The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-22
BUYING VIRGINIA IRON ORES.
History Of the Early Purchases
About Roanoke.
Samuel Coils Operations I'm the Mill
a Mountain Range He Purchased
Mineral Lands OF NIessrs. McClannahnn
and Trout and Began the Explorations
for Developing the Mines.

8- Inc following 3rClCle on Tue purchase
of the Roanoke iron lands is taken, as
are several other articles In this issue
of The TINES, from that depository OF
valuable information, ''The Virginias, y
OF September, 1882:
son the 9th instant. Mr. Samuel Colt,
of Hartford, Conn, concluded n purchase
of the iron ores and other minerals on
the lands of Messrs. Merchandising Trout
and Wertz, and fifty acres in fee of the
first named. lying south Of and near tho
thriving town of Roanoke, Roanoke
county. Va. These are the iron lands
of the Mill Mountain range that were
described in the August number of
"The Virginias."
1.-THE purchaser took an option of pur
chase on these lands a few weeks ago
and put some hands at work. under tho
direction of Captain j. A. WEIGH, most
careful and competent explorer, to fur
ther develop the partially exposed iron
ore deposit in the double or deprcss-
ion of Mill mountain, on these lands,
about three miles west of south from
Roanoke.
s'The result of few days operations
was the uncovering of II great quantity
of excellent lump ore in % stra titled de-
post and such n demonstration of the
value of the property as to decide Mr..
Colt, as soon as he had inspected the
developments, to conclude purchase.
"These ore beds are very favorably
situated in reference to Roanoke, to the
junction OF its two great railways and
to the large iron furnaces being erected
there. 1t is only Ave miles by most
Foxy m RI ION &c
and COST from Roanoke to the central
mines of this great iron deposit: the
same railway would serve several other
fine deposits of ore in the same range
and form part OF line from Roanoke
to Rocky Mount, to the Franklin branch
of the Virginia Midland.
'Mr. Colt is continuing mining opera
tions and taking steps to secure the
construction of IL railway to his mines
Orders are in hand for n supply of this
ore to Pittsburg. Pa, furnaces, but we
hope it will be held for the largo local
demand for ore that will soon be in
Roanoke.
..The vendors OF these mineral rights
and lands we're MesSrS. McClannahan,
Preston. Rover. Green. and Chapman.
all well-known business men OF that
region, who have owned these rights
for some time. The discovery of this
orc and its development, from what we
can gather, has been. mainly, the
work OF Captain L. j. Chapman, a gem
tleman who has for 4 number of years
untiringly devoted most of his time
and means to exploring and making
known the mineral wealth of Roanoke
and the surrounding counties, and we
are satisfied from what we know, and
have seen and heard, that he has done
more than any other man there towards
bringing about the present prosperous
condition of affairs in that region. Wo
sincerely hope that he may share liber-
ally in this prosperity.
''Mr. Colt has for a number of wears
been actively and successfully engaged,
on large scale, in developing the iron
an coal interests of the Virginias. We
arc indebted to him for tn cons true ton
of the first large modern blast furnace
on the line Of Chesapeake and Ohio rail
way, that at Quinnimont, for opening
and putting in operation several of tho
first coal mines worked on the New
river, and for inaugurating number of
other enterprises that have been Of
very great value to these States.
Through his influence very large
amount Of New England capital and
enterprise have been brought into the
Vlrginias, and it is gratifying to know
tshat he is now reaping some fruits from
his investmcnts and efforts
convinced of the abundance and
intrinsic excellence OF our resources
and of the advantages of our position,
he has taken hold OF their development
with ole-heartedncss of the stone
wall jackson type. that always results
IN success. We have room and oppor.
Sunities for many such perscvcrng
men"
THE BRIDGEWATER CARRIAGE co.
One of the Prominent Industries of Roa-