The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-11-06
numbering IN Pocahontas.

IL Is not only IN the mineral resources
of the South that development is now
moving forward. Her vast timber re-
sources came prominently into notice
several years ago, with the approaching
exhaustion of pine forests in the lake re-
gion, and General Alger, of Detroit, with
other sagacious lumber kings, multiplied
their millions by purchasing vast tracts
OF pine land in Mississippi and adjoining
States. For large saw mills and magni-
tude of laundering operations, eastern
Texas is now practically equal to north
ern Michigan and Wisconsin. The great
journals of the lumber trade, published
in Chicago are devoting much attention
to the lumber interests of all portions of
the South
Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties
contain the distinctive numbering district
nearest to Staunton. The information
given below was obtained from Messrs.
J. E. Campbell and J. A. Sharp, both of
Huntersville, the former of whom, is ed
itor of the Pocahontas Times and the
after contracting builder They spent
last Friday and Saturday attending to
business in Staunton, having come by
private conveyance over the forty miles
between Huntersville and Millboro, and
from the latter place by rail. About 3d.
100000 feet of white pine timber per year
has been cuton the Greenbrier river and
its tributaries during the last ten years
The logs are floated down the river to
Ronceverte, in whose large and finely
equipped saw mill they are converted
into lumber. This mill was established
about nine years ago. 1t is owned and
Company, which has this fall logging
camp of sixty men about two miles from
Huntersville, and three other camps on
different parts Of the river. The Cum
berland Lumber Company is logging this
fall with one or two camps. A third con-
Germ, the Beaver Lick Lumber Company,
has been logging heretofore, but not this
season. Its timber is understood to have
been chiefly cut out. In several places
short railroads have been built to facili-
tate the transportation of logs to the
river. The methods of logging are SINH
lar to those followed In the extensive.
timber regions of the northwest. The
timber is cnt in the fall and winter, after
the sap has gone down, and is hauled to
the river to be fioated down in the high
water of spring time. White pine is
about the only timber taken. 1t is COM
parativeiy abundant along the streams
and in the mountain holows Unless
railroad through the district is built |
soon, the supply of white pine will prob |
ably last about twenty years longer
About four years ago, an official of the |
st. Lawrence Company estimated that
its timber would last twenty-five years,
and on several occasions since then, it |
has bought additional timber. Some
hemlock is cut-known as spruce in West
Virginia, but called hemlock by northern
lumbermen. The ridges contain oak and
other kinds of hardwood. In the western
part of Pocahontas county there is a
large quantity of eve pine, called spruce
in the north, Not much Of this kind of
timber has been sawed, either north or
south, though it will doubtless be utilized
after other kinds have been exhausted. |
A little of the valuable timber, known
as black pine, is found in Pocahontas =
1t is a kind of cross between white pine
and the very valuable yellow or hard
pine Of East Virginia and the States
further south.
The people of Pooahontas have good
hopes for the building OF the Pittsburgh
and Southwestern railroad through their
county. In the northern part of the
county an engineer corps is now at work
selecting route. If this road is built
according to anticip ations, southweste:
ly through West Virginia 10 Goshen, it
will open rich section of undeveloped
territory, and will be useful feeder to
Staunton's trade. Pocahontas is now,
and has always been, part of the trade
territory belonging to Staunton. Mr.
Sharp comes to Staunton once q year to
buy hardware for his building work
This city is. and is likely to continue the
best market and supply depot for the
counties west of Augusta