The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1901-02-01
The Immense Resources
Along The Short Line.
Millions Of Tons Of Coal can be
Mined and Marketed d oil,cas,
Timberand Agriculture are
Other Natural Riches.
The ohio Valley Manufacturer.I

The Ohio Valley Manufactured
The Ohio River railroad has now
about completed new branch line
from New Martinsville to Clarksburg,
known as the West Virginia Short
Line, which holds strategic point in
the railroad system Of West Virginia.
From Clarksburg the Short Line runs
westward on a grade Of fifteen feet TO
the mile, through thlrty-three miles
Of coal lands where the seams range
from nine TO twelve feet in thickness
and ayerage.l2,O 900 tons OF merchant
able coal to the acre, this coal being
the Pittsburg seam or Western Penn
sylvania coal From ClarkSburg p
miles westward the new line runs
through continuous coal area, all Of
it being above the railroad, thus being
the more easily mined and loaded on
cars. Along this twenty-five mile sec
tion there are 10000 acres Of coal, con-
tanning 300, 06o,0OO tons Of merchants
bic cndi. For distance Of eight miles
further westward, there is continu-
Gus area Of coal which lies below the
level Of railroad, but can easily be
reached by shafts. This area is reck-
oned to contain fully 10000 accessible
acres, in which there is 100, 600, OOo.tons
of merchantable coal.
There are numerous valleys running
down to this road on each side Of the
line. In the course of few years
branches will be built up these rayines
and further coal area will be opened
1t is estimated that fully 100000 900
tons Of coal will thus be added to the
supply to be marketed by this new
line.
1t should be noted here that the coal
mines Of this district can be operated
at one.half the expense involved in
mining coal in Pennsylvania owing
to the fact that the coal is on the sur
face, and the width Of the seams is
such that the miner can take all the
coal in the seam while working from
the bottom.
Freighting coal from the CIarksburg
district to Wheeling has hitherto been
difficult, the grades on the lines hith-
erto operated being 50 great that only
twenty cars could be pulled by one
locomotive. BY this new line the dis
lance is shortened, and the adverse
grade being but fifteen feet to the
mile, one engine can pull sixty cars,
each loaded with fifty tons Of coal
From a point fifteen miles west Of
Clarksburg the Short Line runs
through about forty-tiye miles OF oil
and gas fields, which have been test
ed and proved.
About 100000 acres OF virgin timber
land in Harrison and Wetze counties
will be opened to commercial use by the
Short Line. This land is now held at
from So to $40 an acre, and affords an
excellent chance Of lumbermen, who
may purchase 100 to 500 acre tracts,
put up saw mills. and manufacture the
timber into lumber for the market.
a number Of villages of from POO to
! 900 inhabitants are scattered along
the line. These are at present dis
tributing points for coal, gas, and oil
fields. The lire willeventuallY be one
long "Stringtown" village from end to
end as it runs througha narrow valley
and the people who operate or labor in
the coal, oil, and timber tracts will be
compelled to spread their homes on
either side Of the railroad.
AS the town Of New MartinSville,
where the Short Line joins the Ohio
River railroad, is on the Ohio river, ii
is probable that considerable volume
of the products of the section thus
opened will be marketed by water car
riage from the junction.
1900, 900 TONS OF COAL LAST YEAR.
The report Of mine inspector of
West Virginia shows that the total
output of coal for this State during
1900 was -, 10000 tons. In 1889 the
total output of West Virginia was g.,
100000 tons: by 1893 this had increaS-
ed to 100000 tons, and by 1898 to
l6, 10000 tons, from which point there
is now a jump to -, 600 900 tons. The
development Of the coal interests Of
this State is one Of the most remark
able facts in the Industrial history Of
the country