Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-26


lowing dated Camden-on-Gauley. De-
cember 81:
This place Is representative OF the great
region with which it is so deslraole tor
Plttsburg 10 open up reciprocal trade III
any one had predicted four years ago tnat
there would be q town at this point ne
would have been laughed At TWAS In the
midst OF an apparently inaccessi pie VIII
derness. where deer and bear still abound
ed and where even the log cabins were
many miles apart.
Now Camden. on -Gauley, as II has been
named, is AT the terminus OF the Camden
railway system, so far as IL is in operation
The line is still being pushed 10 Washing
ton. 10 ion with a branch OF the Chesa-
peake and Ohio, but this is the extreme
point In the interior which has yet been
penetrated by the shrek OF the locomotive
whistle.
Camden. on Gauley now has lumber
plant employing 600 men, with capacity
for saving 6O,000,0O0 feet a year. The
logs can De fioated down three streams TO
this polnt-Gauley river, Williams river
and Cherry creek. There Is enough tim
Der within easy reach 10 keep the mill and
employees busy for 80 years.
ALMOST DIRECT LINE.
Camden.on-G Gauley is almost on straight
line south OF Pittsburg, and will be easy OK
access when the Baltimore and Ohio branch
from Morgantown 10 URiontown Is COM
pleted. About % miles OF 10 are still 10 DO
constructed. Among other features which
Camden on Gauley boasts. though only two
years old, is a $50, 200 hotel, and tho plo.
neers OF the place are confident that ~ VIII
be the leading city OF Central West Vir-
ginia In the near future.
.af le1al
heart of wide territory reached by no
other line. and that Plttsburg should be
the depot OF supplies for the entiro region.
The branch which strikes out at Weston
penetrates 10 Pickens. where there Is au-
other great lumber plant, one OF the most
extensive in the country. Further east Is
the new river country, where hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars are now being In
vested. The coke made from the coal OF
this district commands higher price than
the Connellsville article, and Is claimed 10
be the best In the world.
When the railroad development extends
some hundred miles or more farther
south, as il must eventually. another re-
markable region will DO In communication
with Pittsburg. That is the Pocahontas
coal and iron ore district, located partly In
Virginia, but mostly in West Virginia.
The only line now running through this
section is the Norfolk and Western exten-
sion. The country Is 80 wild as 10 banie
description. The railroad follows what Is
known as the Flat-top coal vein, and tos
Ouiy settlements are around ,ne colllcries.
Nothing is grown-not csen potatoes. Tho
only crop is coal, butte OF that the supply
is inexnaustIble rhe development has
practically only commenced, aud 80 Tar
the railroad company, which owns and
leases most OF tho land, has averaged
profit Of $500 an acre.
That the West yirginians do not exag-
gerate their coal claims 10 proved by such
an authority as Major Jed Hotchkiss, OF
Staunton, Va. In discussing the suo1ect
he saws: "West Virginia has thrco great
coal measures, each LOO feet thick. Com
ing down the New river among tho rugged
hills whose towering submits extend IN
almost perpendicular lines towards the
heavens We see the first great measure.
and when from the Falls OF the Kanawha
we look up 70 the hills from which the
Indians made their arrow points
OF flint we have sean the first
1000 feet OF coal. Following down
the valley to Charleston another 1000
feet of coal is passed, and when the Ohio
river Is reached az the mouth OF the Kama
wha the third great measure has been pass
ed. Just think OF II Three thousand
feet OF coal measures. They are not all
alike We have here what no other por-
tion OF the United States hasa coaklng
coal and ninety miles long by fifteen broad.
Maps OF other States snow fields OF this
coal fifteen miles long and one broad and
they are considered large. They have z5,-
900 acres OF cokIng coal; we have a million
acres. That is the comparison We can
make.
DETAILS or THE NATURAL WEALTH.
"To 20 into particulars" continued Ma
ior Hotchklss, "therei Is mine In the Po-
cahontas field that is well nigh as high as
this ceiling, where you could drive q coach
and four through and never touch their
heads. In that prince OF coal helds--the
Nuttalburg-tho coal may be safely count
ed on not 10 yield more than per cent. Of
ash. not more than 20 per cent OF volatile
matter and 20 contain IS percent. OF mater
for making heat. Comparisons are neecful,
therefore excusabe When ConnellsflIie
coke Is hauled 10 Chicago for making Bes-
semer steel, ia every 100 carloads there arc
hauled 10 carloads OF ash. In 100 carloads
Of New river coke less than i've are ash.
There is gas coal enough 70 supply all the
leading cities In the country. Fourteen
thousand cubic feet Of Is candle power gas
can be made from every ton, and when in
many places the natural gas gives out,
10, 600 feet Of gas can be made from ton OK
this coal, better, too, than the na,ur1i gas
IL will supplannu
In speaking Of tie Pittsburg vein DIR.
Hotchkiss said There Is 20 other known
bed OF such continuity in thickness and In
character as this which has given such
reputation TO Pittsburg. We. Virginia
has 600 miles OF this into which sbe has
hardly struck pick. IL extends IN
Great Kanawha. TIE Kanavhs aDd
igan Is now shipping IL from the Ray
CITY mines, but At few other places
mines been opened. IL Is PRACTICAL
touched and can oe counted on for an
age Of At least six feet Of coal"
cAxBx MULTiPLIED A THOUSAND TINs
After a moments reflection the NJ
continued: II once asked Governor r.
ing how much the assessed value ofy
yirgfnia's z. 900 square miles Of lanit
He said u was tl3O, O,OO0.000. Vs1der
could buy 10 and sell Us al out. BIT
valuation does not express our real
II is entirely within the bounds Of
70 say that these II. 900 square mil
an average thickness Of Ten feet or
der them On this basis we con
ply tbs real estate assessment
times and still lot touch IL.
hardly dream OF such enormou
resources.
Cincinnati Is making great
cure the trade Of this section o
and convince the people that ID
noted for pork and beer Is n
headquarters. TO q certain
work has been successful, b.
everywhere most friendly
r,fts@ f>.trO which on1v ncoIx az