The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-02-24
The Rosney Company.


From the Buckingham (va.l Times.
The Rosney Iron aud Lumber Company held its
regular annual meeting at Rosney, buckingham
county, the sth instant and elected officers as
follows
President-Hon. F. 7. Shaw.
Vice President-Dr. J. II. Bllingslea.
Manager-John H. Walter.
Secretary-Charles I. Reifsnider.
Treasurer and Assistant Manager-John L. Reif
snider.
Deterioration. p. J. Bennett. Hon. F. T. Shaw
DR.. J. H. Billingslea, John II. Walter Charles T.
Reifsnider, John L, Reifsnider.
Attorneys-Hon W. Hubbard and Charles T.
Reilsnider
This company is composed almost entirely of
Maryland capitalists, and through their untiring
efforts induced the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
Company, at expense of over $4,000, to extend
the Buckingham Branch from Arvonia to Rosney,
distance of sixteen miles, in order TO reach and de-
velop its resources. This railroad has opened up
vast country rich in minerals slate and timber and
no doubt will soon give old Buckingham new life.
The Rosney Company purchased in 1890 large
tracts of valuable timber and mineral lands at and
near Rosney with view to developing them and
opening up this section of the country.
Very little work was done until last summer,
owing to lack of transportation facilities, as the
IdllTOdu was uoi cOlnpltieu 'uiN
Work then begun. erecting large mill
with daily capacity of 900 feet, which put
in operation early in the fall but owing the late
financial crisis, very little lumber has been taken
out. Work is now being pushed preparing for
large spring trade, and it is expected to erect
duplicate mill in the near future. This mill is also
provided with plant for making both rum and
sugar barrels for the West Indies trade, and it is
contemplated that large quantities will be manu-
featured and shipped during the coming season to
fill orders already in hand.
The company owns within the immediate vicinity
Rosney several thousand acres of the finest timber
land in the State This timber is all virgin, with an
enormous growth of hardwood, and considerable
poplar and yellow pine, all of the finest quality. 1t
is estimated. by competent experts who have gone
over it carefully, that this land will cut from 90.
100000 100000 feet of first class lumber, besides
100000 more railroad tics and vast quantities Of
bark. twill take fully ten years with the present
plant to cut and market this timber.
This is all high grade agricultural land, and the
company contemplates dividing it up into small
farms and putting it in cultivation, as rapidly as
the timber is removed therefrom.
All these lands lie within the Buckingham
mineral zone in contact with the great slate vein.
Competent mining engineers have examined
these various properties and in every instance
nave maze IDe most TcpOIts oh thtil
minerals resources, and contend that the Rosney
Company owns more high grade iron land in
Buckingham county than can be found in any
other county in Virginia. and that the mining in
dustry on its lands will give employment TO a vast
number miners and others for years to come; and
that this county may yet become dangerous COM
petitor with the Lake Superior, Cuban and Spanish
ores in the eastern markets of the United States.
Last May systematic development work was be-
gun on what is known as the Pratt and Ayers
properties.
AT the Pratt" place two shafts, forty feet and
the other fifty feet deep, were sunk, and 100 feet of
tunnel driven. Two excellent veins of high grade
ferro-manganese ore were cut each about four feet
thick It's thought that at least two more such
veins exist, which viii be found on future develop
ments.
This ore is of most excellent quality, carrying
practically no deleterious matter whatever, which
is so essential in the manufacture of high grade
steel. having but trace of phosphorus and no
sulphur, with high metallic contents. great
future awaits the development of this property.
Considerable locating work done on the
"Ayres" property uneoverng one most elegant vein
of black specular hematite mixed with magnetic
and running quite high in manganese. The iron in
this ore is being rapidly replaced by manganese at
depth, and no doubt it win be entirely supplanted
below water level.
Large quantities of fine ore lie loose. or in the
outcrop on this property, sufficient to an
ordinary furnace for considerable time, and no
doubt large ore bodies will soon be uncovered.
Work was suspended about August LIST on these
properties, owing to the great financial depression
and the extraordinary dullness of the iron trade
generally. The company expects to resume work
on these mines in the spring and run in taps from
the railroad from Rosney to transport these ores to
market
Besides the foregoing it has also most promising
ore bodies on the Rosney, Claiborne, Cabell and
Sheppard tracts well as gold and copper bearing
ore and deposits of iron pyrites on the Claiborne
and Cabell lands, all of which will soon be de-
veloped The company being composed of conserv-
alive business men, who will go slow, but system
atically, with its development work, will spend
its money. of which it has plenty, freely when
such development has progressed sufficiently TO
justify pushing the enterprise.
We sincerely trust that these gentlemen will meet
with the success they merit among US, they have
proven in the three years they have been with us
that their enterprise is not stock iobbng scheme
or town lot BOOM of which Virginia has many
ghostly monuments to mourn, but that they are
among us to stay legitimate business men and
intend to develop our resources at their own ex-
pense.
We feel sure that at no distant day, as we now
connected with the outside world by railroad, this
section will be more eagerly sought after by our
Northern friends, when they come TO learn OF our
vast mineral resources awaiting development