The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-05-05
A GROWING TOWN.
Blaine on the Patomac River Forging
Ahead

70
Ahead.
The person journeying along the
West Virginia Central ten or twenty
years ago would notice at nearly
every station a sawmill surrounded
by piles of freshly sawed lumber. The
railroad had pushed into thinlv popu-
lated mountain forest, and the most
natural of the new industries which
came then into existence was the con
version of the forest trees into mer-
charitable lumber. But the lumber
supply is already depleted and the
big sawmill is not so muchin evidence
as it was
The agricultural and grazing capa-
bility Of the mountain soil did not
seem sufficient to sustain the numer-
Gus little towns which had grown up
along the railway. However, Dame
nature very kindly came to their re-
lief and pointed to the veins of black
diamonds which lay little beneath
the surface. Accordingly the mining
of coal hes so well supplanted the
manufacture of lumber as to point to
a large population along the valley of
the north Fork of Potomac than was
possible so long as King Lumber ruled
supreme.
One of the leading towns in this new
industry in Blaine, AZ miles above
Cumberland. Here is town, lying
mostly on the Maryland side of the
river which claims 700 population and
this number will increase with the ex-
pansion of the coal industry. Here
are several large, well equipped, and
busy stores and hotel that is cleaner
or better kept than the Kitzmiller is
rarely to be found
On the Garrett county side and
very near the town is the plant of the
Blaine Mining Company, which is
the oldest, having been in operation
three and half years. 1t employs
80 men and has a daily capacity of
$50 tons of Freeport coal. The aver
age controlled runs between 200 and
800 and the vein, which lies very ad-
vantageously with respect to mining,
is to feet thick. The superinten-
dent is S. b. Brydon and his mine is
thus far the heaviest producer in the
vicinity.
The same tipple is used also by the
Dill No. l, and mile higher up the
river is the new plant of the Dodson
Coal Co, On the West Virginia side
and about the same distance from
town is another new plant, that of
the Oakdale CoaIand Coke Company
Some further description we hope to
give in a subsequent letter.
Also on the West Virginia side and
very close to Blaine are the two mines
Of the Smith Coal Company, which
have been in operation three years
and are owned by r., A. and H. B.
Smith, three enterprising brothers
who are merchants of Blaine. Their
mines have daily capacity of 1875 to
$50 tons
Very near the railroad is the newest
plant of all, that of the Wabash &
Potomac Coal Company, of Baltimore
Nd. Its Office room in the Marine
Bank Building on South Gay St., was
annihiliated in Baltimore's great fire
The President of the corporation il
Chas +. Conoway, of Fairmont anC
theSecretaryT Treasurer is w. p. Atha
also of Fairmont.
The company owns 52j acres of lane
fronting the railroad and between
the latter and the heavy hill in which
lie the coal seams is belt of leve
ground, highly favorable for sid,
tracks.
Both the upper Freeport and lowe
Kittanning appear in the face of tn,
hill, the former well toward the sum
NIT so far as can be seen from the bot
tom land. The former has here ,
clean thickness in good workable Goa
of feet 8 to ) feet inches, and tn,
Kittanning vein of feet inches
The incline to the opening in tn,
Freeport seam is 425 feet long anC
very steep, especially in the uppe
part, where the angle is over 60 de
grees. The tracks on the incline ar
of 40 pound rails resting ON heavy tie
and making a durable roadway. TIL
hosting apparatus is of the latest i'm
proved pattern. The weight of tn
load cars draws up the emptles.
The opening in the Kittanning veil
is not much above the level of tn
tipple. The latter has floor spac
of 26 by 1870 feet, and is claimed to b.
decidedly the best in the district. |
is so arranged that when a secon,
track is added to the spur runnin,