The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1903-10-02

WITH BRoADEST CHARTER EVER
ISSUED IN TIE STATE WITH
PRIVILEGE OF DEVELOPING
ALL RESOURCES.
And Presentinx to investors Fine oppos.
{ tnnities to Make Profitable ana safe
Investments ss Skowa ~ IT'S
Prospectus.

just organized for the purpose Of devel-
oping the natural resonces Of West Viz
ginia, has one Of the broadest charters
ever issued in the state. having incorpo-
rated in Il three OF the best money-mak-
ing natural resources OF the United.
States, namely: coal, oil, gas and timber;
being incorporated as . land company
with the privilege of developing AL it's
natural resources.
West Virginia Is one Of the richest in
natural resources of any statc IN the en-
ION. Notwithstanding that It Is only q
little more than one-third the size OF
Ohio, Illinois and about one.half that Of
Pennsylvania. It is second in oil produc-
ton and third in coal, producing in the
year of 1900 over 100000 barrels more
oil than the state OF Pennsylvania. Here
allow me to quote you from Charles D.
Wallcott, director Of the United States
geological report ON the natural re-
sources: .sThe total number OF wells
drilled in 1901 in the Appalachian and
Lima Indiana fields was 1905. OF this
number 2,773 were dry, or failed to pro-
duce petroleum in paying quantities,
leaving 1852 productive wells, which
represent % per cent of the total mum.
Der drilled. The total number drilled in
the entire United States in the search
for petroleum approximates 1880. III
this number 1920 are estimated to be
dry, leaving IL $50 that were productive.
II the 1880 wells cost ON an average
$500 each, they represent an outlay Of
81 ,s75. 900. approximately one-third the
receipts for the entire crude production'
for that year. Or, in other words, 81 ,Oi,0
invested in an oil company that would
have covered the entire production of
the United States would have been worth
5000 at the end of that year, which
would be 200 per cent ON the dollar in
vested. Now the Central Development
company cannot only develop the oil and
gas underlying it's property, but it can
also develop the timber, taking It from
the stump and placing it into modern
buildings saving all the middle mems
| profit, and it can mine coal, manufacture
coke and other by-products, the latter
being the chief purpose for which the
company was organized, and being one Of
the best paying business Of the world
today, and West Virginia one Of the best
states in the United States to embark
In this business. Here we will quote
you again from the Mineral Resources
Of the United States" by Charles d.
wallcott: "The total coal production Of
West Virginia for the year 1901 was
"a. o6s ,4o2 tons; spot value, s2os4s. lsi.
The coal production of West Virginia in
1901 shows an increase of 1,42l jos tons.
and of S2,431 ,3l3 In value. The record
of West Virginia rs coal-producing
state is one without parallel in the his
tory of our development. During the
twenty zone years that the history OF the
coal production has been recorded in the
volumes of Mineral Resources of the
United States the coal production OF
West Virginia has increased on an av-
erage OF over 100000 tons each year
Notwithstanding its decreased production
in 1898. West Virginia in that year ex-
ceeded the output of Ohio, which, up to
that time, held third place as u coal pro-
Queer. Since that time West virg,nia
has gradually approached Illinois, which
ranks second to Pennsylvania, but has
not fulfilled prediction that by the be-
ginning of the present century West vir-
ginia would rank next to Pennsylvania
as a coal-prodncing state. There Is an
other respect in which the coal-mining
industry of West Virginia stands dis
tinctly alone. This Is In the fact that
although its production now approaches
25 ,00O,O00 tons a year, the amount of its
fuel consumed within the states border
is almost Insignificant, If the amount
consumed by the transportation compa-
mics is excluded.
There are some iron and steel manu-
featuring industries in Wheeling and va
cinity which utilize West Virginia coal,
but, except for these, the manufacturing
industries in the state are almost entire
ly undevelcped and by far the greater
proportion Of the fuel taken from West
Virginia mines go to feed and support
the manufacturing enterprises Of neigh
boring states. This has probably been
the result Of the. fact that the railroad
companies penetrating the coal fields
have identified with the coal mining In
terexts and have been glad to get the
advantage Of long hanls IN the way Of
transportation tbut more the result Of
the West virginians not taking any IN
terest in manufacturing enterprises AID
allowing her neighbor state to takes from
her fields what should be utilized At
homel- Some Of West virginia Goals are
highly priced, both for steam raising and
coke making.
They are .nsed TO q large extent by the
United States government for naval YES
sells, and ara shipped either IN form Of
coal or coke to blast furnaces and steel
works as far from the coal regions as
Chicago and affIwaukee. IN competition