The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-10-03
WEST VIRGINIA AND PITTsBURG.
How it is Developing West Virginia.
Senator Camden's Enterprise.
Kopayka Go~otta

capitalists some two years ago or
ganized and commenced the construc
tion of system of roads for the de
velopment of the territory on tn,
head waters of the Little Kanawha
the Elk, Buckhannon, Gauley ant
Greenbr er rivers and the utilization
of the wonderful timber and Goa
products, and rendering accessible
for the purpose of cultivation the
rich agricultural lands of those sec
tions, in consequence of furnishing
ready transportation. This enterprise
eliminated in the organization OF the
West Virginia and Pittsburg Rail.
road Company, and the rapid pro
gress in the construction of the road
and its branches in that quiet and
business way, which one sees in all
enterprises undertaken by Senator
Camden, has advanced to stage
hardly comprehended by the citizens
Of the State.
The old narrow guage road from
IClarksburg to Weston and from Yves
ton to Buckhannon was changed in to
a standard guage, curves straighten.
ed, grades cut and brought up to the
condition of a first class standard
guage road.
The road has been built quite a
distance beyond Buckhannon, up
Buckhannon river to Newton and is
being extended to Pickens and Ran
dolph county. The lands in the
neighborhood of this branch are
among the finest in the State, the
timber being abundant and of first
class quality and the development
which has followed and is now in
progress along the branch is wonder
full The main line, standard guage
road, has been completed distance
of forty-three miles from Weston to
Sutton, the county seat of Braxton
county, the latter point being situat-
ed some hundred miles above Charles
ton up Elk river. This road passes
through rich agricultural region
as well as valuable timber and coal
lands and at huntsville and Sutton
intercepts all the valuable timber
products of the upper part of Little
Kanawha and Elk rivers and tribu-
taries. At Sutton there has been
constructed large and commodious
boom in Elk river, one of the largest
saw mills in the State and several
others of like character will soon be
completed. Six miles from Sutton,
towards Weston at Shaversville, the
Gauley river division leaves the Yves
ton and Sutton line striking the Elk
river seven miles above Sutton, pass
ing up the Elk to the new town of
Centralia at the mouth of Laurel
creek, thence up Laurel creek through
the Glades in Webster county to the
mouth of Williams river, ON Gauley.
Three or four miles north of it's june
tion with Gauley river, line, a part
of the Gauley division, DIVORCES, in
tersecting that river at Lanes Bot
tom, about twelve miles below the
mouth of Williams river, and will be
extended thence down Gauley riv-
err to the mouth of Cherry river some
fourteen miles distant from Nicholas
c. H. This Gauley division is being
pushed to completion with the great
est rapidly, and will he in operation
early in next year.
AT Centralia a boom is to be con
OF he -, \ L.
lumber plant put in Immediately.
At Lanes Bottom, on the Gauley,
a boom is being constructed, new
plants erected, and by all odds the
largest lumber plant ever known in
the State will be in active operation
at this point in the early spring. This,
in fact, will be the great lumber city
of West Virginia. Here there will
be manufactured and shipped the
immense growth of cherry, oak, pop
lar, ash, pine, and other timbers con
stituting the unknown forests cover
ing what is known as the Glen Noun
tains.
The Williams river extends in a
south easterly course from Gauley
and has its head in the Greenbrier
range about ten miles west of Mar
linton, in Pocahontas county. From
the head of Williams, through the
Greenbrier range, there is a low gap
to the head of Stony creek, tribu-
tary of the Greenbrier river putting
in on the western side thereof at Mar
linton. The road from the mouth of
Williams to Marlinton by this route
is being rapidly located and it is well
understood that it is to be completed
at an early day.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
Company has located it's road from
the Warm Springs branch across the
Alleghenies end down Knapps Greek
by Huntersville, the present county
seat of Pocahontas county to Marlin
ton. The line when thus completed
from the celebrated iron regions of
Virginia through country abound
ing in the finest of coking Goals and
forest of timber unequalled in
America is almost a direct line to
Pittsburg letting out these products
to every section of the country.
Marlinton is being laid off into a
town, and will be in short time
place of very great Importance 1t
is the central part of the upper Green
brier Valley, the natural location at
which railroads are compelled to
cross the Greenbrier river, and where
all the valuable timbers of this val
ley will be manufactured and ship
ped. Also the center of the blue
grass region of Pocahontas, with the
cokipg Goals approaching to a dis
lance of twelve miles on the west
and the iron ores extending from its
very location to the Alleghenies and
on into Virginia on the east, and
limestone Of the finest quality being
very abundant Immediately sur
rounding it. The thoughtful manu-
facturer will appreciate these oppor-
tunities for the manufacture of cheap
iron. Very few places possess adj
vantages equal to this point for a
rapid development into city of very
considerable magnitude. In addition
to these prominent points and indus
trial developments, villages, towns,
mills, lumber and other industrial
plants of various kinds are springing
up along all the lines Of this road,
lands are being acquired and opened
up for cultivation and new life and