The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-09-29
ACTIVITY IN TIE SOUTH.
Farms, Forests and Mines Strllning Already
Congested hoads---Extsnsion of systems
Especial to News and Observer.)

Especial to News and Observer.)
Baltimore, Md, Sept. 25.-Mr. George
j. Gould, who is now on a tour over his
western system, wires the Manufacturers
Record as follows:
Il find the business outlook in territory
served by Missouri Pacific lines as excel
lent. Wheat made a good crop on those
lines and corn is out Of danger Of frost,
as far as 1 can see. Corn Will be some
what short OF last years crop. Neyerthe-
less it Will be very close to a fair average
crop in any event. Railroads in the ter
ritory will have more business than they
can handle. There is already Il shortage
of cars, and l can see no let up in the COM
mercial prosperity OF the country. The
large increase IN the gross earnings OF the
Missouri Pacific is the best index | can
give you as to what Is going on out there.
To this the Manufacturers Record adds
that great crops will not be alone in max
ing strenuous demands upon railroads IN
the South ana Southwest. The lumber IN
dustry and the uncoVering of mineral re
sources are also to play an important part
in that particular. But Southern railroads
are siraining every point, by improving
trackage, by additions to rolling stock
and by extensions to new tlelds to keep
pace with the calls upon them. An illus
tration of these activities is given IN cor
~respondence from Mlddlesborough, Ky,
describing the plans for the beginning OF
actual construction work OF a railroad to
extend from Middlesborough to Maryland,
the county seat OF Harland county, Ky,
which may possibly be extended across
the Virginia border. This road, which
will be fifty miles long and OF a good
grade, permitting the passage of a tram
of fifty cars, will penetrate the rich coal
fields along the head waters OF the Ken
lucky River on the border of the States
of Kentucky and West Virginia and will
open up an opulent region which has re
NAMED partially undeyeloped tor many
years, but which contains every grade OF
coal. with the exception OF anthracite.
Another railroad which has been survey
ed from Beattyville to PlneVllle, a dis
lance Of ninety miles, extends across oWs-
ley, Clay, Leslie and part OF Bell counties.
The correspondent says:
"Isslie county is about the centre OF
! eastern Kentucky coal fields. There nave
been found III this section eleven different
veins of coal. all but two or three OF
| which are workable and eight above dram
ace In this section is found the same
grade that is now being III the
older fields of Virginia and West Virginia
The Pocahontas article lies about 800 teet
| below drainage aud what IS known as
Soneea is situated 1870 feet above the 70
ca hontas deposit. Not only IS bItumlnous
coal found, but there also exist veins OF
camel coal III some places OF considerable
thickness. In one place a vein thlrty-eight
inches in thickness has been found Win
forty inches of splint coal below It ana
senarated by ten inches of shale. canine
is also found in the older fields OF Knox
and Bell counties and is now beng mar
keted to some extent.
"Am0nc the counties where actual oe-
v~elonr,ent is more active and where thele
are more operators taking up lands are
Harlan. Letcher, Leslie, Clay, Knox Bel
and Whitley. Extensive mines nave peer
IN oneration in the counties OF knox, BEL
and whitley for a number OF years, pu'
n,oerous new mines are now BENG oP
onad nm. In Leslie county there are slAtS
o,,yevors at work employed by some %
Tie most extensive operators OF that sec