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The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28
MORE
About Big Stone Gap. It's Beautiful
Location and hOspitabIe People.
Taylor,p

Location and nocpitaDie feopic.
Do you know what a good
town Big Stone Gap is? AS the
fiddler in Mother Goose bade
his hungry cow, "Let us con
slider.
First. is the location. 1t is a
pretty town, nesting i'm it's
green cup of a valley away from
the smoke and CRIME of coke
ovens and railroad yards. In
strictly business sense, this
is drawback, but i'm an aes-
thetic sense, il adds materially
to the attractiveness of the
place as a residence center.
Strangers often remark on
the wisdom of those who found
ed the town and left such an
abundance Of trees, the fresh.
ness of the foliage and the
green grass proving a restfu'
contrast TO the heat and dust of
city streets and the barenes,
/ Of other towns in the South
west.
Above the town, stern, silent
maiestically beautiful. looms
the SUBMITS of Stone Mountain
. with the great cash from whicl
the town gets its name-Bil
|. Stone Gap. The maguificenc
: of the natural scenery of tn
q Gap has been so often extolle
that further encomiums are III
= necessary. 1t speaks for itself
Statistics are tiresome, bu
/ nevertheless, perhaps YOU d
? not realize what lot of folk
? live within the corpOratio
e limits-sOme three thousand {
more in round numbers. An
Wise county has not more tina
fifty thousand.
They are an industrious PEE
pie, too, and a clean people
Y clean in habits, thought an
e morals They are a charitab
a people, also, both in word ar
! in deed, and not a gossip-lovir
II people.
sr A remarkable fact about Bi
d Stone Gap is the small percen
u age of poor people. "The po
: ye have always with you," it
81 tree, but it is a cieanly, ho
,r est, hardworking class, WI
send their children 20 scho
'r neatly dressed, with C e a
10 hands and faces.
n Speaking of schools, ha
a you ever seens the great, thrt
story, gray stone building wi
st it's big, bright rooms where
c. children are sent to school
- winter and the teachers
30 school in summer? 1t burn
ce down once, but phoenix-li
rose a new building from
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28
(oAL IN VIRGINIA IN 1906.

noted i'm 1906. The maximum
production in 1905 was 4 ,274 ,27I
short tons.
The first bituminous coal
mined in the United States was
taken from what is usually /
termed the Richmond basin, a
small area in the southwestern /
portion Of the State, near the
city of Richmond. This basin |
is situated on the James River,
l3 miles above tide, in Gooch-
land, Henrico, Powhatan, and
Chesterfield counties. The coal
is Of rather low grade as COM
pared with that from other
districts with which it has come
into competition. The mines are
also gaseous, many explosio ms
having occurred in them, and
the production has fallen off
rapidly until now only a small
quantity is mined annually.
The occurrence of coal in this
district was known as early as
100, and W. j. Nicolls, in his
"Story of American Goals,
states that mines were opened
and worked on the James River,
near Richmond. in 1880. This
antedates 10y 10 years the first
reliable record of the use of an
thrcite in Pennsylvania, but
unfortunately Mr.Nicolls does
not give his authority for this
statement. In 1889 shipments
/, of coal were made 20 some of
the northern states, but there is
no record of the amount of coal
produced in the district prior
to 1922, when. according TO Mr.
II. c. Taylor in his Statistics
of Coal, $1,000 short tons wer,
mined. During the latter par
d. of the nineteenth century ex
. pensive but unsuccessful efforts
were made 60 re-establish th'
industry I'm the Richmond field
. The coal, however, could not b
i forced upon the market in com
petition with higher grad
" Goals from other districts, anl
- the small quantity now pro
y duced there is mined for purel.
. local consumption.
The state contains two smaI
outlying basins from the Appa
- lachian fields, one in Frederic
county. at the north, and tn
a other in Pulaski and Montgon
IS cry counties, at the south. l
u both the coal is a semi-anthr;
u cite, but the only cOmmerci;
81 developments have been mad
3, in [ h PulGski-Montgomer
u basin. During 1904 and 1905
er large amount of work was dor
in Montgomery county by IL
Or Virginia Anthracite Coal Con
IN pany, and that county may b
ia come an important produce
Previous TO 1904 all of the co
ed was taken from comparative
IA small mines, the product heir
Mt consumed in I h e immedia
q vicinity.
Ell
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28

