West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-09-13
VALUABLE INDUSTRIES.
The Preston Lumber Company and Their
Railroad Into Union District.
I'rom a sea- CORRESPONDENT.

ply on which its prosperity exists i,
now almost wholly within the limit.
of Preston.
The village lies perhaps little
more than mile east of the Mary.
land and West Virginia State line
and is on the west side of the
Youghiogheny Immediately below
the mouth of Snowy creek, itself a
considerable stream. II occupies a
level site, the portion next tie
fough being occupied by the mill
and sheds Of the Preston Lumber
and Coal Co. There are perhaps
IS dwelling houses. but the mos,
conspicuous buildings are the com
modious and well arranged quarters
of the Preston Store Company and
the Methodist church, white frame
structure of neat appearance both
within and without. The village is
four miles from Oakland and seven
from Terra Alta.
Less than ten years ago the site
of Crellin was a glade, partly clear
ed but largely covered with thickets.
There was only one dwelling house.
There was also an old water mill
formerly owned and operated by a
Mr.. Ashby. The present village
is the creation of the Preston Lum-
Der and Coal Company and was
named for a gentleman interested in
the same. This corporation was
organized in 1882 by Pennsylvania
capitalists. Its Office is in Oakland
Nd, but the general headquarters
are in the coal Exchange Building,
Wilkesbarre, Pa. The president is
Albert Lewis; the secretary, w. r.
Butler the treasurer and general
manager, w. r. Stull.
Besides buying up the land com
prising the present village, the COM
pany purchased portable saw mill
which was operating on the tract,
and utilized it in saving the lumber
needed for the new buildings. The
dam across the river came in good
stead, since the pool above held the
logs that were soon floating down
the stream. Besides large quaint
ties of timber lying along the course
of the river, tract of I6, 900 acres
in Union district was purchased.
A railroad to Hutton's on the b.
* .. was constructed. This stretch
of two and one-half miles has re-
Gently been much improved, and
within the past year the iron rails
have been extended toward the cen
ter of Union district until there is
now main line IaH miles in length
with branch lines sufficient to bring
the aggregate up to L miles. This
railroad is capable of heavy traffic,
beng standard guage, rock ballast
ed, and substantially built and has
cost $1,000 mile. 1t reaches to
the village of Aurora and a consid-
cradle extension to the southwark is
in contemplation. These extensions,
present and prospective, have been
rendered necessary by the diminu-
ton of timber supply along the
Yough. Logs may be Aoated very
cheaply by water, but even with the
aid of the splash dam near the
source of the river, they could not
always be sent down on schedule
time. And besides this fact, much
timber had persisted in growing at
an inconvenient distance from the
water.
The equipment of the railroad
consists of four engines and about
IS logging cars. The road has not
been opened for a general freight
and passenger business, although
freight for Aurora and Carmel is
sent forward in carload lots. On
the day of the big picnic near Car
mel, Aug. 8, large number of ex-
cursionists were given a free ride
over the whole road.
At Crellin itself half mile of
side tracking has been found neces-
sary. From IS to IS cars are loaded
with lumber each day and IL to IS
cars with bark, during the season
for shipping bark. Ever since the
establishment of the plant, the com
pany has been furnishing the tan
merry at Hutton's with ? 500 tons of
bark per year.
The big mill with It's array of
whizzing, noisy saws, driven by two
engines, one Of $50 and one Of Is
horse power, has been working at
full speed all the season. The out.
put Of lumber during the last ~
months has been 10, 900, 600 feet.
The greater part Of this is hemlock
with some white pine and poplar,
but the proportion Of hard wood
which comes 10 the mill is ON The