The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-01-15
The Future of Covingten. Va.
A Great Scheme for the Development of
West Virginia and Virginia.

Baltimore MGnuf dctu1erS' Record and
the other from the Parkcrsburg Sentinel,
give HE public the results of negotia-
tions to which we referred several weeks
ago, looking to connecting the Goals and
coke of West Virginia and the iron ore
of Virginia with Pittsburg by means
of the Camden system of railroads. II
will not only bring these interests to-
gether, but in the nature of things a
railroad up Potts creek from Covington
will be continued to a connection with
the Norfolk andi Western Railroad, for
which there is feasible route, and
thus tap the coal fields of the Flat Top
district. The Manutacturers' Record
says:
The reported purchase by syndicate of West
Virginians. under ex-senator J. N. Camden's
lead, Of between ,000 and 10000 acres of min
eral land on Potts creek, near Covington, Va
reveals in part at least, the true inwardness
o railway development in West Virgin a
which has been the subject of much conJectu, e.
Senator Camden is president of two West Viz
ginia railroad comprehensive MonOngahe a
Railroad which runs from Fairmont to Clarks
burg, and the West Virginia g. Pittsburgh Rail
road, from Clarksburg south via Weston to
Braxton Courthouse. The grading of an extern
sion now under contract will soon be completed
from Braxton to the junction OF the Williams
with the Gauley river in the southern part OF
Webster county. From that point to Covington
Va. the distance is triflo more than sixty miles,
The West Virginia s. Pittsburgh Railroad Co
owns 1876 eco acres of what is said to be the finest
timber in West Virginia in the region centering
at the junction Of those two rivers. and also
100000 acres of fine veins of coking coal in
the New River fields. The Virginia purchase is
said to consist Of a continuous line of beds Of
iron ore for distance Of rs miles on both sides
of Potts creek. This, combined with the i'm
mense timber and coal properties already noted,
will give to Senator Camden and his business
associates control of a development of unequal
led magnitude, and as a necessity, will require
the completion Of an extension of the West Vir-
ginia & Pittsburgh Railroad to Covingtoii.- AS
that company has within year laid over a
hundred miles Of track, it is reasonable to con-
clude that equal expedition will be shown in
the completion of the line from Braxton to Cow
ington.
In addition to the properties heretofore men
toned, there is on the line of the Monongahela
Railroad, between Fairmont and Clarksburg, a
nine foot vein Of coal that extends thirty miles
without break. A large part of this belongs to
a company, of which Senator Camden is presi-
dent, that has in operation some of the finest
coal and coke plants in the State.
The Parkersburg CIV. Va.) Daily Sen
final publishes an interesting article Civ,
ing the details of ex-senator Camden's
big railroad enterprise, particularly the
West Virginia and Pittsburg scheme,
which is one Of the most important ven
lures in the history of the development
of West Virginia. Among other things,
it says:
ut is learned through reliable sources that ex-
Senator Camden, with other West Virginians,
has formed syndicate and completed the pur-
chase of an immense iron ore territory on Potts
creek, near Covington, Va, said to be the most
extensive iron ore field in that part of Virginia.
1t is reported to embrace from $1,000 to rocco
acres covering continuous iron ore beds for over
twenty miles in length on both sides Of
Potts Creek Valley. This means the immediate
extension of the West Virginia and Pittsburg
Railroad from it's Southern terminus, on Will
liamS river of the Gauley, to connection with
the c. s. o. Road at Covington, the Junction OF
Potts creek with Jacksons river, distance Of
about sixty miles, and furnishing through the
line of road from Covington to Fairmont and
thence through its connections with the B. g. O.
roads to Pittsburg and Wheeling, reaching Pitts
burg down the valley of the Monongahela by the
Fairmont and MorgantOwn Branch of the B. &
0. Road and its connections, the short gap to
connect the Morgantown Branch with the B. &
O,'s line near Fairchance, being already in
course of construction, to be completed next
summer. By reference to map 1t will be seen
that from COvingtOn to PittSburg by the Cam
den roads and the b. & O. roads from Fairmont
down the Monongahela riveris almost straight
line, reducing the distance between Virginia
and Allegheny Gre fields to Pittsburg and
Wheeling at least two hundred miles-or to the
shortest possible minimum of distance. Taken
altogether it is most important enterprise, and
it's early completion is no doubt assured"
by reference to map it will be seen
that from Coyington to Pittsburg by the
Camden roads and the Baltimore and
Ohio road from Fairmont over the Mon
gehala river is almost a straight line.
reducing the distance from the Virginia
and Pocahontas county ore fields to
Parkersburg and Wheeling at least two
hundred miles-or to the shortest posi-
BILE minimum distance. Taken together,
it is an important enterprise, and its
early completion is no doubt assured"
An equally important scheme for the
development of the Clifton Forge and
Covington district is the Davis system
of railroads.. That contemplates con
nection between the coal fields of West
Virginia and Pittsburg, as well as a
route to deep water at Newport
News or Norfolk. This system is look
ing to a connection with the Chesapeake
and Ohio. either at Goshen or Clifton
Forge To reach the latter place it
would tap the headwaters of Cowpasture
in the northeastern part of Bath county
and then down Wilson creek, through
the great Douthatt survey, opening up
a continuous deposit of iron ore, to Cliff
ton Forge, opposite the cliff in the
mountain through which Jackson river
flows, and where the Richmond and AL
leghany connects with the Chesapeake
and Ohio railway. This route would give
the Days system direct connection with
deep water, over the best grade that could
be gotten fl ON the mountains of Virginia
to the sea, and at the same time would
accommodate Iron Gate, Glen Wilton,
Bessemer, Buchanan, Glasgow, Lynch
burg, and the rich mineral and farming
country tributary to the James,
These contemplated railway improve
ments will do an important part in
bringing attention to the richest mine
raj section of the continent-that EN-
braced in the district reaching from
Longda to Coyington and compre-
hending radius of thirty miles. There
is no such a mineral district in this
country, and its development now in
progress will assure q continuous city
from Clifton Forge to Covington as one
of the communications of the near fu,