Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-28
OLD DOMINION COAL.
IT'S FAME Is NOW KNOWN IN EVERY
PORT on rItE GLOBE.
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS SEEK 1T.
Our own Government Has bought
Kargcly of IL for Shipment to Key
West and Notwithstanding ton
Personals.


road. sent the first carload Of Flat-Top
coal from Tazewell county. Va. 10 Mayor
William Lamb. OF Norfolk, in the fall OF
1888, 70 be distributed among the charita-
BILE institutions OF the city. as the pioneer
shipment OF a coming coal trade. and
Colonel Lamb named the coal 'Pocahon-
tas," after the little mining village in
which the Southwestern Improvement
mine was situated, he little knew what
a rcvolution ne was going to make In the
coal business Of the United States.
Mr.. jefferson had spoken, in his notes
on Virginia, OF this remarkable coal,
which was found on the sides Of the
Flat-Top mountain, and which he pro-
nounced equally as good for cooking as
for steam purposes.
The Norfolk and Western erected a
pier in 1885 at Lambert Point. for the
shipment Of this coal, placing the pier
at the northern boundary Of its property
in Hampton Roads, so that II could be
near the ship channel.
Since the erection Of that pier a second
iron pier has been built. and now six
steamers. each over 400 feet in length,
can be bunkered or loaded at one time !;
or twelve ordinarily large vessels.
Twelve thousand tons can be put over
the pier easily I'm twelve hours out of the
tyventy-four. Shipments, since the cree
ton of the piers, have run up into mil
lions, and IL all the coal shipped from
that pier were piled up on Lambert
Point, there would be a mountain as
high as the Flat Top.
This coal was found TO be q superior
coal In some respects to the best CardlH.
The fastest voyages made on the ocean
have been made by the United states
cruiser Columbia, and the Cunard steam
er Campania. with this coal. so many
tramp steamers have bunkered with IL 10
the satisfaction of captain and engineer
that it's fame is known in every port Oh
the habitabe globe.
1T HOLDS ITS OWN.
To get IL to tidewater it has TO be haui-
ed not less than 400 miles, ana 'ne
"empties" have 10 be carried back. Al ~
therefore. necessarily, (. o. b. AT Lam
bert Point, an expensive coal, when oilly
having the usual royalty ana minimum"
price TO miners, operators agents am
an exceedingly low freight 10 the @
road. and vet II holds it's own, being car
Scotia coal for the fast mail steamers VI
the Allan Line. thus carrying Compel
ton into its most dangerous enemy
torritor,, the cheap coal of Nova ocotia
Whom some five or six years ago. tnei
mos a serious strike i'm the mines Oh Eds
land and Wales, this coal found l's way
IN the Cane de Verde ana other ea9'.i
islands. and some of IT was actuahy IN
norted into London. and attracting tn'
attention of the British admiralty II j.
said. was tested by them. ,,
Another strike has come IN hhsiai,N
ord wales and the coaling-stauons ~
| tho eastern islands of cape ue
| cane of Good Hope, etc, are haEine 90
| look 10 the Atlantic coast OF AHneiiC, -
| a si,pplv of coal, and although 1ocaio .l,
tas As higher than the Cafiauian o.,
| o,her American Goals, there Is a oenIan'
90 :. for cane de Verde and the cay
30 cod Hone. the English contractor
ot,or,ng n nigh price for 1t, and giving
,,,,,rantae that under no circumstaice
s,'i,t a no sold. either directly or lndiiec'
| Iv TO Spanish vessels. .,u
! The trade has largely increased W.
tho West India Islands, especlahy %
| Iucia. and within the last Sixty oaSs VI
| pritish admiralty have purchaSeu
| 1,,.e,,ss FOR consignment TO the ha'a
| e.,a,,t at Rermuda-the first going OUT -
re inflated steamer Foscolia, ana III
second last Sunday, in the Nor"es'"'
steamer Albis. oro !,
ca,eral foreign governments are
treaty. for supplies of this COAL anu '1
own government has bought laIseE ~
| n 10 send TO Key west anu IioiIo 49,
and have just purchased o"ie0
u -N1 MAJOR BRANCH.
,r, AD,orican Banker. in its issue 0
oo1 instant. contains the folloWln
omc interest ng notice OF MaJo
| James r. Branch' anu Va
ny r 81 secretary of the American l3ahF
ars, Association. Colonel james
11ro,ob who is about to go TO the iron
| a. ~ virginia ancestry, ana uesN 1''I
- C,bristonher Branch, who located upo
| Vi - ~ land from the Crown IN Io5
| si+,,,ted on the James river C'loli
| proncn was born in PetersDuTe' "a ~
anroher a. 1863. from which place ms Ial
| an, removed to Richmond the loi'o" - a.
| ,ear During his boyhood ne hau q" W.
| structor5 General KoDeIt - CoI,
| Y1t,,t graduate; Thomas Garter, anu WV
Io,'i Cerdon McCabe. After receiving a
oaaoroic education, he entered the me,
| $50, National Bank. OF Richmond,
,eSI lie left the bank at the age Oh
anoa gIng i'm stock-raising ana o1I on, pua
| reee returning TO the bank IN 1851 VIZ
nv - randy promoted. Under MS 81
,ier,,ision this banks deposits from ou'-o
| -, harl,s became the largest OF an
| tns,itution from Baltimore 10 Nc" "
| to.re In the summer OF 1870 ne woS Si
| nointed National Bank Examiner iol {.
| ,dnio West Virginia, North anu 20
| Carolina, and Eastern lehi,eS 80, 90
how he entered the NatlohaI Uualu IN
nriyate. and owing TO MS nillisd 1a, SO
@ ba went through all grades iro
w. lseutenant-colonel OF the F1r
II,.,.,rio,o cavalry. His examinations
- hoord of officers were pronounced
toF the highest character. lie was az
~ ar,ber Of the board OF oh1cers WI
leu nm the new regulations TOT tne
~, Volunteers. President Mckinley M
So onnointed him major OF the Severn
peeiment of Infantry in the VOiuhte
.rmv He should make Vaiudpie on
car as he comes from hgntihs SUI
There has been no war III lhIs eou', :,
| .,,,ca 1924 I'm which his ancestors nave II
slloo - -, HIS father was Colonel Jam
70 zach chief of artillery OF Ransom
ni..teto, Army OF Northern NfBlni
Inas, his early ancestors was wilma
f,Iay,o6 who was burned at the staH
ard is mentioned in "Fox's Book ,i,, OF Ma a
',,u :" Another was with William 4
conqueror at the battle Of h Has Wsrr,.s
his family traces back TO me EarIs s
northumberland, and through thehi
| t<ing Edward Ill, thence 10 hilbs a.
notentates innumerable. rms Peuls'
heen carried back in an unbrok
i ,," 80 the scandinavian god Thor. II
n ny Of the secretary of the America
p PanEers' Association is lucrative or
1Soinnel Branch expects 10 leave his cor