The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-08-22
Great Scheme on Foot.
SEABOARD WILL LEAD COALERS
Reported that Thomas F. Ryan and
Associates of New York Will
Extend South & Western Road
from the Virginia Coal Fields
North to the Great Lakes, Con-
Meeting With the Atlantic Ports
and the Panama Canal by Way
of the Seaboard Air Line viii
Expend $4,000, 900.
Charlotte Observer.

Expend $5O,OOO,OOO.
Charlotte Observer.
| Charlotte people are more or less
concerned in anything which has to
do with the Seaboard Air Line Rail
way Company, one OF the two great
thoroughfares of travel which con
meets the city with the rest OF the
world. During the past year frequent
mention has been made OF the South
& Western road which is now being
built through western North Caro-
linz. 1t is q well-known fact that the
two great roads are under the same
management and control, the major
ity of the stock in both corporations
being dominated by Mr.. Thomas f.
Ryan and associates, millionaire
capitalists of New York. Recent de-
velopments would Indicate that these
gentlemen have vast scheme on
foot for bringing together the coal
fields of Virginia, Tennessee, West
Virginia and Kentucky with the At
lantic coast and the Great Lakes.
The following from the Richmond
1imes-Dispatch of July oath will be
of interest:
Thomas Forum Ryan and his as
societies in the world OF finance have
on foot plan to make the Seaboard
Air Line the greatest coal carrying
road in the country, 10y opening up
an enormous coal field in Virginia
and connecting it with the Seaboard
Air Line by means of a 2OO-mile rail
way line, now being built and known
as the South & Western Railway.
"From a reliable source comes the
information that 100000 acres
of coal lands have been purchased by
the Clinchfield Coal Company, the
holding company for the syndicate
in which are Messrs. Thomas F. Ryan,
Blair, of Blair L Co., Norman B.
Reams and George L. Carter of Vir-
ginia, who, nominally head of the
syndicate and president of the South
& Western Hallway, planned the
scheme and engineered the gigantic
! deal.
TO COST $5O,OOO,OOO.
"The road which now has it's ter
minus in Russell county, Va, is be-
ing pushed rapidly, is already hals
finished and will cost when complet-
ed to Marion, N. c., $4,000, 900, for
the question of expense has not en-
tered into the plans OF the financiers
who are behind the movement.
despite tight money and social
cd hard times in Wall Street, there
has been no let up in the construc-
ton of the road which is being built
in the most up-to-date manner with
low grades and easy curves, while
the mountains are being tunnelle at
all points to save high motive power.
"The South & Western Railway
now has its beginning in the north
ern end of Russell county, runs south
through Russell, Wise and Scott
counties, tunnelling mile through
Clinch mountain to the Holston
river, a branch of the Tennessee, and
down the valley of the Tennessee to
Kingspoint, where large town will
be built, 5000 acres having been ac-
quired for that purpose.
"'The road crosses the Southern
Railway line at Johnson City, runs
south up the valley of the Chucky
river, across the gap Of the Blue
Ridge mountains and connects with
the Seahoard Air Line at Marion, n.
| C., from which point all the Southern
seaports are within easy hauling dis
tance.
THE South & Western will open up
by it's main line and spur tracks the
richest and most extensive coal fields
in the world, and with unlimited
capital behind the vast undertaking,
it is said the SeabOard Air Line will
lead all the roads of America as a
cOaler.
TO THE GREAT LAKES.
"The present plan is only the be-
ginning of the Clinchfield Company
scheme, for, connection with the Sea
board Air Line being completed, it is
the purpose of Mr.. Ryan to extend
the road north to the Great Lakes
by way OF the Ohio river, where it
will connect with the Detroit, Toledo
& Ironton Railway, known as the
Zimmerman route, which is controll-
ed by the Ryan interests. This is the
road which threatened two years ago
to enter the coal fields controlled by
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway,
by building bridge across the Ohio
river, thus operating short route
to the Great Lakes. The plan was
frustrated by Zimmermans lack of
funds and the road went into the
hands of J. Pierpont Morgan, who
passed it on to Mr.. Ryan.
ITO reach the Ohio, a tunnel three
miles long will be bored under Sandy
Ridge, and the road will run down
the valley of Sandy river to connect
with the D. T., & l. R. R.
MILLION ACRES OF COAL.
The millionaire coal field which
is practically inexhaustible, was pur-
chased by the Ryan syndicate
through Mr.. Carter from the estate
Of Mr.. Dale Carter, Of Virginia, from
the Interstate Coal Company, from
John H. Inman, of New York; the
Clydes, of Philadelphia, and from the
native landowners of Russell and
Dickinson counties The plan has
been kept secret for two years, Mr..
Ryan's and Mr.. Blair's names not
having been connected with the deal,
all the business being carried on
through Mr.. George L. Carter, whose
offices are at Johnson City, but who
is Virginian, having been born in
Carroll county, in 1857.
ale entered the railway service in
1899 as president of the Virginia &
Southwestern Railway, having had
no railway training before that time
"a well-known railroad official who
lately went over the line of the new
road, Is authority for the statement
that the construction of the roadbed
is even more expensive than the Tide
water Road now being built by the
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