The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-17
VLOURISHING FARMVILLE.
Wonderful Transformation Effected in a
Few Months.
yLREYILLE COAL And IRON COMPANY.
49,. various Enterprises Inaugurated-'alu
abie Propertics-M Mineral Deposits
OF Wonderful Hichncss.

.tl;c attention was being 50 largely directed
+c-ard this place The TINES sent a special
.,,rcspondent for the sole purpose Of making
,,orsonal examination Us TO the causes for
,no Greatly increasing prosperity and to in
.,,stgstc the reported wonderful develop
-.,rts that were agitating many Of the out
do world. Your correspondent arrived here
.f,er nichtfall and was filled with astonish-
mont Al tho sight which greeted
h, A few months ago Farmvile
.A.meA apparently fun-grown and thoroughly
..ts6ed with tho surroundings. and yet
,,,thin that time what a marvellous transior-
,rat,on' What was once p dark duh town at
-,rht now gltters under the brilliant renec-
..,n II IFS numerous electric lights. a busting,
k,sv people throng its streets and stores. and
10 very heart seems to beat with tumultuous
,nlzstions in unison with the renewed awak-
.ninc of its thriving people Naturally the
I,pe.tion arose. what power has been eXerted?
What tremendous influence has been at work!
The solution came quickly from thousand
wiling witnesses; the
rARMvu.fE COAL AND IRON COMPANY
have taken hold Of the situation, and the spir-
.tei people Of this city have joined hands and
fortunes with them, and in perfect harmony
they have energetcally begun wonderful
work. .-..
I'm obedience 10 my commission TO visit per-
s-nauy the various enterprises recently IN
sucurated ] made arrangements 10 visit the
holdings Of the abOve-named company
was fortunate enough TO find several experts
and capitalists who We're here investigating
the same properties. and succeeded IN secur-
irr transportation with their party, and also
obtained much valuable information from
them.
THE PIEDMONT MINES.
The first point visited was the Piedmont
mines In Cumberland county, about two miles
nom this city These mines were worked
5lrinr the war by Mr.. Houston, but since
that time have not been operated. There are
two excellent mines of coal, each three and
one-half feet thick. The company propose
20 reopen these mines within short time.
THE sEAY MINES.
Two miles further OF we reached the Seay
mines whore three splendid veins of coal az
qreeating ten and one-haf feet, have been
recently opened.
Az Shaft No. ! machinery is now in posi-
b,n and an excellent quality of semi-bitumi-
nous coal Is being mined. None OF the party
were in the least prepared for the exhibition
which we here found-a beautiful, bright
c,al and seemingly nipexbaustlbleQ quantities,
heinq brought 10 the surface. The other two
veins have been opened, the Quahty OF the
coal found 70 be similar 20 that Of shaft No. J.,
ana ureuaTatlOuo are now DtlIlR ludtlt 10 cIcCt
permanent plants for the working or them
cumberland coal has been tested and found
u be most excellent cOking coal II IS re-
rsrkabv free from sulphur and other lmpu-
rites and carries a very low percentage OF
ash We learned from the engineer that the
capacity OF each of these mines when
fully opened, will be not less t1an
one thousand tons per day. These coal fields
SIZE trsversed by the Farmville and POwhatan
railroad. and the Orange and Keysville road
has been surveyed through the property.
Their close proximity also 10 the Norfolk and
western road, and Its easy connections at
u lseiev Junction with the Richmond and
Danville System, insures to the company
shipping facilities which are unsurpassed.
PRINCE EDWARDS MINES.
The company have also acquired some ex-
tremey valuable coal land in Prince Edward
county. but these being in another direction
our party did not see them. but l learn that
two veins have been opened, one 44 feet ana
the other 2b< feet, and both yield coal lden-
tlcai with that of Cumberland
A most appreciate advantage wnlch ma
turally attends this property Is the nearness
of the mines TO the great coal markets OF the
seaboard which, combined with the fact that
the coal Is Of such particularly nigh grade,
and the rates of transportation to the markets
are so very moderate confirms the unanimous
judgment of our party that any. single vein
examined would place the entire
Capitalization II the company con-
siderably above par. This they thor
oughly agreed was a most hattenng
showing, and one which gives new impetus to
suoh enterprises in SOuthside Virginia ana
places the farmyille Coal and Iron Company
in the van as the largest holders and the most
promising developers throughout this section
Of the State. This was a great revelation TO
me. az I had not formed anything like an AIDE
ouate idea of the enOImity of these projects
8 h.. fr,rffn- Of hn llF1f
with the tangible and material evidences abso-
lutely At hand the most sksptical OF the party
were thoroughly convinced.
RICH VEINS.
Again the party embarked upon its journey,
and as we drove pleasantly through daes and
over gently -slOpiDg hills listened TO "a most
entertaining discussion upon the relative
merits Of tho various coal-felds Of this cOun-
try. and had any stOckhOlder of this company
been present he surely would have mentally
resolved to increase his holdlngs-ln fact, your
correspondent almost resolved right there 10
20 and look up a neighbOring vein. Our
road passed directly on through additional
lands owned by this company, and which APP
peared 20 rs to be equally fruitful as those
Immediately contiguous 10 the mines IN opera
ton.
Beautiful wooded hills gave way to undulat-
ing highlands and long stretching meadows,
where pasturage abOunded and through which
gracefully wound pure steams of purllng
waters.
BUCKINGHAM COUNTY.
Crossing the boundary line Of Cumberland
over the Big Willis river we entered into Buck
ingham county. A little to our left we could
discern u the distance the summit of Willis
mountain. among whose foothills we were
destined to experience still greater surprise
and 10 be more completely lost in admiration
81 the wonderful treasures which
these numberless hills still hold in
their primeval embrace. Rapidly through
Sinding lanes we approached the mountains
clothed in the fresh verdure of spring and
calmly basking in the glorious sunshine The
serrate green against the serrate blue stretch
ed away in the distance rich in natures gifts
ludimposng nits great picturesque grandeur.
Another haltwas made, and we began our ex-
p0TatlOn of the
GRAY sPECULAR ORE.
Our expert miners were soon busily engaged
and followed closely 10 note their observa-
tons. This vein OF specular ore runs in a
soutleasterly direction and has been traced
one aud a half miles across the cOmpany's
property. We could plainly see the well de
fined hanging and foot walls and found the
Vein 10 average about eight feet in thickness,
dipping at an angle IF about fOrty-fye de
grees with the HORIZON. The ore las been ex-
posed IN numerous places by the prospcctors''
and the quality materially improves with It's
depth.
No.. eo,o,,tae of This ore were obtained NV I