Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-22
A NEW RIVER TOWN.
IFrom a photograph

Camden is already in most successful oper-
alton. This line goes almost direct to
Clarksburg and Weston, from which point
branch stretches out to Buchanan and
Pickens. AT the latter point one of the
greatest lumber plants in the world has
been established. The main line extends to
what was formerly Braxton c. H, but now
known as Sutton, distant about 250 miles
from Pittsburg, and in the very heart of
West Virginia
Into the New River Country.
Just north of Sutton another branch
leaves the main line and runs northeast
through region unexcelled in natural re-
sources Its ultimate destination is Wash
ingtown, near the Virginia border OF the
State. Here it is to be met by a branch of
the Chesapeake and Ohio, already partly
constructed, making q through route to
tidewater.
Nor is this all. a company organized at
Charleston is building road along the Elk
river to connect the capital city with the
Camden system at Sutton. This line is
already constructed to Clendennin, about
one-third of the gap. Its completion would
give Pittsburg an almost direct route to
Charleston, through region which is GER
tain to witness most wonderful develop
ment The building of roads southwark
from Charleston, which cannot be much
longer delayed, will enable this system
eventually to tap North Carolina and
Tennessee. One of the branch Camden
lines penetrates the New river country
where the best coking coal in the North is
claimed to be found. Here large invest
ments of eastern and northern capital
have recently been made.
Beside the Baltimore and Ohio line to
Fairmont, which is an assured fact, other
MI
people have the right of way and charter
for the West Virginia and Pittsburg, from
Fairmont to Fairchance, Pa. Some grading
has been done on this route. The projectors
have been negotiating with the Pennsyl-
vania Company, and several times have
been nearly successful in disposing of their
rights. The amount demanded has so far
proved . stumbling block.
River Improvement Wanted, Too.
Almost equal in Importance with ex-
tended railway facilities is the proposed
slackwater improvement of the Mononga-
hela river from Morgantown to Fairmont.
The question has been before Congress for
many years The Importance of this work
to the people of the Upper Monongahela
Valley cannot be exaggerated in dollars and
cents alone. 1t is true that new lines of
railroads are performing their function in
developing the resources and opening up
the rich country contiguous to this fertile
valley, but slackwater has mission Pc
culiarly its own to perform in the economy
of things which is without the province or
capacity of railways.
The survey for slackwater from Morgan
town to Fairmont was accomplished in 1875
under the supervision of Major of En-
gineers w. E. Merrill, and while the dam
at Hoard'E Rocks, below Morgantown, was
under construction. In his report of the
proposed improvements Major Merrill says:
"It is the evident wish of the residents
along the upper MonongahelR that any i'm
provement of the river should be by per-
manent dams, as this is the system which
has already done good service on the lower
part Of the river As matter of fact, it is
not possible to make a perpetual 6-foot
navigation without the use of dams of some
kind, and the choice is at once limited to
permanent or movable dams.
Permanent Dams Are Needed.
THE latter are the more costly in con-