debris Of the old. a better, more f
beautiful building iu every
way, where the children are
carefully and conscientiously
taught by a capable and eli
cient faculty with the best all
round school man i'm the State,
possibly. as chief executive.
They are a proud people-the
Big Stone Gapians. They drive
stylish turnouts and own fine
horsehesh and expensive auto
mobiles. Their liveried coach
men would not hold themselves
more proudly ON Fifth Avenue
than they DO i'm Big Stone Gap.
AT the annual Horse Show are
shown no pretuer animals in
the State. and they belong right
here i'm town. too. and IN neigh
boring towns.
The people turn ont a mget
F to see a good game OF baseball.
for the mcn are sports from the
word go. and the women. God
D. bless 'em. love "a good game of
, ball as well as the men do, and
drive their fast horses even
{ better than their lords and
5 masters.
p The people go TO church on
Sundays, as good Christians
, should. and listen decorously G,
S the sermon and contribute gen
D erously 10 the cause of Christ
IA 1t is a matter of pride with tn,
z people that their clergymen arr
e as reluctant to leave them a
e the professional baseball play
d ers who are hired for a season
l. The people live in z O o.
f. houses, some of them as beau
1t tiful homes as can be fOuu'
10 anywhere. The streets are II
= excellent condition, and tn
n stores can supply you with th
or best of whatever you wish Q
"a buy at a reasonable cost.
N A feature of the Gap in whic
her people take a pardonab
o. pride is the beautiful Baseba
- Park with its splendid race
ID track, diamond, and covere
lie grandstand seating over 81
id hundred persons, the convei
x iently arranged eating -hous
lnear the gates, the shade tres
ig and free seats and a Poll,
It Guard in regulation khaki
or see that visitors are unmoleste
is so long as they conduct theI
n selves as law abiding citizen
ho The people of Bristol have
'ol saying that once YOU fall und
u the spell of Beaver Creek, dirt
sluggish little stream that Is
We Bristol ever afterwards has
ee- place in your affections, Al
tn we add that once Big Stc
he Gaps -lute appeal for deserv
in appreciation touches you IN t
to right spot, (and it will be I
Ied right spot if YOU are the rig
Ike sort), you are evermore loyal
The the town and its citizens, a
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28
RAILROAD BUILDING.
COAL FIELDS IN NlR-
GINA.
Ciinchiicld Coal Company Owns One Mil-
lion Acres Coal Lands.

Thomas Fortune Ryan and
his associates in the world OF
finance have on foot "a plan 60
make the Seahoard Air Line
the greatest coal carrying road
i'm the country by opening up
am enormous coal field i'm Vir-
ginia and connecting il with
the Scaboard Air Line by means
Of "a two hundred mile railway
line now being built and known
as the South and Western rail
way.
The news comes with peculiar
force at this time when persis-
tent rumors of "a receivership
+ for the Seaboard Air Line are
abroad and when the earnings
of that road have fallen 20 SO
low AN ebb that for the pas
six months not even fixeC
charges have been paid by
freight and passenger traffic.
{ Despite these conditions tn,
future is bright for the Sea
board.
From a reliable source come
the information that one milliol
acres of coal land have beel
, purchased 10y the Clinchfiel,
, Coal Company, the hOldinI
company for the syndicate i
, which are Messrs. Thomas <
E RYAN Blair, of Blair and com
/ lpany; Norman b. Reams an
= George l.. Carter, Of Virgins
who nominally head the syn
< dicate and president of tn
q South AMI Western Railway
E planned their scheme and er
S giue9red the gigantic deal.
e The road which now has il
o terminus in Russell count
Virginia, is being pushed RAJ
j. idly, is already half finished
). and viii cost when completed I
a Marion. North Carolina, fifi
r million dollars. for the que
tion of expense has not entert
5, into the plans of the financie
a who are behind the movemen
i Despite tight money and
10 called hard times in Wall Sire
d there has been no let up in q
le construction OF the road whi'
le is being built in the most up
at date maoner with low grad
TO aud easy curves, while 6
Id mountains are being tunneil
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28

