The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-10-26
GREAT LEASES
OF COAL LANDS
Are Being Taken Up By the B.
4 0. People
OVER IN COLUMBIANA COUNTY
Rig hts of Way and Coal Leases Are Being
Bought Outright--Coi. Harry
Frease Is OnCtbe

The publication, in the News-Demo-
crat of Wednesday, of the. details of
the great Baltimore G. Ohio scheme
for a trunk line running west from
Pittsburg through Canton, caused
decided furry in city business circles.
On every hand there were heard con-
gratulations and words Of praise for the
coterie of Canton bushes mao who have
worked so long on the project for an ali
line to Pittsburg from Canton.
Col. Harry Frease, who has charge
of the final survey for the now route
Is out of the city, and will probably not
be in Canton for week. He and his
corps of engineers are hard at work
over in Coumbiana county. Not only
are they verifying their old lines, but
they are closing the deals for rights of
way and for some enormous coal tracts
in the Columbiana county ield. The
company already has immense coal con-
cessions in the virgin field about Wes'
Point, and these are being added to
For several years, different parties, all
with railroad schemes under their bon
nets, have held coal options in that
section. The field is a splehdid one
but there is no way of developing it
without railroad transportation
Gradually, as the half dozen railroad
projects that have been in the wind
in the years past failed, one after an
other, to materialiZe, these options
were allowed to expire.
Large tracts are still held under op-
tion by company of Chicago men
but there is still an abundance of land
to be obtained. Hundreds Of acres have
recently been taken up by Col. Frease
and his associates.
Wednesday, at the First National
bank in East Liverpool, several thous-
and dollars were paid for coal leases
and rights of way, to land owners along
the Little Beaver route. These checks
came straight from the general offices
CT the Baltimore & Ohio sys thus
confirming the statement that The pro-
ject is being backed by the b. e .. The
company Is not taking options on the
property, but is buying 1t outright
sho wing that the project Is on c. solid
basis.
GREAT COAL FIELDS.
A dispatch from East Liverpool to the
News-Democrat says:
Mr.. j. L. Francis, the principal pro-
moter Of the cross country railroad
which it was proposed to build from
LlVerpOOl 10 LISBON TO get an outlet
for tfe coal held by a proposed COM
pany, is in the city. Mr.. Francis was
asked what effect the proposed new line
Of the B. & o. would have on his
scheme.
ut is just what we have been working
for" said Mr.. Francis. What we want
is an outlet for our coal. Our people
have options on 5000 acres Of coal land
in Madison township, and the proposed
| route of the B. & o. is right through
this tract or course a direct route to
this city would have been better for
East Liverpool. but the new route will
| SUIT our purpose just as well. 1t is NOT
probable that we will endeavor to build
the cross country railroad. but 1t is not
necessarily showed under by this new
road. am now using all my endeavors
to help make the B. & o. scheme a
co."
| A number of East Liverpool people
are interested in'the company controll-
ing the coal privileges In Madison
township. Most Of the options on the