Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-21

AAAENA ~ Atft0Nt ~ aH H0Ft4 Ab4A
Nothing goes to waste even the saw
dust and shayins are carried in con-
yeyors to tile furnace doors aDd used
Al fuel.
AT Durbin / find the embrvo ron.
dstions Of a town. a boom not laun ehed
a vet, bat confidently expected to ar
rive on time. just where the site Of
the new town viii be is as vet a mat
ter Of some conjecture whether ut Dur
bin. or a little 70 tie north, between
that place and Travellers ReDcse, is to
be determined where the three rail
roads now ceutering there focus. They
are the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Coal
and Iron and the Greenbrier, Monon-
gahela and Pittsburg railways. Of
these, the Chesapeake aud Ohio. whose
TERMINUS has been at Durbin since
May last is now extending its line a
bit north through the gap in an effort
to reach q point near Travellers BE.
pose, where is being established a
large taunery for the manufacture of
heavy leather. The Coal and Iron road.
owned bv Senators Davis and Elkins,
a tributary to the West Virginia Cen
trail. is already at Durbin; have fin
ished grading and are rapidly having
rails towards the town of Elkins,
which place they exue ct to reach bv
early spring. Then there is the Green
brier, MoDongahela and Pittsburg,
known as John. I. McGraw's road. and
of which he is president. This road
has begun work just north of the gap
at Durbin, and expects to build north
to Horton, where it taps the Dry
Fork railway. a feeder of the West
Virginia Central. So the three roads
are centering. This railroad activity
is c~oncededly caused principally by the
large lumber interests which thew ale
seeking to reach and develop. How
vast is this opportunity NAV be Judged
when it is known that Pocahontas
county has forests that cover 30 per
cent of its entire area, and this area is
25x73 miles. The Coal and Iron will
operate trains this winter out Of FL
kins over IA part of the road, probably
as far east as Cheat river. across which
stream the bridge is not vet built.
When these three railways complete
their plans the business and industry
of this section must be great for not
outstanding the Chesapeake and Ohio
has only been actively operating his
branch of its line about eighteen
months, the results are remarkable.
One, and some times two, heavy lader
freight trains Dass over the road every
day. and the passenger trains. | have
heard, yield a profit greater per mile
than anv local of the Chesapeake anC
Ohio except their Loup Greek branch.
The principal points of interest along
the line are Renicks, Marlinton, Clio
yer Lick, Cags and Durbin, all place.
of business thrift and growth. Two
Of them Cass and Marlinton. are in.
corporated, the latter being the coun.
ty seat of Pocahontas county, a dis.
tinction it has only enjoyed in recent
years. the former seat of county gov
eminent having been at Huntersville,
where the original court house was
built iulS25. M~arlinton is picturesque
" located Mt the confluence of Green
brler river and KnapDs' Greek in 9
mountain basin surrounded by lofty
peaks. 1t is an old town: in fact, the
settlement at this uOint is one of the
oldest, if not the very Oldest, town.
Marliuton has. with the coming OF
the railroad, pat on new life. In adj
dition to its quota Of the lumber bus
mess. it reioicas in the recent at
quiremeut of a large tanning plant for
the manufacture of heavy feathers The
town has also many new buildings,
both for business and residence pur-
poses. and two banks. The court
house. which was erected in 1894. at
a cost of Sl5, 600. is a credit to the
county. 1t is Of brick, possesses archi-
%tectual beauty, and is modern in de-
sign and appointment.
At Cass are the largest lumber in
~terests in Greenbrier valley. Here
are the largest and best equipped
mills, the most extensive logging
camps, and a net work of short line
railways that penetrate the district
for miles around. This | am told. is
the property Of a single concern. the
West Virginia Spruce Lumber Com :
panv, which is now giving employ
ment to about 500 men. Two years
ago this spot was "A wilderness today
it is an incorporated town, with
stores, residences, depot, hotel.
mills and other outbuildings.
This is the most striking instance
OF rapid development hat has
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