The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-07-24
rHE NORFOLK AND WESTERN.
A Big Deal TO Develop Tennessee Luna-
her md MiueraIs.

The following from the Knoxville Tri-
bune will be read with interest by the
people of this city and section:
A gigantic deal is now on foot, the
contamination OF which will revolution
lie the timber and mineral resources
of East Tennessee. 1t Is n deal con-
nected with THE coming reorganization
Of the Norfolk and Western railroad
and one which has millions behind 1t
1t is not mere idle rumor, but a
reality, which is conclusively proved by
the fact that certain property included
in the scheme has been purchased and
paid for in cold cash. That property
is forty-two thousand acres of timber
and mineral land in Cooke and SEWER
counties.
The plan is this: Within three months
the Norfolk and Western will be reor-
ganlzed; in that organization will be
included. the South Atlantic and Ohio
railroai-all now in the hands of a. re-
ceiver-also the Virginia. Tennessee
Coal and Iron Company, which owns
the great iron furnaces at Cranberry
Bristol. and Big Stone Gap. These gil
gantic concerns will be merged into a
single corporation and the Norfolk and
Western will be extended from Bristol
to Knoxville, and thence via the Mari
eta and North Georgia road to Atlanta
The truth is that Newman Erb is mere
ly the agent for the gigantic corporation
which Ia behind the whole scheme They
are the owners of the Marietta road
which Is an important link in the pro-
posed system.
The distance from Bristol to Knox
vile by the proposed new route is about
l3u miles. the same as the Southern
but through a. far richer country. James
!. Brooks. of the firm of James /. Brooks
Il Co, bankers and brokers' in Boston
mas peen along the proposed line of road
and has purchased all available land
thereon. This compny Is behind the re-
organization scheme. and MIR. Brooks
along with John c. Haskell. receiver nj
me >. a. and 0. railroad, and Messrs.
HuiaeKoper, receivers of the Norfolk
ana western road. are authorities for
the statement that cars would be nun
ming from Norfolk to Atlanta within
three years. The striking fact about
the whole thing Is that the reorganizo
ZION board have three agents in the
Held, MIR. Brooks being one of them
and they are paying cash for the prop
erty. piop
The whole thing In q nutshell "a this.
The Norfolk and Western people own
extensive coal lands In West Virginia
which are reached by their various
branch roads: these coal fields already
neine developed by immense coke ovens
in operation; the s. A. & o. also reaches
coal and iron fields in various degrees Of
davelopment: also the Bristol and Eli
zabethton road runs through SO. 600 acres
Of exhausted iron lands, from which
three furnaces at Cranberry, Bristol and
Big Stone Gap have drawn their supply
of ores. The Norfolk and Western is
eomnelled to find a Southern outlet for
the output OF their ovens, furnaces nd
min % and road to Atlanta via Knox-
Vile Is solution of the enigma.
The iron lands heretofore controlled
bv this corporation are not SUFFICIENT to
run one furnace one year longer, so said
O. prominent member of the Reorganiza-
ticH Committee. recently. This new road
VIII develop a country practically in
axhaustable in minerals. timber and
other resources.
TIE iron already prospected on the
nroposed route Is sufficient to supply sill