The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-08-15
The Future of the Ches. and Ohio.

The Future of the Ches. and Ohio.
The Pittsburg american MannJdctu-
rer, edited by Hon. Jos. d. Weeks, in its
issue of August I'd, contains the article
to be found below. The editor has
been over this road several times
during the past two or three months,
has had occasion to examine into the re-
sources of the country tributary to the
Chesapeake and Ohio and to learn some
thing of the policy and purposes of the
Company. He has been very much i'm
pressed with what he saw and learned,
and so confident is he of the great flu
ture that lies before the mineral district,
to which he refers, that he is actively
interesting himself and others in the
establishment of Industries along the
line of the road Plans have been ma
tured, and others are maturing, for
placing important plants, related to the
mineral interests of the section, at Iron
Gate, and as the vast native wealth of
that region becomes better known, capt
tai will come in to avail of the marvel
Gus natural advantages which there ex-
list. The Manufacturer says
IF the rumor is true, and we have the
best of reason for believing that it is
that the recent purchase of 100 900 shares
of Chesapeake and Ohio stock was in the
Vanderbilt interest, it means more to the
industrial interests of the State of Viz
ginia and especially to the development
of its iron and coal resources in the near
E,,4 nf fit,cf
road, as is well known, is in the State of
Virginia, an east and west road, and in
its passage through the two Virginias
cuts with the main line the ores of the
Clinton and the Oriskany, as well as the
magnificent coking coal deposits of the
New River 1t is along the line of this
road, near Clifton Forge, that the limo
mites of the Oriskany reach their high
est development, the vein being at times
go feet wide, and averaging IS to 90 feet,
giving an ore that yields to the furnace
43 per cent, making a foundry iron re-
markable for its strength and fiuidity.
and mill iron that finds ready market
in Pennsylvania rolling mills, for work
ing into the best qualities OF merchant
iron. The cooking Goals of the New River
district are too well known to need any
description, but thus far they have been
worked chiefly along the canon OF the
New River. The vast bodies of this coal
that have been cut through by the creeks
that flow into the New River are as yet
practically untapped, and these bodies
of coal lie so as to be much more easily
and much more cheaply mined than the
same seams along the New River. On
these creeks also there are larger and
more frequent bottom lands, giving
plenty of opportunity for good locations
for coke ovens, requiring little grading,
and near an abundant water supply.
With the requirement of the Rich
mond and Allegheny the Chesapeake
and Ohio road also have a low grade
road from Clifton Forge to Richmond
along the banks of the James, thereby
avoiding the heavy grades between Cliff
ton Forge and Richmond on the main
line
The policy of the new management of
the Chesapeake and Ohio has been to en-
courage the establishment of industries
along the line of their road in Virginia.
To be sure this policy has, as yet, had
hut little chance for development. but
anything that broad, liberal policy can
do to develop the magnificent resources
along the line of this road in the two
Yirginias will be done.
The purchase of the stock in the Van
derbllt interest, the connection OF DreXel,
Morgan Il Co., with the property, the
consolidation, at least of interests, of the
Big -Four with the Chesapeake and Ohio,
the increased amount of freight that
this consolidation will give over the
Chesapeake and Ohio to tidewater, the
better credit, and consequently the bet
ter opportunities for raising money that
all of these conditions will give, will have
marked influence on the industrial de-
velopment of the Virginias, and espe-
cially on the development of the iron
and coal properties along this road.
Already their policy is taking shape,
lines of road are being surveyed up the
creeks in the New River district for the
purpose of developing the enormous
coal lands and serving as feeders to the
roa1. A bridge has been built across
the New River near River View, to tap
the coal fields on the opposite side of the
river up Dun Loup creek, and the other
creeks in the vicinity. Extensive shops
are to be built at Clifton Forge, an iron
III steel plant is under construction ON
the Richmond and Allegheny, at Iron
Gate, two miles south of Clifton Forge,
an other extensive operations are near
ly decided upon, while still Others are
IS in contemplation, so that, on the whole,
it may be said that under the conditions
that result from the changes above re
ferred to, the prospect of development
in Virginia is very good.