The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-03-06
THE RICH PATCH IRON GO,
Capital Stock, 100000. Shares,
800 Each.


OFFICERS
President, ID. Shanahan Louisville XIV
Vice President, Jacob Yost. iron Gate, Va.
Secretary and Treasurer, Il. M. Nettleton Gov
ington, Va.
Directors, Henry Merry, II. G. Merry, Low
moor; Il. T. Powell Newport, KY; S. NJ Yost
Staunton, Va. c. NJ. Shanahan, D. A. Shanahan
Louisville, KY; w. A. Rinehart, John S. Ham
j. f. Parker Covington, Va.
Principal office, Covington, Va.
The Rich Patch Iron Company is a Corpora
ton organized and existing under the laws OF
Virginia.
The Property consists of 1924 acres of mineral
and timber land, situated on the Rich Patch
Mountain, Allegheny county, Va The tract i'm
mediately adjoins Lowmoor, and extends west
wardly for seven miles, skirting the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railway its entire length, and reach
ing to and including the Proposed location of
the Potts Greek Railroad. Itembraces what eX-
perts have declared to be the finest deposit
Of the Rich Patch sectional section famed for
the quantity and quality of its iron ore. From
the Rich Patch range is supplied the ores for
Lowmoor, Princess and Longdale furnaces. The
product of these furnaces commands the high
est prices in the iron centres. The Government
has recently contracted with the Princess fur
mace to furnish iron for the castings of its new
armored vessels the output of that furnace
having been declared the best made for that
purpose.
The tract is traversed by numerous streams,
along the courses of which tramways and rail
roads could be constructed with easy grades
and very cheaply. Except where clearings have
been made the whole surface is covered with
timber, including large quantity of excellent
oak pine and hickory.
An exhaustive report was made upon this
property by Mr.. L. L. Lewellin, of Pottsville
Pa an expert whose reputation is not bounded
by the limits of sections.
After describing the property i'll detail and
particularly the veins of hematite ore stretch
ing for six miles and ranging i'll width from ten
to fifty feet and the fossil vein, ranging from
three to ten feet land extending the entire length
of the property, Mr.. Lewelin says
ssThere remains however, of the fossil vein,
not less than ten square miles available for min
ing and working, and compared with other
ores pc culiarly adapted to smelling, with an
average thickness OF not less than three feet
and capable of yielding 81 to tn per cent. of me
tallic iron.
'There remains also, of the ore sandstone
yein nearly as many square miles, with a thick
ness at about five feet, of inferior value in the
present state of tie arts, yet capable of being
smelted, and yielding a fair return for uhe labor
and expense, especially when mixed with the
other ores.
not less than six square miles of an average
thickness of five feet OF good workable ore ca
pable of yielding from IS to 40 per cent. of iron
and there remains also of the Hematite vein
besides the vein the north side of Carpen-
terS mountain) basin consisting of tho dips, not
always contiguous yet extending nearly 6mlles,
with an average thickness of about 30 to 40 feet
of good workable ore, capable OF yielding As to
| so per cent of iron.
stThe proximity of the tract to Jackson's
| River and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway,
the facility of access to the veins of ore, for
mining and transportation, afforded by the re-
| markable gaps and cut downs and by the beds
| of the runs and branches above indicated, to-
gether with the great abundance of limestone
on various parts of the tract, and the convent
ent sites for building furnaces near Jackson $
| River, elements of value to the property
which need not be further noticed. Suffice it to
say that with a competent force at work on the
fossil vein alone, at the point where Laurel
| Branch cuts through the Horse Mountain, it
! would be practicable to deliver to railway
running along the bed OF Laurel Branch, not
less than SOC tons of fossil ore each day, and
! from the veins OF hematite ore, lying within
about mile of that point not less than 800 tons
| of hematite could be delivered each day
making daily supply of not less than 500 tons
of ore from that point alone, which could be
maintained for indefinite series OF years,
certainly more than a hundred years, at the
same time the same daily supply of fossil ore,
and probably also OF hematite, could be fur
nished and maintained for the same indefinite
period at Hays Gap. The same daily supply
for the same Indefinite period both of fossil and
hematite ores, could be maintained at Kearns
Run by means of short railway along the bed
of that run and the branch of the run leading
supply Of not less than 25O0 tons OF fossil and
hematite ores for century, without fesorting
at all to the Red Shae, and the sand stone veins,
which fer the present might be entirely ne
g .srha daily sunnv can he stil, furtoe, in
creased, if desired, by means OF a railway up
Mill Branch, and by mining operations ON the
fossil and hematite veins nearest TO that stream.