the longer you remain in the
Gap. the more enthusiastic you
become about the place. and
the prouder 10 claim il as
HOME.
Locate in Big Stone Gap.
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28
at all points to save high mott, Q

end Of Russell county.
runs south through Russell.
Wise and Scott counties. tun-
neiing a mile through the
Clinrh mountains TO the Hols-
ION river. "a hfanc.i ,.ftse Ten
nessee, aud down th.. valley of
the Tennessee to Kingsport.
where "A large town viii he
Quilt. SIX thousand .c es having
heen acquired fcr that purpose.
Tho r"a3 crosses the Southern
l;ailw ~ li,tr so Johnson CITY
suns south up the valley OF
the CLueAN River across
a zap ia the Blue Ridge
maintains and connects with
the S~aboard Air Line at
Marion. North Carolina. from
which point a,l ihe southern
~r"i'"~ts are in easy hauling
distance.
Tn" South anil Western will
open mp with It's main line and
spur tracks the richest and most
extensive coal fields i'm the world
and with unlimited capital be-
hind the undertaking. It is
said, the Scaboard Air Line
will lead all other roads of
America "a a coaler.
The present plan is only the
beginning of the Clinchiield
Company scheme for the con
nection with the Seaboard Air
Line being completed. Itis the
purpose of Mr.. Ryan 20 extend
the road north 70 the Great
lakes by way Of the Ohio river.
where it will connect with the
+ Detroit. Toledo and Ironton
Railway, known as the Zim-
norman route, which is con-
trolled by the Ryan interests.
This is the road which threat
ened two years ago 60 enter the
coal fields controlled by the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.
by building "A bridge across the
, Ohio river thus operating a
short route TO the Great Lakes.
The plan was frustrated by Zim-
merman's lack Of funds and
the road went into the hands
of j. Pierpoint Morgan. who
passed it on TO Mr.. Ryan.
To reach the Ohio. a tunnel
three miles long viii be bored
under Sandy Ridge and the
road will run down the valley
:, of the Sandy river 10 counec
= with the Detroit, Toledo an,
. lronton Railway.
= The million dollar coal fiel,
), which is practically inexhaust
= able, was purchased by tn
:, Ryan syndicate through MI
Carter from the estate of MI
40 Dale Carter of Virginia. fror
the Interstate Coal COmpan
from John II. lnman, of Me-
GO York; the Clydes of Philade
l, phia, and from the native Ian
- owners of Russell and DickeI
a son counties. The plan hs
: been a secret for two year
= Mr.. Ryan's and Mr.. Blair
= names not having been col
:. nected with the deal, all n
a business having been carrie
: on { h Oug h Mr.. George
: Carter whose Offices are
ha Johnson City, but who is
- Virginian, having been born
= Carol county in eighteen hu
dred and fifty.seven.
20 He entered the raj lway 81
80 vice in eighteen hundred al
~ ninety nine as president
q Virginia and Southwester
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28

