The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-28
COAL FIELDS DEVELOPMENT
NV RAILROAD P6OJ-GT TO OPEN UP
VALUABLE PROPERTIES.
bcsHPany with a Proposed Capital
Of $4,000, 600 to Build a Railroad
to at for Will
Hington-It Will Open Valuable
Coal and Iron Fields.

The Norfolk Virginian-PiIot of Sun
day saws:
"A new railroad enterprise, in which
Virginia and North Carolina figure
largely is projected. A syndicate of in
nnential Baltimore capitalists is behind
the scheme and the object Is to build a
railroad which will open the great coal
fields OF Virginia, Kentucky and Ten
nessee, and to operate it independently
of all other railroads leading from the
~seaboard to the bitunllnous coal fields.
Samuel Hunt. Of Detroit. formerly
president of the old Cincinnati, Ports
mouth and Virginia Railroad. and Geo.
L. Carter. of Bristol. Tennessee. who
promoted the Virginia Coal and Coke
Company, are actively interested in The
present project, which is a revival OF
the old Three C's" railroad enterprise
in which millions of PHILADELPHIA capt.
tai was invested some ten years ago.
Parts of the Three C's" are included
in the present road. which was aban-
doned, partly finished. after the Barring
panic of 1890. 1t is proposed to form
q new company. with S12. 900. 900 capital,
which will acquire the finished railroad
between Johnson City and Huntdale,
Tenn. 81 miles long. and 20 files more
of the old graded line.
This will be completed and 120 miles
OF additional line constructed, making
o total OF 225 miles, from Toms Creek,
Va, to a connection with the Seaboard
Air Line at L~incOlntOn. N. g.
The syndicate which is interested in
the formation OF the DAD it is under
stood. owns or controls $50. 600 acres of
coal land in the southwestern corner
of Virginia. On his land it is estimat-
ed there are 500. 900. COO tons OF the finest
kind of bitCminous coal. 1t is pro-
posed to develop this coal property af-
ter the railroad Is in operation.
That part of the line from Huntdale.
Tenn, to Johnson City, Tenn, and from
that point to ~Clinchport, Va, is now in
oueration. From HuTtdale to Lincoln
ton the line is partly graded and will
be pushed to completion under the pro-
posed plan. which contempIates a pur
from Clinchport up through the coal
lands to Toms Creek.
Besides giving a Iow-grade short line
from the Virginta-Tennessee coal field.
to exploit which is one of the prime OBJ
1ects in view. it is confidently believed
that by bringing the coal of Virginia to
the rich iron deposits located in Mitch
ell county, North Carolina. through
which the line runs, d tremendous iron
and steel industry will develop abolt
johnson city, which in turn may easily
become another iron centre. Thus it is
expected that the new road will de-
Velo a big coal business to tidewater
at Wilmington, N. c., ove1 the Sea-
board Air Line, and in addition a
heavy lncal coal and iron traffic.
THE old Three Cs' was to continue
the line north through the Breaks
down the Valley Of the Big Sandy to
the Ohio River, and thence to Cinci7-
natl. 1t is believed that his fu-the~ ex-
tension of the proposed new line will be
made to provide an outlet to the west
for the coal and especially the steel
manufactures which originate on the
system