Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-29
CAMDEN'S GREATPOOL.
WEST YIRGINIA'S RICH COAL PIBLDS ARB
TO BE DEVELOPED.
Capitalists Have Subscribed Two Millions Dollars
The MonODgahea River Railroad to Be Built
Goal and Coke Company Organized
Details Of Interest

head, has completed very satisfactory traf-
fic arrangements with the Baltimore and
Ohio. TIE road is TO be built the present
year, and work will commence without de-
lay. 1t will be about thirty-miles in
length, from FaiTmont to Clarksburg,
along the Upper MoDOngahela River, and
will open up the great coal field in that
region. The route is along the face of the
nine-feet Pittsburg seam of coal above
water level all the way. This coal in
quality is equal to the COnnellsville for
coke, and for fuel end gas Is the same as
the Pittsburg vein. A great portion of
the front OF these coal lands from Fair
mont to Clarksburg has been purchased
by company called the Upper Mononga.
hela Coal and Coke Company, of which
ex-senator Camden is president, and in
which Judge Fleming and others are in
teTestSd.
GREAT SCHEME OF DEVELOPMENT.
The promoters OF this development say
that it is one OF the largest and most i'm
portant that has been undertaken since
West Virginia became State. The money
has all been secured to carry it through
While it il the most prominent part of the
scheme, there are other elements to it that
will command attention. The Senator
Camden system Of nano E-gauge West Vir-
gipia railroads will be made standard
gauge and will connect with the Monon-
ganela River Railroad, giving about 125
miles of roads that Will reach the Balti.
more and Ohio at Fairmont. These roads
are the Clarksburg and Weston railroad,
30 miles long; anothsr read ~ miles long
in process of extension from Weston
to BraxtOn c. II. on Elk river, into
the heart of that agricultural aud tim
Der section Of the State, which
is being rapidly developed From Weston
the Weston and Buckhanuon railroad is
built 10 Buckhanncc, 16 miles, and tim
ber railroad Is Row In operation for some
distance mp the Buckhannon river. These
roads will become valuable feeders TO TIE
Baltimore and Ohio "The policy of the
B. & 0 >" Mr.. Camden says, is of the
most liberal character, especially in West
Virginia, and in marked contrast to the
old regime. l. has taken hold of these
new enterprises, rot only with spirit Of
| lteraiity in aiding the construction, bat
also under such liberal coalitions to the
shippers III the sec .ions to be developed by
these roads ss will be Of gleat advantage
10 the people. Liberal prorating OF
charges will enable the products of tina.
region to come 20 tho markets of the cOun-
try much more advantsgeously than hare
toiore"
SENATOR CAAIDEN's POOL
The B. & o has bra1ch road % miles
long from its main line at Fairmont to
Morgantown, the sest of the West Virginia
University, and town of imp >Itsnce
The construction of the Mnnongahela River
railroad By tue Camden interest will open
up the whole Of tho Monong ihala valley,
giving a continuous line of railroad, by
using the B & o. branch, from Morgan
town to ClarksbuTg, and will develop tina!
country.
The Montana Coke Company have been
operating $50 coke ovens st FAirmont with
success for year, aud have sold their coke
in competition with the Connellssille re-
gion at Chicago aud other points. In ad-
dition to building the railroad, the Nor
gantown company will build 500 coke
ovens next summer, G3d will push the de-
velopment of their enterprises with vigCr
1t is understood that S2,C00 900 have
been put into a pool to carry on this work.
Mr. Camden is the promoter and leading
capitalist. Senator German of Maryland,
has done q good deal to help along the
schemes, and he said on Saturday that
"the agreement is one OF the most i'm
portant that the 6i 0 has made for
some time for the promotion of its own
material welfare" Ne. Camden said:
senator German is one Of my warmsst
frie nda, and it IS inside history that the
primary plans contemplated n ConLec ion
of the MoGongshela River Railroad with
the Ohio River Rl,.rOad, which is part of
tie Camden interest. Through the action
of the MARYLAND Senator mainly the very
satisfactory agreement vita the B. e q.
was made Gn accomplished act"
COKE OVENS TO BE BUILT.
The Upper Monougahela River Railroad
will be bonded at $50, 600 mile, end the
bonds will bear interest at > per cent.
They have all been sold and are not ex-
pected to come upon The market. The
Mercantile Trust Company, Of Baltimore,
is the mortgage trustee. the oosl lands,
railroad and coke ovens 10 be built will
cost about 100000, which has all baen
secured, as above stated. The railroad
company and tue coal aud coke company
are separate corporations, with Mr.. C-m
den a. president Of both. They have been
incorporated ulder thu general Law OF
West Virginia. II is said there are not
many people in the synd cate. but they are
generally strong capitalists. Z. w. Clarke
& Co of Philadelphia, are in the syndi-
cate. It is estimated that 90 per cent. OF
all the coking coal in the country is in the
PittsbuYg seam, OF which the Upper Mon
ongahela is an important portion.
PROF. WHITES REPORT.
The Monongehela Coal and Coke Com
pany have secured 10000 acrea of coal
lands on the route OF their proposed road.
Prof. l. c. White, Of the University OF
West Virginia, hes made q report on this
coal field of the Upper Monongahela re-
gion. He says:
"Although it has loug been known to
biologists, as we'll az u the citizens OF the
Upper MonOng4hels river country gener-
ally. that the great Pittsburg and Con-
neilsyille bed OF soal extends almost uu-
broken from the Pennsylvania State line
southwark to CisrksbuIg, in West Vir'
ginia, yet not until quite recently has at
tention been directed TO the fact. By con-
sulting map of the region 1t will be seen
al a glance that the West Virginia por-
tion OF the Monongshela country is
direct continuation southwark OF the cor
responding region of Pennsylvania, which
has become so famous for its coal aud coke
production. A geological examination es.
tsblishes the fact that the great coal bed
of the Pittsburg and Connell.ville region
extends from the State line along or near
the Upper Monoagahela river to Ciarks-
burg. the most extensive and accessible de-
posit being found from Fairmont 10 Ciarks-
bnrg, & distance of over thirty miles
where it is found almost continuously
above the water level on both sides of the
river. with a wide area Of out-crop and
good natural drainage. The coal has been
measured and inspected at many localities
along every portion Of this line, and also
on MANY Of the tributaries of the river.
The coal is found between these two points
AZ its msximum thickness Of eight TO nine
feet. and in some places exceeding nine
feet
A MOST VAL UABLE FIELD.
''Tbe average for this entire basin as
esssible from the river may be fairly
placed at eight feet Of clean coal or say
ia. 900 tons of meTchantable coal to the
acre. after allowing for the usual waste 10
,;;,,o Whsn il ia stated that more 1U,-