The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-14
OUR GREAT STATE
| Zig purchase OF Coal 1.aud Tor Develop.
m%.nt-IIon. Abrnm Hewitt Heads the

Syndicate.
Manufacturers Record. OF Baltimore:
Hon. Abum S. Hewitt. OF New YORK.
wires the Manufacturers Record that
he and his associates have purchased
| the Loup creek estate Of West Viz
cInIa and have let the contract for the
building OF n fvC-nile Standnrd-gauEe
railroad In order to open up this prop
| crty for outside railroad connection.
The land purchased comprises ABOUT
5000 acres OF fine coal property ana
had becn owned by a Baltimore syn
dIcatc. II Is understood h n the price
maid was SIS an acre. or about $4,000
for the tract. a little more than double
| what the Baltimore owners paid when
they secured the property somc years
ago. In a subsequent letter to the Man
| ufncturers' Record. Mr., Hewitt says:
There nre really nc further partic-
ulars to be stated. We have purchased
the Loup creek estate. containing
| about $4,000 acres OF land, and we have
entered into q contract for the con-
| struction OF n railway. five miles In
length, In order TO open a market Tor
the timber on the property. md UNI
matcly to dpevclop the very large o a
deposits which It contains. The rail-
way Is expected to be finished In May
next, and we hope by that time 60 have
n saw mill erected, so that shipments
OF lumber may he begun during the
coming summer. We do not intend TO
open the coal mines It present. hut al
ter the railway Is completed we snail
be prepared To grant leases TO resnon-
sible parties at a reasonable royalty.
We believe that the property con-
tnI,E prnntICDi1 liz fnnSha Ilfillp dpnnSltE
of the best coklnS coal yet developed
in West Virginia, and we hope In time
| that the tonnage with grow into large
dimensions, because. so far az we
| know. this coke can he delivered at the
| lake ports upon more favorable terms
ehan my other source OF supply or
| which we have knowledge. The enter
prise Is not n speculative one. No COM
pnny will be organized. and no stock
will he offered 20 the public"
4 number OF other Important coal
land deals are pending In West Viz
| ginia, with good prospects for some
| heavy sales being closed In the early
future. The construction Of projected
railroads. such. for instance, ns The
Virginias Road up the G~uyandottc val
Icy. and others will be much needed IN
| order to afford adequate facilities fur
the TlINl iItltltNt thiN SUM W. -
conl-mining operations. The very re-
marknhlc location OF West Virginia has
not generally been fully appreciated.
Within shipping distance OF the sea
board on one side, and on the other
side touching the great cnnl-consuminE
| rcuIons of Pennsylvania, Ohio and the
west, nature could hardly have given
Il q. more advantageous situation Tor
becoming one great mining Il manu-
| featuring centre. THIS development, al
ready go marked. will force the con-
~structIor Ot new railroads, for which
abundant traffic will be provided from
the very day Of completion. No Other
state in the union oiIcra n more sure
and certain traffic for new, well -lo'a-
tod lines. The Investment OF Mr.Hcwitt
and his associates viii serve 10
| strengthen tho public appreciation OF
the coming industrial activity and
! prosperity OF West Virginia.