The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-09
THE P0CAH0NTAS COAL FIELD,
A Virgin Country Being Rapidly De
velopcd by Modern Progress,

BRAN W ELL, W. VA, Nov. 20.-Spc-
clal.-A little over score OF years ago
there was no railroad communication be-
tween Mercer and Mcdowell counties
and the outside world. What products
OF the soil were sold outside Of our COM
munities found its way twenty-five or
forty miles across mountain roads TO
Hinton or other Chesapeake and Ohio
railroads points. or "a somewhat similar
distance south 10 Wythcville.
Old citizens who remember the days of
plenty when the railroad had not come
10 spoil things regard those days as u
minor Garden OF Eden.
But the new corners incredulously
smile and tell us that the country was
grown Up mainly in rhOdodendrous spruce
holly and the many kinds Of forest trees
familiar to Nirginians.
The days that have elapsed I'm the
meantime have seen wOndrOus changes,
that the scepticism OF modern develop
ment in things that anciently prevailed
here, terms improvement.
The rhododendrOn jungle has largely
gone. In its place there stands the
thrifty town with its police force, its
church or churches. its school houses and
its score Of modern conveniences. Dur
ing this time TOO, our population has been
tleB sections as q hard lot Many
persons have had visions Of our citizens
as "A people of q fierce cOuntenance, with
horns growing on either temple. NO
doubt too, there was some truth in the
large stories" which travellers told in
hotels and 10 their families about the
tough life. and wicked things done IN
these regions Still have looked for
horned man for nearly five years, but
not one have I found. not even among
Elkhorn "nisscrs.' However, TO show
that your correspondent IS not tender
foot and incapable OF seeing things just
rs they are let me say, nobody here
shows signs OF sproutlng wings.
There is up here a healthy modern life,
making money. aspiring FOR social rise
and distinction just as IN other Ameri-
can places. An innocent Of '9S 3 Column
bia College engineering class, summerins
at Bramwell and practicing in the sur
rounding mines asked scepucally II there
were any dress suits ia town. Imagine
his surprise then on finding them In
every gentleman's wardrobe. And so
about the etc. OF modern life.
Bucheld Is a city Of 1000 or more. 10
has a handsome graded school building
with large corps Of teachers a hand
some city hall and eight white and two
negro churches 10 Is a railroad town,
the end Of three divisions. II is the dis
tributing point for the famous Pocahon-
tas or Flat Top coal, also the Clinch Val
ley coal. Here nature provides the mag
nihcient economic saving I'm shifting cars
by gravitation. Blueheld is one Of
Messrs Cashier. Curran and Bullits
great centres their manager here is Mr..
George a. Shirley a Nirginian. with
great executive ability. This mountain
city climbing with laborous strides up
two sides Of closely hugging ranges of
hills swings twenty-five hundred feet
above Norfolk Its geographical position
is near the line Of Tazewell county with
its great stock farms. II is the termi-
nus Of the Clinch Division Of the Norfolk
and Western railroad. running through
rich Tazewell. Blueheld is predominant
~ Virginian. tinctured heavily with
northern instincts. II is progressive II
is destinctvely mercantile in its pur-
poses.
Bramwell IS n quadrupled town. That
is 10 say the corporation IS composed OF
four villages. They are all nearly
mile apart Simmons creek one part.
IS "a mining place, so are Coopers and
Spicer Town. Bramwel itself is an
elegant little village nesting between the
mountains and furnishing a place of
AaAAAA+F+"'
ers. who desire congenial companionship
and social opportunities not generally
found i'm smaller places. No one can
well imagine the little place I'm its sur
prisng attractiveness, who has never
visited it and been received IN its
elegant social Surroundings The
intellectual life here IS very keen as de-
monstrated by the elegantly performed
dramatic and musical entertainments held
from time to time and by its classes IN
German undcr native OF Germany ana
its attractive private libraries. It's high
school IS very good under Mr.. Baker. its
popular principal. The choir OF the Epis-
copal church here with Mr. b. +. KEEL
Ter, as director. and Mr.. Albert Paddock
as organst, is famous i'm an the sur
rounding country for its excellent music.
The rector, Rev. Norman +. Marshall,
native Nirginan, is justly proud OF the
accomplishments Of this. choir as Of the
brave work OF his little congregation
with their pretty church and fine roc
tory.
Bramwell Is a Pennsylvania town,
thrown by fate upon this southern line
OF the Little Mountain State. Its con-
sciOuslv consistent development is no
doubt determined by this fact neverthe-
less when its citizens ego east for re-
freshmen and reinyisoration they must
be conscious Of the fact that they are
scarcely longer Pennsylvanians and If
such they are so with the subtle changes
wrought by the winds and environments
of the Southland.
Your correspondent would scarcely do
this section justice without definite refer
ence 20 the work OF the Christian church
I'm its midst The Mcthodists, the Bap-
lists the Presbyterians. the Episcopal
ians, the Lutherans. the Cambellites and
the Romanists are all here and others
/ am pretty familiar with all their pas
tors. They are as q rule Cody. earnest
and hard-workng. That they have en-
terprise ana ability is shown by the re-
suits in churches and congregations dot
ting the valleys everywhere. They are as
a class fairly well educated. OF course
the Episcopalans and Presbyterians lead
in this regard as usual. The work OF
these denominations has been and stiu
is veritablo missionary work. In the best
sense American missions push them
selves here, holding together and
the faith OF temporary So
j0urncrs In our midst.