The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-11-09

with which the b. 4 O. Railroa,
made the late experiments with COX
burning engines. The test of tn
fuel was severe one, but the result
gave the highest satisfaction.
The managers of the compan,
confidently expect, that the demant
for coke for railroad purposes will
prove large source of revenue il
the future.
POSSIBILITIES OF WEST VIRGINIA COKE
The success of the Montana work,
has greater significance than tn,
mere establishment Of one prosper
GUS plant. 1t proves that there il
no use to which the rich bituminoui
beds of West Virginia can not b.
applied. Montana coke was tn,
first made from West Virginia Goa
that could hold its own against
Pennsylvania competition. In de
monstrating the possibilities of the
coke industry, the company develop
ed new element of wealth in the
State; and opened the road to mag
nificent industrial growth in the
Monongahela valley. Through its
investments in these mines Senator
Camden and the powerful capitalists
with whom he is connected, first be.
came acquainted with the hidden
possibilities of this region They
saw territory capable of taking the
place of Pennsylvania's wornout and
costly coal fields, and with the ener-
gy of enterprising business men i'm
mediately began to invest their mon
ey in it. The railroad to Clarksburg
and the three large coke plants pro
jected between Fairmont and that
point are the results.
CASTOR AND OTHER MINES.
Only an incomplete idea of the
work going on in the Fairmont coal
region can be gathered from the de-
scription of single plant, although
that may be the most important.
Other establishments are in opera
ton and give employment to a large
number of men. They mine how
ever, in the same coal beds. and diff
fer very little in character. Two
miles south of Fairmont on the west
branch of the West Fork river, the
CASTOR coal works is situated. The
stockholders of the Castor company
are j. Boyce q Son, Baltimore; j. @.
Watson and J. Ed. Watson, Fair
mont, and Judge A. B. Fleming.
The principal product of these mines
is coal, which is shipped to Eastern
points for gas purposes. Some coke
is made, however. and 30 ovens are
now in operation, while thirty more
are being constructed, This coke
goes into the western market, and is
sold for foundry and fuel purposes.
From $4,000 to 100000 tons of coal
and about $4,000 tons of coke are
shipped in a year. One hundred
and twenty-five men are employed,
and the number will be largely in
creased on the completion of the new
ovens. Both the CASTOR and Mon
tana mines are ventilated by i'm
mense fans, the only machine of the
kind in use in this territory. Free
circulation of air is obtained, and
additional safety and comfort as
sured to the workmen. The CASTOR
company has about 1000 acres of
coal land. The drainage is natural,
and the cost of mining comparative
ly light.
THE CLEMENTS MINES.
Soon after the Montana works
were built Eastern capitalists pur-
chased a tract of land about five
miles further north on the F. M. &
p. road. The mines were opened,
coke ovens built, and the plant chris
tened in honor of VIM. M. Clements,
of the B. Il o. Misfortunes came
upon the new enterprise in rapid
succession. Finally work was sus-
pended. The plant was sold to the
Moshannon Coal Company, of Phila-
delphia, in satisfaction of a mort
gage, but it did not long lie idle.
Hutchinson Bros. local coal men,
have recently leased the works and
are now running them to their full
capacity. Fifty coke ovens are in
constant operation and about 80
men are employed. The Calumet
Iron Company, of Chicago, has con
tracted for all the coke they can
manufacture. The Hutchinsons
have other works three miles north
of the Clements plants. Here coal
is mined for the local trade and
about twenty-five diggers are en-
ployed.
THE oRRELL COAL COMPANY
is now operating two plants near
Fairmont. The Aurora mine is To-
Gated on tue F. M. & P. road about
four miles north of the town. No
coke is made, but coal is supplied
in large quantities to the B. & o.
railroad and Eastern manufacturing
concerns. The company has large
tract of valuable coal land and may
determine to test it in coke manu-
facture. At present ninety men are
employed in the Aurora. The
O'Donnell mine which belongs to the
same company, is one mile south of
Fairmont. Its product is taken al
most entirely by the B. q 0. Thirty
men are at work in it. The New
England Coal Company has valua-
BILE territory lying between the West
Fork and Tygart's Valley rivers.
Mines have been opened and several
thousand dollars have been spent on
bridge across the West Fork river,
and short railroad to the B. q o.
main line. The serious and pro
longed illness of Mr.. ii. Y. Attrill,
the principal owner has prevented
further developments. The plant is
valuable, and it is only a question
of time until the mine begins opera
tions. The West Fairmont shaft is
also idle at the present time, owing
to business differences among its
owners. When running it employs
over $50 men, and has large coal
output.
MoNoNGA COAL REGION.
The readers Of the Register have
already been informed briefly of the
development IL the coal fields Ia the
West Fork Valley. The Mononga-
hela River Railroad Company has
.t.I