The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-01-19
Big Stone Caps Advantages.

That The Big Stone Gap district at
an early day, is to become one among
the principal coal, coke and iron pro-
ducing sections of the United States
is no longer question in the minds
Of those who are informed as to its
great natural resources.
When it is considered that here are
found veins upon top of veins OF as
fine coling coal as is found anywhere
in the world, ranging Ill thickness
from four to fourteen feet and that
here an almost endless supply Of SUI
pcror iron ore, carrying an average
OF fifty per ccut metallic IRON, exlsts,
with mountains of limestone near at
hand. there are no grounds for form
ing any other opinion.
The great success Of the Appalach-
ian teel and Iron Co.'S furnace at
Zig Stone. in turning out the high
grade iron it has been making from
:hc start, ANA he rapiditv with which
it has established demand for its
.roductS is sufficient evidence that
this section is all that could be wished
for to make it in few years, stand
second to none among the great iron,
coal an coke producing points not
ONLY Of the United States, but Of the
world
While some have possibly grown
weary in waiting for the great de-
velopmentS to take place that have
been talked of for Big Stone Gap,
still. they shonld remember that time
is requires and necessary in trans
forming ifeiess, inactive country
into prosperous industrial, manu-
featuring section. Great furnaces.
immense coal operations aud large
coke works are not constructed and
put into operation in a day These
things should be considered by those
who may have become ovcr-anxious.
Big Stone Gap has not even been
sleeping much less dead. The peo-
pie of other towns and sections have
recently allowed themselves t" com
pare Big Stone Caps condition with
that of their own, thus creating crron-
eous ideas. Everything has been
pushing forward here, even in the
dullcst times. When other furnaces
were going oft of blast on account Of
being unable to manufacture iron at
profit, the Big Stone Gap furnace
went into blast and has been selling
every pound of its iron at a nice mar
gin. Now. there must be reason
for this. and that reason can be moth
ing more nor less than the fact that
in the first place coal, coke and ore
entering into the manufacture of iron
is laid down ut their doors for less
moncv than at other furnaces; and,
second that better grade of iron is
turned out here than at other points.
The iron made here goes into the
manufacture Of all kinds of farming
implements, and machinery, engines.
boilers, sewing machines, scales and
numerous other articles, many OF
which heretofore were manufactured
strictly of the best grades Of charcoal
pig.
The great coke works of the Vlr-
ginia Coal and Iron Co., will soon be
in operation; that is, the company
will, at an early day commence the
construction of It's coke ovens and be-
fore many months will be furnishing
work for thousands of laborers.
These two enterprises of them
selves are great and beneficial indus
tries, but they are merely the fore
runners OF many kindred works that
will be located here III the next few
years.
AS the Appalachian furnace has
succeeded. 50 can other Industries
an,l factories succeed if they locate
at this point. y manufacturing en-
terprise, in orac: to make success,
must necessarily re located where it
can secure conveniently and cheaply
all the .;,w niate.i.,ls that enter into
Che articles OF gools turned out by it.
1t snnst also he formally located, SO
far as shipping facilities are con-
eerned. At This place there are
openings for variety OF factories
and industries, prominently among