The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-06-04

some OF the ore beds have been worked
for mnny years, the products being
shipped to markets outside OF the State.
In Preston county the ore was mined
as early Us 1880. At the Valley Fur
mace, in Barbour county, an excellent
ore bed has been developed, while the
deposits near Charlestown, in Jefferson
county, have been developed, the ore
being carted to the railroad and shipped
to Hagerstown and manufacturing
points in Pennsylvania Property has
recently been purchased in this region,
which will be further developed, the
ore being manufactured into iron on the
ground. At several other points
throughout the iron regions off West
Virginia similar operations are contem-
plated.
In the eastern part Of the State the
greatest possibilities at present are in
the vicinity OF Charlestown and Mar
.tinsburg, where large territories. have
recently been purchased with q view to
developments in the near future. In
letter from Captain John Howard, late
Of the Coal and Iron Company OF Penn
sylvania, he says OF the strata Of iron
in this section Of the State, and in JEFF
ferson county, W. Va, and Clarke
county, Va, In particular, that the out
crop is on the Potomac river, about
eight miles from Charlestown. At this
point the ore was mined in colonial
days, and from time to time since, to.
supply the furnaces in the vicinity.
The mine is now being worked, the
shipments being about 1000 tons per
month. This ore is brown hematite.
Other mines have recently been opened
in this vicinity.
The same strata makes Its appearance
about two aHd-a=kalf- miles= from
CharIestown, where the surface soil is
full OF wash ore. There is an immense
deposit OF iron at this point. One and
half miles south OF this deposit is the
Maltby Ore Bank, referred to in Maury's
report in the following language:
In Jefferson county, on the east
bank OF the Shenandoah, Is located
Maltby's ore mine. This is one of the
most valuable mines in West Virginia
and gives promise Of IN abundant sup
ply Of excellent quality"
Cold short Hematite ore is here in
great abundance, and in conjunction
with ore (red short Hematite) mined on
the west side OF the river was used by
the Lockhart furnace, located here, in
manufacturing iron Of superior quail
ity as late as 1858. and more recently
has been extensively worked by Mr.. @.
S. Maltby, of Baltimore. Mr.. Clarke, in
the letter referred to above, says that in
Pennsylvania these valuable ores, Local
ted in the same iron belt, arp becoming
exhausted and are now being shipped
from Jefferson county to furnaces in
that section.
The iron belt across the western and
central portion Of the. is very rich,
and the deposits are inexhaustible. A
strata of iron underlies thousands Of
acres, which are yet undeveloped.
Valley Furnace, in Barbour county, one
Of, the eirliest developed iron industries
in this region, was built in 164S and
went out Of blast In 1854. TWAS char
coal furnace, and had capacity of five
tons Of pig iron per day, which was
hauled over rough wagon road, a dis
lance Of forty miles, to the Monongahela
river, and thence boated to Pittsburgh.
This pig iron was OF the kind known as
"Scotch pig, and ranked with the i'm
ported Scotch pig in the Pittsburgh
market.
Throughout the iron districts Of the
State the ores are OF equal quality, and
It has been wholly on account of the
lack, OF transportation facilities that
they have not been worked. Now that
railroads are being built in every direc-
ton through the rich mineral re.
gions OF West Virginia, early and
extensive developments are sure. On
the three great trunk lines and their
feeders already constructed great depos-
its of ore exist, including manganese,
magnetic, and all the merchantable va.
rieties Of iron, and the possibilities OF
extensive developments cannot be over
estimated. The advantages OF the West
Virginia iron regions appear in the fact
that accompanying the beds OF iron are
vast stratas of limestone and coal. In
some places the limestone crops fully
100 feet thick, and the veins of coal are
from seven to fourteen feet thick, so
that the conditions are favorable for the
production of cheap iron. In fact,
almost anywhere in the State where
iron exists pig-iron can be made at
much less cost within a stones throw
Of the ore than in any region Of the
United States or England. 1t has been
estimated that pig-iron can be produced
in most Of the iron regions OF West Vir-
ginia at the following average cost per
ton:
Mining two and a half tons Of coal at fifty
Cen4. y
Converting coal into coke.."...........-"..".. q
Transporting to ~
Mining two aud q half tonSof ore at6O cents %
Roasting. 70
Limestone to Slnelt ton OF ore.,.,.,..,.,.,,. b9
Labor and extras "