgh is, has created
much alarm. Nothing will save Pitts
burgh, 1t Is said, but the construction OF
the proposed ship canal from Pittsburgh
to Lake Erie.
The Pittsburgh DIpatch, Of this morn
ing, thus sounds the tOcsin OF alarm and
stirs up tue people Of Pittsburgh:
wRsT VIRGINIA DRvRLopMEST.
"People interested in the proposed
canal from the Ohio river to Lake Erie
should be put on their mettle by the in.
roads some people are contemplating
into the coal districts OF Logan, Marion,
Monongalia and surrounding counties
In West Virginia. T. NJ. jenkins & Co.,
OF this city, have secured 1900 acres In
Marion county. The chief value II pos.
sesses Is that the vein Is eight feet thick
In the clear and a train OF cars can be
loaded In the mines.
"This section is, by the Baltimore aud
Ohio Railway system, 1S9 miles nearer
Chicsgo than is Pittsburgh, and 60 miles
nearer a Lake Erie port, 1t is patent at
glance that with veins OF the thickness
mentioned, and shorter route to the
Northwest, the section mentioned will
always have the bulge on the Pittsburgh
district, that Is on that portion OF It that
must ship down the Monongahela river.
This territory Is adjacent 10 the railway
built by ex-United States Senator Cam.
den and others. To connect with Belle.
vernon 25 miles Of railway are already
built from Mckeesport, and 1000 men
are at work, who will soon open the
country to the great beyond.
OTHER CAPITAL INVESTING.
IA number Of capitalists, among them
is O. Kimberland, Of Pittsburgh, have
gotten up a company with 100000 capi.
tai stock, and expect to begin boring for
petroleum and gas in Marion county,
West Virginia, In six weeks. They
have leased 5000 acres OF land, and
think they will get oil. II oil should
fall, the coal under and timber on the
land will pay largely as coon as railway
communication Is secured.
There are In Logan, Mcdowell and |
other counties Of West Virginia 100000 |
acres oil land that eau be bought, II Is
said, at s. an acre, and under all OF 1t |
there are coal veins varying from 8! to |
IA feet in thickness, Many millions Of
money have been spent in late years
building railways where no one lived,
while some Of the most prosperous
counties In the Union have none at all.
THE BIG CANAL OFFSET.
''This will not long remain SO, and II |
Pittsburgh people do not want to be a
day behind the fair in securing a market
for their coal, and want to prevent the
establishment Of blast furnaces else.
where, they will whoop up the canal
project with all their might, soul and
strength. It can be put through 100 feet
wide, y feet deep, locks built and the
banks piled for less than SIC, 900, 900, and
craft eau be constructed In WHICH CoRl
and iron ore can be carried for one.6hh |
the cost Of railway transportation.
HAD the coal and iron interests tho |
push about them that some have they
would not wait Uncle SANS elephantine |
movements, but sail In and have their
coal floating TO the Northwest before
West Virginia development secures a
ioothall. The Kanawha coal operators,
with navigation Three weeks earlier and
three weeks later, and with better draft
Of water, will soon efTectualy take the
lower river market, but II Pittsburgh
moves promptly II can secure the North.