Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-05-17
A MOUNTAIN OF IRON.
Big Development of Natural Re-
sousces---AIIsghany a Wealthy
County--The Charms of Home
Life In we'll ordered and busy
Camp---F0rest Fires, Etc

Is Camp---Forest Fires, Etc.
" (Staf Correspondence of the Spectator. J
NJ L have just returned from a fri,
,s through Allegheny county along th,
Il line OF The &. u o. Ry. AS August;
r county is known throughout the Stat.
J. Tor her agricultural and private wealth
E 30 is Allegheny for her mineral anC
i corporate wealth. She has seven blast
! furnaces. nine iron mines-each nj
t winch are employing their hundreds OF
v Workmen, and three hundred and fifty
! COKE ovens whose nightly glare against
q Une heavens are seen for miles
i around. Besides these there are the
great Pulp and Paper mill at Coying.
Ion, The tannery and machine shops
tnere and other minor industries
throughout the county. '0'
AT Low Moor the visitor ia alwavs
impressed. II he be traveller by rail
he Is sure to look out on the busy
scene as the train fits by. If be stons
oil and walks about the place, its
mighty furnace fires, its glowing coke
ovens, the ever shifting railway cars.
the ceaseless pounding of heavy ma
chlnery, excite his admiration: be
wonders at the marvel of its under
ground quarries, etc. But it is of the
RICH PATCH MINES
that l wish to speak of more partieu-
larly In this communication. And well
are they called "Rich Patch,'' for
possibly nowhere else in the State or
country is there such a rich patch of
| IRON ore. am not as conversant with
mining as L might be. but what would
the average man think of a solid vein
OF Iron ore eighteen hundred by six
teen hundred feet with depth yary-
ing from fifteen to forty feet?-yet that
- WnaG our party saw on top of Rich |
fatch mountain. Far up the noun
Ialn sloe we Climbed In the cab of a |
mining locomotives, making a grade |
OF over oOo feet to the mile, till we
reached the foot OF the incline, then
In charge OF General Manager Light
neI anu mounted on mules, We made
TO the top. Here lies the wonderful
mass OF ore forming a broad plateau,
lts rlch olack Groupings everywhere
mere engaged IN what is called surface
mining. The thin spread of soil is
being removed which leaves the ore
Standing out in bold solid mass.
Throughout the day at intervals the
sound Of the blast is heard like The
roar OF distant artillery, reducing the /,
irol ooulders TO sizes for handling and ;
great tonnage Is landed at the bottom
and there dumped into steam cars
ready for shipment-the usual and
expensive process of washing, deemed b
tnlng unnecessary. The work of
remOving this veritable mountain of n
)re is put begun, and to more fully 1
cap IFS benefits, the company have I
lecloeo, am informed, to build a L
arge furnace. This plan has taken /.
iennlte shape and the industry is to \
,e esta pushed on the main line of the NJ
;. q y. just west OF Low Moor. The s.
ompany nave also other rich patch
) Oh ore, besides the one above men :
Ioneo; IN fact their vast holdings
eem full OF them. Their underground
alnes are very profitable as are also
ne surface mines operated by steam e
aged Oh both these operations.
Since at Rich Patch last MANY i'm r.
rovements are noticeable, among
lem an electric plant that furnishes
ght for the underground workers by
ay, and by night it Eliminates the
IMP. The new Presbyterian church gu
which is also used by the other de- Or
ominations) is completed and DOING ha
good work. It is picturesouely sit. N,
sted on prominence and is verv 81
tractlve and comfortable building pr
here are in the camp, l am told no
'out 1,5OO souls, who under ibe az. Dill
llent direction of the management 90
q The police protection of speciaI uI
ice j. Kinney Brown, are as peace 81
e,orderly and happy, community AZ all
has been nv pood fortnno - 90 bri
ere Is a freedom, a hospitable cor
lllty, a congeniaIity that is most re-.
snlng, and among the workmen q
immunity of interests that is no 'o'
ere else more apparent.
Assistant Manager d. M. Karr. is in -
discharge of bis duties, to the manor If
n. His good management and
Inodlcal business habits have made L.
indispensable in the companv's
vice.
A BEAUTIFUL SPECTACLE. M
!; beautiful though dangerous spec. som
le was the extensive forest fire Gov
)ng The mountains. Unusual all A
season of the year and soon after com
neaVy spring rains the fires never wee
ess burned at frequent places de- reco
ylng large areas OF mountain tim. Nj
On the night of my stay at Rich man
Cd, large fire swept over Horse the
ntaln Immediately in front of the at c.
p. During the day it attracted Intel
attention, but as night closed in betw
extent and fierceness OF the flames Dece
me apparent, carrying apprehen- leav'
TO the hearts of many. A more daue
THU scene | have seldom witness ed hJ
nan this vast field of fire, as
ping the mountain steep it SEEM BeWa
lmblng the sky. But in Its path
near approach was the Powder
'e, wherein was stored tons of as me-
mite and powder. To this danger sense
.diate attention was directad the "
placed over it and a gang to tnrou
Dack the fire. What a blaze artlcl
blast might come from that presc
der House,; were possibilities. ians,a
Probabilities, that no newspaper 1old t
could contemplate with indiffer- rive
Dut when 1t was intimated that i man
and not would be there to do ioled
write up" the fire did not seem 10 TAX
grand Or the prospect SO en- upon
A. 8. MORTON. VI the