Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-01-27
THE STATES BOOM.
The WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENT OF wESl
VIRGINIA IN LATE YEARS.
Nsg Cities aud Industries Natural Resources That
Insure az Era Of Unprecedented Prosperity 10
This SJeticn Of the COulry-Aam-
moth Plants That Will Give
Work 10 Hurdreds.
Was6iaqfon Post.

Until recently the extent OF West Nir-
ginia'S resources and favorable material
conditions have not been generally I'M
derStOOd, save by those who are more
intimately identified with the develop
ment work going on throughout the
South
Not long since syndicate of Eastern
capitalists sent neurological expert
70 this country 20 examine carefully in
TO the possibilities which were supposed
to exist in that State. He was OF known
character and ability, and his inveSti-
cations were thorough and painSta6ing.
He discovered an immense mineral area,
where iron Of superior quality could be
mined so cheeply As to enable the pro-
ductiOn of pig metal at the cost of only
= per ton.
Abiding to this fact, Gov. A. b.
/ Fleming. of West Virginia, recently
said that even this remarkable state
ment does not show the full measure of
advantages enjoyed in his State, because
the production Of the furnaces and mills
will be so near to the great markets and
To tidewater that the item of transpor-
tatiOn will be insignificant.
/ In the twinkling of an eye, liguratiye-
| ly speaking, an immense desire has be-
come manifest in various quarters Tor
| the requirement Of vast tracts OF min
eral and timber areas in that now fortu-
nate State.
Take for example the one county of
Raleigh Inside of period OF not more
than ten days four notable purchases of
land are reported. First, Il syndicate of
which Secretary James q. Blaine,
United States Senator German, OF
Maryland, and Hon. stephen x. EikinS,
of West Virginia, are members, have
purchased a large body OF mineral and
timber lands. Next we have it stated
that MeSSrS. Morgan, DreXel n Co., Of
Philadelphia, representing the Wander
bilt railroad interests, bought $4,000
acres of land heavily timbered and con
tanning rich deposits of coal. After this
comes the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
with purchase OF $1,000 acres of valu-
able ore producing properties, followed
by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
with a similar purchase.
Probably the industrial and invest
ment history of the whole country might
be searched in vain Tor 4 paranel To 50
notable a group of investments in sin
gle county.
The coal and coke interests of West
Virginia have. in late wears uuletly but
steadily expanded ir'r .""v important
industry, but rs greev 90 nae vecn this
expansion the industry is manifeStly in
its incipieucy IL is shown that the
great Appalachian coal measures per-
meate the whole State, save those lower
counties which border along the Poto-
mae.
IL is stated as reliable fact that one
thirteenth Of the aggregate coal area of
the country is contained within the
borders of West Virginia. This area is
computed TO be l6,O 600 square miles. y
great portion OF this coal may be mined
very easily, and at an exceedingly mod
crate cost All of il is Of the highest
grade of eXcellency, aud much OF 1t lies
in immediate proximity TO ineXhauSti-
Die deposits of iron ore and limestone,
the three necessary cOncOmitantS in the
production of cheap iron
When these facts are laid bare, is IT.
any wonder that 50 distinguished and
notable group of investors should
make all speed TO acquire possession
of property in this highly favored re-
giOn.
Ia addition TO these large purchases
of mineral lands, there have been many
enterprises of important dimensions re-
Gently set on foot 10 utilize the extra
ordinary advantages which are shown
20 exist in the State. Notably among
these enterprises is the organization Of
a company TO build an industrial town,
based on iron and steel production, at
Shenandoah Junction, where the Baltl-
more and Ohio Railroad right angles
the Shenandoah Valley road. Some
one has not appropriately termed this
/ the best unOccupied town site IN the
south"
| Here the town Of Antietam is TO be
I built. Ii is distant from Washington
/ az miles and about 100 from Baltimore.
| IL is the nearest point in the valley oil
/ Virginia that i being developed IS 4
town 10 the cities of Baltimore and
| Washington and Philadelphia.
This point is destined 10 become the
center of the iron and steel industry
| Locations have been secured for num-
/ Der OF large enterprises. Among these
| are 30O-tOn steel plant, which VIII
make steel by continuous process from
ReSSemer and non BeSScmer ores. There
will be rolling mills TO work up the pro-
dpct of the furnaces into finished, mer-
charitable steel. A plate mill will make
Russian sheet steel and convert IL INTO
a new material that, made by various
secret and original processes, VIII, IL Is
said. excel tin plate for all purposes ana
cost considerably less. a large plant
for lining and covering all sizes oil
pipcs and boiler plates and all forms oil
IRON and steel. making them impervious
TO corroSiOn from any cause. These m
llustries alone will give employment TO
more than > 900 workmen.
Verify. West Virginia is On the eve oil
Lam immense industrial development.
This State has undoubtedly the rareSt
material possibilities. It's timber alone
lis sufficient to enrich an empire. Lying
immediately between Baltimore ana
Washington, and, ! may say, the Az
lloptic seabOard ON the one Side, WIN
PENNSYLVANIA and its immense iron ana
steel wealth ON the other SIDE west
VIRGINIA is destined to become the cen
Tor for the active forces OF Pennsylvania
Icapitalists. as well aS of those oil WASH
Iineton and Baltimore aud the North.
The development Of the state means
I,be enrichment Of everything between
In and the Chesapeake Bay. 1t means
the bringing of millions of coal to the
seaboard. the cutting of millions OF feet
lof timber and the manufacture OF I'm,
mense quantities Of iron and steel ana
in This way the building up OF rlch
land populous country which Will De
tributarv to the cities OF Washington
and Baltimore. ,..,,.
Antietam or Shenandoah Junction
beinr the first point of development
seems destined to become one oil the
roost important iron end steel centers OF
the country. Standing As 1t does at inc
vcrv gateway of the whole mineral oel'
NJ the South. aud reasoning by the logic
NJ various industrial undertakings the
opinion is deduced that IL must become
one Of the greatest industrial successes
O' the day. ,.i..,.
This point will probably have pan ticu
lar interest for Washington readers