tlrNeN iii w = - 4
b;ef Statistician, reports that
h total production of coal in
;rginia in 1906 was 4,254 $40
<,ort tons, having a spot value
ii $4.lS3,99l-
Virginia is the only one of
70 important coal producing
s,stes east Of the Mississippi
<bose production in 1906 was
sss than that in 1905. The de-
<-ease. however, was unimpor.
mt amounting to 2O,392 short
sons or onc-half of per cent.
b. value Of the coal produced
suring the year was entirely
satisfactory 90 the operators,
Is the prices advanced 10 cents
H. ton. from IS cents in 1905 90
N cents i'm 1906. and the total
value showed a gain Of Sio6, ,6G6,
n los per cent notwithstand-
h. the decrease in production.
pf the two important coal pro-
fucing counties, Tazewell and
ayise. the production Of the
tormer decreased nearly $4,000
IONS. while that of Wise
bounty increased almost ex-
actlv the same amount. There
Ayas a decrease in the produc-
ion of other counties and of
small mines Of 20,177 short tons,
which was within 2l5 tons OF
he total decrease of the State
The number OF men employed
In le00 was 5,l3l, against $3.50
in 1908. The average number
of working increased from 24l
in 1905 TO $50 days in 1906. Tn,
average production per man in
creased from 1861 tons in 100.
io S29.2 tons in 1906, while tn
average daily production pc
man Increased from $40 ton
90 3.32 tons.
The larger number of miner
n Virginia are unorganized
and the coal.mining operation
are conducted on the basis of
l0-hour day In 1906. 81 mines
employing 1924 men, work i
hours, 3 mines employing -
men, worked g hours. and
comparatively small mines, en-
ploying "a total of l05 mel
worked s hours.
The number of mining ma
chimes in use in the coal mine
Of Virginia Increased from 35
1905 TO 81 in 1906, and the mi
chine-mined product increase
from 399, ,029 short tons TO 424
3i5 short tons, an increase {
1924 tons, or a little over 6 p,
cent.
No strikes or other lab,
troubles have been reported
the coal mines of Virgin
during the last three years.
At the taking of the Unit
States census in 1910 Virgin
was a comparatively importa
coal producing State, the Pie
mont region having been dev,
oped contemporaneously wi
the Maryland fields few yes
before. With the separation
West Virginia from Virgin
IN 1858, the mother State w
deprived of nearly all of i
coal-bearing territory, thou
Its enormous wealth was 1
realized at that time. The p
duction of coal fell off fir,
ii5,l25 short tons in 1862 to
600 tons in 1868, and there "
not much increase over &
output until 1892, when, on
The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1907-08-28

All kinds Of legal blanks for
sale by the Wise printing Com
pany.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07
PO Ii T &c A L
Roots Citizenship Lectures.

Four lectures on the responsibility
of citizenship were delivered by Secre-
tary of State Root at Yale He criti-
cised those citizens who neglected to
take part In the primaries and cleo
tons, saying that their neglect made
opportunity for the demagogue. He
defended the raising and applying Of
large campaign funds In presidential
elections, while admitting that there
may be abuses in connection with It,
He said the great bulk of the fund
was applied to the political education
Of voters and that 1t amounted to
about 315 cents per capita. He warn
ed his hearers not to delude themselves
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07

cltys officials,
and to do this he would work as the
humblest citizen, promising that his
future career would be one of integrity.
He preferred to face u prison sentence
if necessary rather than go through the
ordeal of a trial with the suffering it
would entail upon those nearest and
dearest to him.
When he had finished, District Attor-
ney Langdon took him by the bend
and said, You did a manly thing" as
surfing him that the prosecution would
do all it properly could for him. Ruef's
change of front brought CONSERVATION
into the camp of Mayor Schmitz, as it
meant that the day of immunity was
past Ruef had agreed to go on the
stand, and with his testimony it was
certain that the mayor could be con-
victed. Also it made probable the con-
viction of the rich corporation bribers
who had corrupted the city officials.
Pierce Must Face Trial.
In the federal court, st. Louis, Judge
Adams denied the application of ii.
Clay Pierce, head of the Waters Pierce
Oil company, for a writ Of habeas cor
pus and ordered that he be remanded
to the custody of the chief of police to
be delivered to Sheriff Matthews of
Travis county. Tex, for eXtradition.
indictment charging perjury in an af-
fdavit made in May, 1900, to the effect
that the Waters-Pierce company was
not party to any pool, trust, confed-
Grafton or combination in restraint of
trade. In his decision Judge Adams
| said the conclusion was irresistible
that the indictment contained the sub
stance of an offense and that techni-
calities should not stand in the way of
justice. Pierce, who was in court at
the time of the decision, showed that
he was laboring under great mental
stress, while his attorney, Priest, was
visibly disconnected, as shown by the
trembling Of his hands. Priest gave
notice of two appeals that would be
taken, one to the circuit court of ap-
peals and one to the United States SUI
preme court and Pierce was admitted
to bond in the sum of $4,000.
Prison Yawns For Hummel.
Abraham H. Hummel, who for many
years had an international reputation
as a member of the New York divorce
| firm of Howe & Hummel and who In
1905 was convicted on the charge of
subornation of perjury in the Dodge
Morse divorce scandal, reached the end
of the rope spun out by the laws delay
when Chief Justice Cullen of the New
York court Of appeals denied Hum
mels application for a certificate Of
reasonable doubt as to the validity Of
ed by the appellate division. This
meant, as his attorneys admitted, that
Hummel would have to serve his SEN
tence of one years Imprisonment in
the penitentiary and pay fine of $500.
This Is regarded as a great legal vic
tory for District Attorney Jerome.
who when Hummel was convicted said.
This man and his firm have been a
menace to this community for twenty
years" The case has been remarkabl
for the long fight made by the convict
ed man to escape the penalty by en-
ploying every technical device known
to shrewd lawyers.
Committee Exonerates Serugham.
While the charge of conspiracy
against George II. Scrugham, manager
Of the policy holders committee, was
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07

