The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-28

COPPER BELT
Practical operators Are Be-
coming Interested In It.
THE KENTUCKY OIL FIELD
over Three Hundred Wells Producing
Regularly, ard Pipe Line Is lnsuffl-
Client 10 Transport the Produc-
ton Railway Construction.

Especial to Tho Times ispatoh.)
4 BALTIMORE. ND, August 27.-Addi-
tons to cotton mill equipment, new FUR
naccs entering tho field Of pig iron pro-
duction, and railroad building to increase
by connections or by double tracking es-
tablished facilities or by entrance Into
new fields to make additions to southern
tradc, are accompanied BY creator activi-
ty In tho development of southern mineral
and other resources.
In .this weeks Issue OF the Manufac-
turers' Record are noted two or three
movements In the Virginia copper belt.
revealing the interest there OF practical
operators from points as fur away ar
Butts, Montana. and Of investors In New
York and Ohio, as we'll as OF men OF tha
immediate locality. not the least signlfi-
cant fact being the raising Of fund OF
5000 by leading citizens Of MecklenburS
county. Virginia, into which the virginia
belt extends, to defray the expenses OF an
expert examination OF the mineral de-
posts of that county. In tho Kentucky
oil fields, 302 wells are producing regularly,
and are In connection with a pipe line.
which, extending as rapidly as possible.
is yet unable to meet the requirements
Of the field, with q resultant necessity to
store more than 100000 barrels OF oil IN
the lower field. 1t is estimated that there
are probably twice as many wells besides
those regularly producing, which have not
yet been tested thoroughly, and actual
drilling has been carried on In steadily
widening area,
TEXAS CLAY DEPOSITS.
Texas is not so occupied with oil and
g. nN,11 IN hat INF aragfQ cd
in other forms Of production, and It is
giving close attention to the investigations
OF economic geologists into its clay de-
posits. It has been found that not only
are there clays In many sections OF the
state which make an excellent brick and
other deposits capable in the Judgment
OF experts OF giving Texas inde-
ipendence in the manufacture OF
stoneware OF the best quality, and also
giving It a basis for an export trade
In such goods, but that it has deposit
OF glazing clay quite as good and
quite as extensive as the one In New
York State, from which the leading pot
teries OF the country are supplied. In an
adjoining State, Louisiana, successful
engineering feat is rendering accessible
an immense strata rock salt. having
depth OF at least COO feet. which, syste-
the salt output OF the State.
RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.
z In railway construction particular In
iterest is had in the building OF the At
lanta- Birmingham extension, which IS
to connect the Seaboard Air Line with
the Frisco and "a Rock Island systems.
1t Is expected that the birmingham END
will be completed by January. but that
the line from Atlanta to Rock1nart, Ca.
will not be completed until the spring.
The extension involves not only the build
ing of entrances TO Birmingham and
Atlanta, but the Mobilization OF the
East and West Railroad OF Alabama,
which was acquired some time ago In the
interest Of the seaboard. The recon-
strucuon Is we'll advanced, and 1t Is ex-
pected that branch to Gadsden will be
built. giving line to Chattanooga by
connection with the Chattanooga South
ern. Great interest also attaches to the
Wabash extension work between Cherry
Run, W. Va. and Cumberland Md,
which. when completed, will enable the
West Virginia Central to ship Its coal
direct to Baltimore to be handled for
export over the Western Maryland's new
terminal line that is being rapidly ad-
THE wABAs.
The Wabash is also pushing work on
the Blfckhanon and Northern, which IS
to connect the West Virginia Central
by a direct route with Plt1spurg' Dut "
is possible that he Cumberland and Cherry
Run extension will be finished first. 50
that coal shipments from the West Vir-
gInia Central may be handled before the
Wabash will be able to carry any through
freight business from the West over Its
tidewater line. Additional information
about the terminal at Washington gives
a clearer conception Of the magnitude OF
that undertaking than that given by the
mere ann ouncement Of the millions to be
expended for 1t. 1t involves the con-
struction under Capitol sHll Of tunnel
extending for more than eight blocks.
This will be double tracked. and all pas
senger trains between the North and the
South are to run through It. Its compile
ton Will find on the other side Of the
Potomac double tracks or the southern
railway certainly as far as Orange. Va.
facilitating travel by that route to the
South and West and also double tracks
of the Washington Southern ITO Rich
mond.