The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-01-21
JOHN ?. MARTIN
TALKS FOR THE CINCINNATI
COMMERCIAL GAZETTE.
The Reporter Must Have Misun
derstood, or Misguided Him
in Some Particulars.
THE ELECTRIC RAILROAD.

Hon. John p. Martin, the wei
known Xenia, o., wster-works ani
electric light contractor and builder
was at the Grand Hotel, Cincinnati
| Wednesday afternoon en- route tc
| his home from MI. Sterling, Ky
| where he has a big contract under
way.
i 1t will be with pleasure that hii
many friends learn that he has found
a good thing down at Mt. Sterling
He goes direct from Xenia to New
York City to confer with body OF
Eastern capitalists who are interested
financially in enterprises at that place.
| He erected water-works plant al
Winchester, Ky, couple of years
ago, and led the Mt Sterling people to
take an interest in similar improve
ment. The water-works and electric
light plants are in full operation, but
the people want an electric line of
road out from Mt. Sterling to Sharps-
burg, small place some twelve miles
) away. Mt. Sterling is distributing
center for large area of country. 1t
is the most important little city so
near the rim of mountains that lie
back in Kentucky off the Cincinnati
Southern Railroad. Some fifty miles
east of Mt. Sterling there are thou
sands of acres of timber land under
meath of which lie valuable camel
coal fields.
81 think that the future of Mt. Ster-
ling and the coal fields near is some.
thing not: dreamed of as vet" said
Mr.. Martin. 81 am not exactly an en-
thusiast over the situation, but in
looking over the situation l see great
deal. The proposed electric railway
will be of standard gauge, and in
tended to carry the Cincinnati South
ern cars from Mt. Sterling over to
Sharpsburg. Vi From thore the coal
and other shipments will be distribute
ed to a large section of the country
now reached by wagons. There is
turnpike paralleling the proposed line
of road, and the tolls, for a double
team are upwards of one dollar each
way. We will use a special motor
power for hauling the coal and freight
cars out from Mt. Sterling. Any cars
of the Cincinnati Southern line will
be hauled. The road is a novel one,
and there is plenty of capital back of
the movement. The citizens were
anxious for the electric line sever q |
months ago, but 1 took up the water
works and the electric light, plant
scheme first. = Now that these enter
prises are completed, the railway is
assured. Some forty miles east of
Mt. Sterling there is tract of thirty
five thousand acres of timber land
that was acquired forty years ago by
a syndicate up in Maine. The price
paid for the land was ten dollars per
acre, but shrewd manager made
some money, and now the lana is on
the market, This land has never been
touched by the sxeman, although the
timber surrounding it has been re-
moved S For this reason the proper
ty is all the moresvaluable. Connect
ell with it are coal fields which are
seemingly. inexhaustible."
Mr.. Martin thinks that Mt. Sterling
In the future will become a, great cen.
trail supply station for large sections of
Kentucky, He says there are eight or
ten big feed or livery stables In Mt.
Sterling, and almost as many big job
bing houses. Beyond Mt. Sterling or
at least fifteen miles away the noun
tains and the uncultivated and other
wise undeveloped section of the Bour-
bon State offer great inducements to
capitalists. Mt. Sterling is near the
border of the Blue Grass region--in
fact, is the county seat of the last
county, thus making it the dividing
line between the rich blue grass fields
and the mountainous timber covered
co al fields. The syndicate of Eastern
gentlemen is willing to invest large
sums of money if there ara any chances
of realizing. There is now short
railroad running some thirty miles to-
ward the timber lands east of Mt.
Sterling. BY building about as many
more miles the heart of the timber
district can be easily reached, Mr..
Martin says that the natural outlet Of