one of the financial hackers of former
Governor La Toilette. His fortune
was made in the lumber fields of north
western Wisconsin and Michigan. He
established the Milwaukee Free Press
and conducted 1t successfully as a
weapon in his political battles. He
was born In Canada and later lived
In Maine. Early In life he moved to
Wisconsin, where he worked as Il
farm hand and invested his savings in
timber lands.
Brownsville Case Again.
The senate military committee re-
sumed its inquiry into the riot at
Brownsville, Tex, for which the negro
soldiers were dismissed In a body.
Three persons who occupied houses on
the street opposite the garrison on the
night of the riot testified that they saw
or heard negro soldiers leave the post
during the shooting and that some
were shooting as they ran.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07
LEGAL CRIMINAL
San Francisco Boss Pleads Guilty.

San Francisco Boss Pleads Guilty.
Abraham Ruef. who for several years
was known as the real political ruler
of San Francisco and who for several
months has been under close guard
awaiting trial ON the charge of eXtort-
ing protection money from Delmonico's
French restaurant, has changed his
plea from not guilty to guilty. He did
this in a most impressive manner, read
ing in court from a prepared statement
and showing great emotion. He said
the trial had become a threatening
danger to his health and to the health
of his parents and sister, and, although
he protested that he was gultless of
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07
KEEPING TAB
ON THE WORLD

Slow Progress In Getting Hay
wood Jury-Foraker Repudi-
ates Deal In 0hio-Stephenson
to Succeed Spooner In Senate.
Government to Prosecute Har-
riman-BosS Ruef Confesses
All In San FrancisCo-Pierce
Faces TriaI-SociaIistS Win In
Austrian Elections - French
Chamber Sustains Clemenceau
Ministry.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07
Stephenson Elected Senator.

Marinette. Ste
phenson's choice
was then made
unanimous, and
his election to
succeed Sena-
tor Spooner. re-
signed. was as
sured. Stephen
son Is seventy
eight years old.
Out Is StllldS Wig
orous as many
men half his
age. He former
ly served three
terms In the
house of repre-
sentatives an d
later becama
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07

the particular
charge of eX-
tortiOn, he ad-
lnitted he had
connived at cor
ruption and
graft in order
to keep his po-
litical machine
to ge Their. He
proposed now to
do all that he
could to over
throw the sys-
TEN which had
made possible
the terrible cor
ruption of the
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07
World Remuneration.

The world will only be regenerated
by degrees and by reform of human
character, task that will always and
of necessity remain the task of each
and every member of the human race.
Saturday Review.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07
Vanity.

Little Fred-Why is it that women
are always complaining about their
servants? Little Elsie-Oh. that's just
to let people know they can afford to
have 'em.-Chicago News.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07
Prohibition War In Kansas.

The Kansas supreme court has ap-
pointed receivers for the property of
all the breweries In the United States
doing business in Kansas, holding that
the state has right to confiscate all
property of any illegal business. Most
Of the brewers appear to be making
little resistance, but all are giving sup
port to the Anheuser-Busch company
of ST Louis, which is disposed to fight
the order The receivership rule is
based upon the prohibition law which
went into effect in 1881.
Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-06-07

Covetousness swells the principal to
no purpose and lessons the use to all
purposes.-Taylor.