Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-26

special 10 tLo INC6iSlSi'
Charleston, W. Va, November 20
One Of the most gigantic industrial en-
terprises which has been set on foot IN
recent years has come to light here
within the past week.
1t is noting more nor less than
plan for the control by the Vanderbilt
interests, through the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad, of the soft coal markets
of both the west and the east.
The plan contemplates the uniting
under one head of railroad system
from New York to Milwaukee, includ-
ing the large lake ports, and system
of soft coal mines which shall produce
every kind of bituminous coal from the
hardest cannef to the softest coking
and smithing coal.
Every part of the enterprise from
the ownership of the coal lands to the
final delivery of the product to the local
wholesale dealers in New York, Chi
cago, Cleveland, Milwaukee, st. Paul,
etc., will be managed by one head, rep
resenting one interest.
About two months ago the announce
ment was made on no less authority
than Hon. John T. McGraw, of Grafton,
w. Va, that he had sold to a syndi-
cate including in it's membership Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, H. NICK. Twombley
and w. Seward Webb, tract of coal
and timber land in the northeastern
part of West Virginia. This sale in
cluded 100000 acres, and the figures
were given at $4,000. Besides this
land, the same people bought other
smaller tracts adjoining this one, max
ing their holdings nearly half mil
lion acres.
1t was also announced about the same
time that the same people had secured
the controlling interest in the Dry Fork
railroad, running from Hendricks, on
the West Virginia Central and Pitts
burg railroad (the Davis-Elkins road
to Horton, q miles up the Dry Fork
of Cheat river. This put a railroad
through part of the newly acquired
lands, and to within ten miles Of the
best of the tract.
These lands are so closely grown
with hardwood timber that they are
from end to end almost perfect jun
gle. but the timber is a secondary con-
sideration to the new owners, who ara
after the coal, which lies in seams from
ten to fifteen feet thick, and at many
places three seams upon each other,
separated by shale. The coal varies in
quality from the coking coal OF New
river, and the smokeless coal OF the
Upper Kanawha to the hard camel
ccal found on Elk river.
Last week Secretary Of State Will
liam M. O. Dawson issued certificate
of incorporation to the Greenbrier Rail-
road Company, of West Virginia. with
500 900 capital stock paid in. and held
by Melville F.. ingalls,, of Cincinnati,
president of the Chesapeake & Ohio;
Decatur Axtell. Of Richmond, Va, and
n. c. Sims, F. B. Enslow and J. M.
Gill, of Huntington. w. Va, all OF them
Connected with the Chesapeake & Ohio
and the Vanderbilt interests.
The description Of the proposed rail-
road. filed with the charter applica
ton, says the road is to be built from
the Chesapeake & Ohio, at the mouth
Of Greenbrier River, to the forks of that
stream, or within ten miles of the lands
recently purchased by the syndicate
mentioned above. The announcement
is also made by a Chesapeake & Ohio
attorney that the road is to be built
on the proceeds of bonds, and that the
bonds will be taken by the owners Of
the real estate in question.
A statement comes to-day from an
intimate friend of Senator johnson n
Camden, who was in the deal with Nc
Graw whereby the Vanderbilts got their
lands, that an agreement was reached
at the same time whereby the Senator is
" puiiu eAC w CSI II Sluid u L lllSUul
Railroad from its present terminus over
to the forks of the Greenbrier, where
the Greenbrier Railroad is to end, thus
giving Camden an outlet for lumber to
the east and connecting the new VAN
derbilt system with western outlet
besides the Chesapeake & Ohio.
The surveys have been made for
railroad to connect the Dry Fork
Railroad, recently acquired by the Van
derbilt syndicate, to the new Greenbrier
Railroad, just incorporated. This sur
vey has been very difficult. has occupied
months and not until few weeks ago
did the engineers succeed in finding a
pass through the mountains in which
railroad could be built without miles
OF tunnelling. But this has been over
come and work is expected to begin in
the early spring.
Another announcement, no less i'm
portrait than those preceding it, is that
the Vanderbilt interests have secured
lConx9nso0 a UnnrHe, Co., T---'--s