Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-04-01
BIG LAND DEAL
HAS BEEN CLOSED
Pennsylvania Capitalists Take Over In
menS0 Boundary Of Valuable Tim
Der and Mineral Lands In
Russell and Buchanan
Counties

The immense timber deal which was
reported some time ago as having been
consummated between lumber capital
lists of Pennsylvania and the owners of
timber lands on Lewis Creek, in Russell
county, and in Buchanan county, has at
last been closed
For some time Messrs. w. H. Crock
EFT and A. P. Pearly, of Williamsport,
Pa, the gentlemen interested in the
deal, have been looking over the terri
tory and taking options on the timber
lands and right-of-way for the railroad.
The plans have now fully matured and
the company will commence to carry
them out Immediately.
Boundaries of fine timber containing
about 25, 900 acres have been purchased
and standard guage railroad will be
built from Honaker into the timber dis
trict for the purpose of moving it to
their large band mills which will be To-
Gated at Honaker, in Russell county.
Work will be commenced on the railroad
within the next fifteen or twenty DAYS.
The road will be from thirty to forty
miles in length, including sidings. 1t
will traverse some of the finest coal
fields in Southwest Virginia, and it will
be matter of only a short time until
this coal will be developed.
The company will place three large
band mills at Honaker, all under one
roof, with capacity of $50, 900 feet per
day, to cut this vast quantity of timber.
Twenty-six acres of land have been
leased upon which to set the mills. and
ten acres purchased in fee upon which
to build houses for their operators and
employees. Planning mills, dry kilns,
pulp mills, etc, will be run in connec-
tion with the plant that every stick of
timber of any size may be utilized and
turned into the channels of commerce.
The entire works, including logging
camps, etc, will furnish employment to
about 500 men.
The company now has under its con-
troll timber enough to cut five hundred
million feet, and it is estimated that it
will require about twenty years 70 cut
it.
The railroad will tap the Norfolk and
Western at the east end of the town of
Honaker, which will require the putting
through of heavy cut running parallel
with the N. & w. for a short distance.
1t will pass under the Norfolk and West
ern through the Lewis Creek archway,
go up this creek, through the Lewis
Low Gap into Buchanan county, thence
on to Russells Fork of Big Sandy river
to the mouth Of Indian Creek. The
road has been located up Lewis Creek
on a grade of II per cent, and the re-
mainder on a very low grade. AS il
will pass through inexhaustible Goa
beds with veins several feet in thick
ness, it will make the section through
which it passes a veriteble hive of in
dustry. Coal may be delivered at bot
the northern and southern terminus, a
the road in the near future will b
forced to connect with the Carolina
Clinchfield and Ohio at the northern ter
minus. When the coal development
commences, business interests will de
mand that this be done, while at tn
southern terminus ct Honaker it vii
act as splendid feeder for the NorfolI
and Western. For domestic and steam
purposes this coal is said to be unsur
passed.
Land values are rising in Honaker
lots and streets being laid off, investor.
f1ocking in, and it is confidently predict
ed that city will spring up at that
place within the next few years.
This will he one of the largest timber
operations in the State, and is backed
by men experienced in this line, with
millions of capital at their command
The building of the road alone will scat
ter thousands of dollars among the peo
pie of this section. while the large pay
roll of the company after it gets in op
Grafton will mean prosperity to hundred.
of families and business in general will
receive an impetus that will be felt al
over this section of Southwest Vir
ginia.