The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-12-08
The Valley Virginian.
TAYLOR & EICHELBERGER, Editors and ProDr's
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9Th. 1899.
The Douthat Survey.


ed to that paper from Pittsburg, Pa.
The cooperative Iron and Steel Mill
which it was reported would be erected
above Homestead by American ant
English capitalists, will be built at Gov
ington, Va. II. Sando, the agent of the
syndicate, who was in Homestead get
ting men, left for Philadelphia. He had
the names of nearly one thousand strik
ers promised to go to Virginia with theil
families if assured steady work.
Sando denied the report that he was
working in the interest of the Carnegie
Company and was trying to get the mer
away from the vicinity of the strike
The syndicate he represents. he says, is
composed of New York, Philadelphia,
Chicago, Boston and London capitalists
who have big interests in Canada II
was intended to break ground for the
mill two years ago, but on account of the
Behring Sea difficulties, which engrossed
the attention of several of his people,
the matter was delayed until October
last. The syndicate purchased 10000
acres of land from Mr.. McLaren of Perth,
Ont, and will build mill to employ at
least 10000 hands. 1t will be run on the
proft>sharing plan.
If 1000 skilled men are takeu from
Homestead there will be no necessity
for the Amalgamated Association to
continue the fight
This tract of land is known as the
''Douthat Survey" owned by Hon. Pc
ter McLaren. of Perth, Ont. He pur-
chased it several years ago at $30O,000
We have known for the past year or
more that negotiations were going on to
sell it to an English syndicate. Expert
mineralogists, from England, have been
on the property several times, and their
reports have been very favorable. One
of them, after spending week or ten
days making careful examinations and
who came to Virginia prejudiced against
its iron deposits, stated that he had
seen enough iron ore to justify him in
expressing the belief that 1900 tons of
ore could be mined every day in the
next two hundred years. The property
embraces between $4,000 and 100000
acres of land, in Allegheny and Bath
counties. It's southern boundary reach
es to jackson River, and extends from a
mile of Clifton Forge, nearly to Coving-
ton, and the western end is accommo>
dated by the Warm Springs railroad,
running out from Covington. A mile or
two cast of Covington railroad has
been constructed to Iron Mountain. On
this property where mining has been
going on for number of years, and is
now operated by Frank Lyman, undersa
lease.
We know nothing more about the
statement made in the dispatch from
Pittsburg than the paragraph conveys.
But from what we know of the nrgotia-
tions which have been pending for some
time, we are inclined to believe that it
is true. It was Mr. McLaren's purpose
to sell it, as is reported, to English capt.
talists, and not to work it; and as parties
had become interested in it with that
view, it is reasonable to conclude that a
sale has been effected.
Ii so, it means great things for Coving-
ton and Clifton Forge. as we'll as the en-
tire district The development of the
western part of the property, where
mine is now being profitably worked,
will cause, in all probability, the cree
ton Of furnaces near or at Covington.
The eastern end can be reached by a
short railroad up Wilson'S Creek, where
short line has been marked out to
connect at Warm Springs with the Warm
Springs road. Then a belt line through
and around the property would be con-
structed. At the mouth of Wilson's
Creek where it empties into jackson
river there are excellent sites for furnaces
or other industries which would be got
ten for nothing, as the Clifton Forge
Company have q large reservation on
the Kincaid farm especially held tor
such purposes.
This property lies on the north side of
the great Rich Patch region. Dividing
them is beautiful valley reaching from
Clifton Forge to Covington, 10 miles
long, through which runs jackson river
1t is peculiarliarly located for industrial
plants, and with the vast iron wealth
hedging it in on either side and extend
ing back from it for miles, in process of
development, it does not require any
great stretch of the imagination to con>
clude that a busy centre of enterprise
will spring up there as soon as extensive
work commences to utilize the iron ores.
We have heretofore pointed out the
enormous mineral wealth of that section
and the practically inexhaustible sup>
plies of the best foundry iron ore, as ex-
enplified at Low Moor and by the oper>
atoms of the Rich Patch Iron Company.
Should the reported sale of the Douthat
survey prove correct, and the Iron and
Steel plant spoken of materialize, it will
insure the contamination of the predic-
ton made in these columns often and
over again that a great iron making CEN
tire would some day be established in
that valley. Nature has supplied every
requisite for it and all that is wanting is
for enterprise and capital to utilize the
natural conditions.
The Potts Greek Valley, part of the
Rich Patch district, lies Immediately
south from Covington and the Douthat
Survey, and from, we learn, a railroad
will, within the next year, be construct
ed up that valley. This would open up
another enormous iron ore field and pre-
sent such an aggregate of iron ore de-
posits OF the best quality as cannot be
found anywhere else in the country.
We sincerely hope the reported sale
and improvement Of the Douthat Survey
may prove correct, and that the pur-
chasing parties will address themselves
to the establishment OF such industries
as the report indicates. II SO, then the
richest iron district in the known world,
acreage considered, will be opened and
offer opportunities to capital seldom
ever found.
Buclrlen's Arnica Salvo.
The BEST SALvE in the world for Cuts,