The gold leaf., 1909-11-04

ny taC DuiiQcIS, IN Wldny
Respects One of the Most
Remarkable Railroads in the
United States.
By Charles j. Harkrader.
Bristol. Va. Tenn, Oct. 29.-The |
Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Rail-
road, the completion of whith from
Dante, Va, to Spartanburg, s. c.,
was observed by the celebration in
that city today, is in many respects
one OF the most remarkable roads in /
the United States. Though now only |
little more than two hundred miles |
in length, this road has cost nearly |
as much as an ordinary railroad a
thousand miles long 1t is being built |
by a syndicate headed by Thomas
Fortune Ryan, OF New York, and it's
construction is expected to solve the |
fuel problem in the South in a large |
measure.
The Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio |
Railroad is a pet project OF Thomas |
F. Rayan's, which the public knows
little about, though it is said to have |
cost more than $50, 900, 900 already.
Its construction was begun only a |
few years ago, and it now extends |
through Southwest Virginia, East |
Tennessee and Western North Carroll
ma to Spartanburg, s. c., and will be |
built to the SouthAtlantic seaboard. |
The Clinchfield railroad taps the
famous "Clinchfield" coal district OF
Virginia and extends back into the |
Eastern Kentucky fields. The 'Clinch-
field" district, yet untouched is be-
lieved to be one OF the richest coal
fields in the world, and competent
geOlogists estimate that it will yield
a thousand car loads OF coal o day
for a thousand years. This gives
some idea of the almost inexhausti-
bility of the fuel resources OF the
country. This district contains some
thing like three hundred million cars
of bituminous coal, and most of this
fuel underlies the 300, 900 acre tract
Of coal land owned by the Clinchfield
Coal Corporation, an allied corpora
tion of the Carolina, Clinchfield &
Ohio Railroad, and both subsidiaries
OF the Cumberland Corporation OF
New York.
The Clinchfield is built through
what is admittedly the toughest
mountain country east OF the Rock
les, and the idea of q railroad pene-
trating this mountain wilderness had
been hooted at until George l.. Car
ter, president of the road and origi-
nal promoter, took it up. Mr.. Carter
is now fast taking rank with the
great railroad builders of the coun-
try. Like James J. Hill OF the Great
Northern, he began his career with
nerve and foresight as his greatest
assets, and like Henry NJ. Flagler OF
the Florida East Coast, he has dared
the impossible and by sheer dint OF
dollars and skill has overcome it.
From an engineering standpoint,
the Ryan-Carter railroad is most re-
markable. The marvel Of it is that
it has been carried over and through
the Blue Ridge, rising from less than
1,5OO feet to more than 5000 feet
above the sea level, within few miles,
and maintaining a maximum grade
of only one-half OF l per cent, with
such reduction OF curvature that a
single engine can pull train OF sixty
heavily loaded freight cars.
The new railroad traverses one OF
the most picturesque mountain sec
tions in the East. Along the line
from Altapass, N. C., tho Marion, N.
g., is one continuous panorama OF
scenery that blends the beautiful to
u degree found nowhere else in the
world. From johnson City, Tenn,
the line penetrates beautiful valley,
dotted with white farm houses and
fianked by forest covered mountains.
To build this road required nerve
and millions, coupled with the high
est order OF ability. George L. Car
ter, who conceived the scheme and
had himself amassed a large fortune
in coal property and mineral opera
tions in this section, bought the old
bankrupt "Three C's.," extending
from johnson City, Tenn, a few miles
into North Carolina, which has been
thoroughly rebuilt and now forms
an important link in the new trunk
line
Nf. Carter possessed much money
himself, but not enough by any means
to build the road he had planned.
He saw the money kings Of New
York. The engineers made their re-
ports. saying that it would cost an
almost fabulous sum to build the
road, and almost as much as would
be necessary to build an average
railroad a thousand miles in length.
The money men would have none Of
it. To build a road strait through
the toughest mountain section Of the
Appalachian system was too big
even for Wall Street TO tackle. But
he was undaunted. He persisted.
and it is said that he spent nearly
81 900, 900 out Of bis own pocket to
get help. Upon his own responsibility
be bought 300, 600 acres of coal land
in the Ciinchfield district. Its value
could BE- realized only Oh the con-
struction OF the proposed railroad.
He secured experts to make esti-
mates He saw that the world was
consuming coal at the rate Of about
six billion tons year and that there
must be more fuel. He got options
on much more virgin coal property.
The overs gave them without hesita-
tion, as they had given options be
fore and no sale had resulted.
With the coal property clinched,
Mr.. Carter obt aimed data that caused
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