The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1890-10-25
THE RICH SANDY VAL.
LEY.
A Section of the State
Astounding in Coal, Iron,
Gas, Oil and Timber.

The arrival in the city of Louis
vile of the train of cars from Mid
dle.borough, containing specimens OF
the valuable minerals of that locality
brings to mind another section of our
State unsurpassed, if equaled, in the
quantity and quality Of coal, iron,
oil, gas and timber. There is no
doubt that Louisville has been equal
to any emergency in the improve
ment in the interest of the city. She
has defied power, and has gone ahead
in the construction of the Kentucky
and Indiana bridge; the construction
of the Louisville Southern, and ex-
poets to reach Beattyville in the near
future. Some of her enterprising
people contemplate constructing a
road from Mount Sterling, by way of
Prestonburg, to White Post, on the
Tug Fork of Sandy, twenty-eight
miles east of Prestonburg, and there
connect with the Norfolk and Wes-
tern, now being built down the Tug,
across to, and down Twelve Pole to
the >hio river; then down to Ironton,
Oh >. From Mount Sterling to Hin
tc :, West Virginia, by way of the
Newport News and Mississippi Val
ley, the road forms a half circle,
whereas the road of which we have
been speaking is almost an air line
from Mount Sterling to a point twelve
miles south of Hinton, and the dis
lance saved will be about one hun
dred miles. This saving of itself will
make that road a trunk line.
In Menifee county there is both
cOking coal and fine iron ore. The
seams of the camel Goals in Morgan
and MagOtfin counties are three and
one-half feet thick. The prominent
seams are the COlvin, Caney and Pc
rat, which are very superior Goals,
not surpassed in excellence but by
about two seams of the State Both
camel and bituminous are between
Salyersville and Prestonburg, and of
fine quality and thickness. But from
PrestOnburg to White Post the cox
ing Goals prevail of six feet i'm thick
ness. Here you will appreciate my
remark at the outset, that the road
will ultimately pay immensely. The
tor said to me, were the best of the
State-48 per cent. of pure metal.
There is another road which will
certainly be built from Big Stone
Gap northward, passing westward of
Pound Gap and across to the head of
Boone's Fork and Mill Stone branch
es of the Kentucky river on the head
of Beaver and down it to the Sandy
and on to Prestonburg; thence to |
Willard Point, on the Newport News |
and Mississippi Valley Railroad, from
which the Eastern Kentucky is COM
ple.ed to Riverton, on the Ohio river |
This, too, will be trunk line from
South to North. The Chatteroi is
completed from Catlettsburg to Rich
ardsOn, sixty miles, where it connects
with the three CPS, which runs up
within twenty miles of Prestonburg.
The Kentucky Midland contemplates
an extension from Paris to Bath coun-
ty, thence to the camel coal fields,
upon the Elk Fork of Licking, and
on to Colvin and other fine Goals of
Magoffin; thence to Prestonburg.
Please look upon the railroad map Of
Kentucky, gotten up by our Railroad
Commissioners, and see for yourself
the celtrality of Presto lburg and the
lines of roads contemplated center
ing and crossing there.
In my opinion the most valuable
coking coal fields of America are i'm
Floyd and Pike counties, parallel with
Pine mountain, and upon ElkhOrn
and Shelby creeks and their branch
es. In this field there al e 100, 900 acres
from six to eight feet thick Of the