The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1890-09-05
INDUSTRIAL MISCELLANY.
News About all Our Enterprises
and How They are Pro-
crossing.
The Situation Frightening Every Day and
Substantial Progress Made.
SOME SUGGESTIONS.

! SOME SOCGES IlONS.
Every days developments become'morc
and more encouraging TO those interested
in the growth of Big Stone Cap. Mr..
! Taggart, the manager Of the Virginia
Coal & Iron Company, drew last week his
| first charge of coke from the oven that
had recently been finished, and he is de-
lighted with its quality. 1t has steel
like look and metallic ring, is firm and
possesses superior cellular properties.
The S. A. & 0. switch will soon reach the
company's openings and the work of con-
structing ovens will be pushed as rapidly
as possible. Mr.. Taggart chafcs under
the delays which are enforced by lack Of
transportation, and seems eager to COM
mencc operations on a large scale. His
company have invested very heavily, and
to realize fair interest on the amount,
they must carry on very extensive opera
tons. "The cost of production" says
Mr.. Taggart, "diminishcs in proportion
to the extension of the works, and the
greater the product the greater the profit.
TIE TIMBER.
4 representative of the Iosr met Capt.
j. D. Wolfe, Of Clay l. Wolfe, lumber
dealers. who own an immense body of
timber throughout this section. Captain
Wolfe has had long experience in the
business and is thoroughly familiar with
its details.
When asked what he thought of the
estimate made by the Posi- last week that
the removal of the timber from the Vir-
ginia Coal g. Iron Company's lands alone
would put in circulation 81 100000 in ten
wears, or 81 100000 per annum, he said ut
first blush he thought the estimate ex
cessivc; but rs the company propose to
dispose of all the timber that can be
utilized, including second grade lumber
as well as the first grade, the calculation
was fair one. "All grades of timber are
advancing in the market" he said, land
especially poplar, and the company have
an immense quantity of tirst-class poplar.
That on the northern slopes of the noun
tains," he added, is particularly fine
THE FLAMING MILL.
When asked about his planning mill
plant, he said nearly all the machinery
had been received and put up, and opera
tons would commence in few days. !
We already have number of orders"
he added, "and the parties are waiting on
us"
THE BRICK PLANT.
Mr. Parsons arrived from Louisville |
Wednesday, and has been hard at work
with Mr. Gephardt, getting the brick plant
in order. Extensive sheds are being built
to protect the brick from bad weather.
Operations will commence Monday. and
the plant will be worked to its utmost
capacity. The clay is of superior quality; |
and as the parties have had long expert
encc in the business, the brick will be
frst-class.
THE FURNACE.
Machinery for the furnace has been
coming in. The switch to the furnace
grounds is completed. Three large boilers,
sixtv-two feet in length and fortv-four
inches in diameter, arrived one day this
week. 1t was feared the two cars on
which they were placed, could not he
brought around the curves Of the road,
but they arrived without accident. The
boilers were the most difficult part Of the
plant to he transported
THE TUNNEL.
Captain Gordon, chief engineer Of the
tunnel survey, has made a careful exami- |
nation Of Black mountain, going with |
Captain Walker on foot, with considerable
difficulty, over the route and perspiring |
freely He says the tunnel can be cut
much easier and cheaper than he sup
posed, and the one through Black noun
tain will be just twenty feet more than n
mile He estimates that the cost will not
reach anything like the amount supposed,
and the grade will be only sixty-six feet
to the mile The tunnel through Pine
mountain will be even shorter and con-
sequently cheaper, though he has not yet
made thorough examination Of that part |
of the route.
TIE ELECTRIC LIGHT
has been in operation for some days, and
gives entire satisfaction. The lights have
even exceeded expectation, and are being
generally introduced in private houses MS
well MS the hotels and stores.
THE DUMMY LINE
is being pushed, the track having been
laid TO the corner, near Duil's hotel. As
soon as it is completed to the Intermont, |
IL grand excursion will be made up the
Gap.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
arc projected. Negotiations are pending
for the construction of $4,000 union
depot Mr. H. F. Smith and party of
investors will he here next week, and
arrangements will doubtless be completed
for the construction of the building at
once.
The immediate construction Of sidewalks
has been decided on by the council. and as
soon rs the contracts are let, that work
will begin, so before the winter months
We shall have general system of side
walks completed, and dummy line ex-
tending through the city, which will
deliver both passengers and freight along
the entire route.
A SUGGESTION.
What Big Stone Gap needs is money.
To get this some one should he kept in
the East, where the money center isl
some one who can approach and get the
ear of capitalists. Every town in the
South is advertising, each claiming the
earth, or at least superior advantages over
every other town. 1t is impossible for
capitalists to discriminate between the
merits of different localities by reading
m