"These results may well surprise you,but need
not say they stated cautiously and deliber-
ately, within the safe limits of truth and expe-
perience. Yours. etc, l.. &. LEWELLIN."
in his report, Mr.. hewellin puts the ore that can
be mined on this property at over one hundred
and fifteen million tons.
The following statement from Mr. II. G. Merry,
Superintendent of Mines, Lowmoor Iron Com
pany; Mr. John S. Ham, Superintendent of Stack
Mine, Dolly Ann Mine; and Iron Mountain Min
ing Company and Mr. w. A. Rinehart, formerly
Superintendent of Lowmoor Mines, speaks for
itself;
I'VE have made a thorough and careful exam
nation of the survey owned by the Rich Patch
Iron Company and are of opinion that it is an
ore property OF rare value. The vein of Hema
tite extends for seven miles and ranges in
thickness from ten to nifty feet The same vein
at Lowmoor, just adjoining, has been mined to
the depth of 10 feet, with no indication of being
exhausted. The ore Is exceptionally fine, aver
aging 80 per cent of metallic iron,
1.-The fossil vein also extends seven miles and
ranges in thickness from three to eight feet.
This ore will yield an average of from so to 60
| per cent metallic IRON
Inc property Is accessible, ana can be easily
and economically worked: The output would
be limited only by the number of operatives
| ployed and the facilities for its transportation
| Respectfully,
H. s. MERRY,
.INo. S. HAM,
w. A. RINEHART.'
Analyses made by Dr.. Henry Froehlng, Ana
alytical Chemist of Richmond, Va, OF samples
collected by himself from the Rich Patch iron
Company's property
Sixteen ANALYSES of Hamatita ores. HIGHEST in
metallic iron 57.112 per cent; lowest 41.1G,; av
erage 54.2s2.
Phosphorus Highest 1864 lowest, liz; aver
age Gil
Eight analyses of Fossil ore: Highest $3.50
| lowest; As sos; average 5o,S27.
Phosphorus Highest Ga2; lowest, 575; aver
age, .T99.
Operations looking to the development of this
property will at once be commenced 10 this
end a Mining Company, composed of Messrs. ID
Shanahan, &. r. Powell, ID. A. and G. NJ. Shana-
han, w. A. Rinehart and e. NJ. Nettleton, al
well known contractors, has arranged for the
| construction of railroad and the opening III
of mines and shipping ore. Under their contract
a royalty of 25 cents per ton will be paid to the
Rich Patch Company, and the output is to reach
100000 tons per year. This contract terminates
| at the option of the owners of the land, should
the latter determine to operate upon their own
! account
| Similar operations could be conducted at a
| half dozen or more points on the property.
The demand for this will justify opera
lions far more extensive than those already pro
vided for
The entire property has been capitalized at
100000 This 100000 of stock will be sold in
shares of 800 each at par, upon the following
terms: $25.0 per share upon subscription, and
the remainder in equal instruments at three, six
and nine months from April 1st, 1890.
For the down payment checks must be drawn
to the order of e. M. Nettleton, Treasurer. The
in any other way.
Senator Echols has introduced bill! to
incorporate Basic City, West Virginia
and Pittsburg Railway Company. The
corporators are Chas. E. Hoge, Chas. A.
Holt, Edward Echols, A. G. BraXton,
Arista Hoge, NJ. A. Booker, j. NJ. Quares,
J. N. Mcfarland, Samuel Forrer, J. E.
Sanger H. P. Mason. G.. G. Gooch, Silas
B. Mason, S. d. Gooch and j. S. Darling.
The company is authorized to construct
and operate a railroad, commencing at
the town of Basic City, Augusta county.
or at point within two miles of the it,
tersection of the G. & Q. R'y and the
S. V. R'y. and running to some suitable
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