The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-09-02
WEST VIRGINIA RAILROADS.
The Growth of the State in Population
and Wealth.

and Wealth.
We reproduce the following article
from the Baltimore san, as Of more
than ordinary interest, and commend
a careful perusal Of the same:
The struggle now in progress be-
tween rival railroad systems TO pos
sess the coking coal fields OF Virginia
and West Virginia marks a new stage
Of the development of the natural re-
sources Of the Old Dominion. 4 rail-
road without coal fields and coal
traffic. according to some railroad
men is at a serious disadvantage in
the fight for net earnings. 1t must
have cheap coal for its own use. 1t
is also the better off if it can have al
so the steady flow of business found
in the handling Of coal and other like
large products for which there is a
universal demand. 1t is therefore.
not surprising that a coking and coal
country SO miles long and from 20 to
80 miles wide, extending from South
west Virginia northward into West
Virginia, is now being penetrated in
| keen rivalry by number of competi-
tors. The fact that many Of the
mines of the Connellsville coking coal
of Pennsylvania are being exhausted
adds to the interest the rivals feel in
4 the virgin field they are now hurriedly
opening up, particularly since it is
known that the Flat Top. OF New
River, coal is equal to the Connells-
Vile for foundry purposes.
Tho Hnhf for
present in two fairly distinct areas.
In the southern part of the coal field
in question the Norfolk & Western
and the Chesapeake & Ohio are pitted
against each other: in the northern
part the b. & o. and Pennsylvania
interests are the contestants. Accord
ing to a correspondent of the New
York Times the rivals are at present
using every resource to possess the
land. each seeking to anticipate and
exclude the other. The Norfolk and
Western, extending from Norfolk,
Va. to Columbus, Ohio, tFaverses the
southern part of West Virginia. The
coking coal lands in Mercer, Mcdowell,
Wyoming, Logan and Wayne counties
belonging mostly to stockholders of
, the Norfolk and Western, who have
built the newer portion of the railroad
to develop their properties. BY re-
7 cent extensions and purchases of roads
in Ohio Western outlets are secured
: for all the coal and coke produced.
. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Co.
has been more energetic in penetrat-
ing the coal field with branch lines
and opening outlets for coal and coke,
east and west The Newport News
terminals of the Chesapeake & Ohio
have been made adequate to the hand
, ling of large coal exports and the eff
fort has been made to supplement the
eastward through traffic in grain, etc,
T with large western coal movement
| 1t has built numerous branches and
hanked them with cooking ovens
One new branch runs from Coalburp
up Cabin creek. Another follow,
Loup creek, in Raleigh county. A
! third 10 miles along Piney River, is t
r be begun at once. The NanderbltS
are said to own vast tract Of cokine
coal lands in this region. An extern
sion of Piney river road to the Guyan
dotte river is in contemplation, witt
= the object of controlling territory fol
9 l25 miles south of the main line, thu
c.. & O. is also running branch III
; Gauley river and has made clost
4 traffic arrangement with the Kanawhi
: & Michigan Railroad which occupies
the northern bank of the KanawhS
, River up to the mouth of the Gauley
= double tracking its main line from
Clifton Forge to the mouth of TIN
e Gauley the c. and O, secures tw'
q tracks east and west and will compet
: vigorously with the Norfolk and West
ern in Hampton Roads and on tn
; lakes.
I Sixty miles from the mouth q
5 Gauley river is Gauley, tn
: present terminus of the West Nirgini.
and Pittsburg Railroad, which wit
: the Baltimore and Ohio, is extending
i its lateral lines in all directions int
= the northern part of the West Virgin
h ia coal and col1ing region. 1t is +
the iron and glass furnaces of Pitts
burg and Wheeling, according to tn
Il Times. correspondent that the Yves
!; Virginia and Pittsburg railroad look
4 chiefly for a market for its timber an
coal, but its intimate relations wit
the Baltimore & Ohio insures it FIRE
! outlet eastward to Baltimore. An OF
o posing interest is that of the Yves
: Virginia Central, which aims to occu
= by the cooking field of Webster an
Nicholas counties. 1t has already OF
= cupied Mineral, Grant, Tucker an
y Randolph counties, and is pushn
S northward through Barbour and Tay
O lor counties to Grafton. Here it wi
h form a junction with a Pennsylvani
company in which Don Cameron
: interested, which proposes to build
road from Fairchance Pa, to CRATIC
70 to develop mines owned by that pol
/ tician. The two companies, operat
ing together, contemplate an eXter
sion into Pocahontas, county to connet
/ at Marlinton with the Warm Spring
= branch of the C. & O. Thus, it wi
e be seen, the long neglected minerf
recourees of the Nirginias have a
length promise of full opportunit
Is for development