The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-26
GREAT Is BIG STONEGAP.
THREE LARGE CORPORATIONS
ADDING TO ITS WEALTH.
General Rufus A. Ayers VIII Oppose Gen
eral James A. Walker for Governor.
The Constable Feature.

BIG STONE GAP. VA. Jan. 25.-Spe-
cial.-The question of removing the court
house from its present location at Wise
is exciting a great deal of interest in the
county.
There are two places that want it
Ramsay and Norton-and the friends Of
both places are at work. OF course, the
people who live at Wise, and who have
business property there. don't want any
change made. Between Ramsay ana
Norton. it is thought, the vote will be
very close.
Big Stone Gap is forging rapidly to the
front. and the hum OF her different IN
dustries is heard on every side. POS
sessing an admirable location. a rich
AGRICULTURAL country on one hand, from
which TO draw the necessaries OF Iie'
and inexhaustible fields of coal and IRON
on the other, with unsurpassed water
power on every side, the future OF the
place is assured.
A BIG CORPORATION.
one of the greatest corporations here
IS the Virginia Coal and Iron Company
which is composed of some Of the wealth
lest men in the United States. Hon.
John Leisenring. John $. Wentz, Samuel
Thomas. Robert II. Sayre. and other
well-known men In the iron and coke
world control this company. IL IL prob
ably the wealthiest coal company in the
South, and will for years be factor IN
coke circles.
They own over $1,000 acres of fine coking
coaf-the best in this section. This land
was bought for the company fifteen years
ago by General r. a. Ayers, who is
now counsel, and director in the com
panv. and who has been al the head Of
The industrial movements Of this section
for several years.
In fact. he is the pioneer in the de-
velopment Of Wise and Scott counties
In addition to this immense boundary
of coal land, these gentlemen own Valua-
bic iron property and furnaces al BIZ
mingham. Ala. Quite recently they nav
completed n road from the Louisville
and Nashville 10 their lines. on Callahan
creek. about ten milesi north OF TINS
Mace and contractors are now at work
with a large force OF laborers' oulidlng
the 500 coke ovens which this company
e nutting i'm. as a feeler Later on they
will double this number.
ANOTHER LARGE CONCERN.
Another company that owns valuable
nroperty in this section is the virginia
COMPANY. a corporation organized under
NeVf Jersey laws. II is composed OF
such men as John II. Inman, william ,
CLYDE George S. Scott. and Nathanlel
Thaver. and other well-known New YORK
and Boston capitalists. This company
controls the South Atlantic an1 ONO
railroad which traverses the BIG stone
Can coal field and has leased mines 10
the Big Stone Gap Colliery Company op-
Grating at Norton. and has mines on
Looney creek. T.,
II also owns very valuable properly III
Tennessee and North Carohna'
and started out during DOOM
dasv with brilliant prospects IL
soon became involved IN the
most noted litigation ever known IN THIS
seton with the famous DR.. John VI. Bal
lev. He threw the company into the
hands of a receiver, and for number OF
wears maintained constant WARFARE
ag,inst IL I'm the State and United States
Courts. In the United States courts the
LITIGATION was largely conducted before
Judge Hugh l.. Bond, and right here is
remarkable coincidence. General X. A.
Ayers was the general counsel for the
steel and Iron Company and IL recalls
the famous litigation in which he figured
I'm relation to the State debt question,
which was finally brought to an end by