Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-06-22
The c. & 0. and GIinehfeId.

u
velopment of the coal field of the Clinch
and destined to be eventually the great
est, the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio
Railway IS of peculiar interest to every
one IN this section. For some time
there has been rumors that the road
would pass into the hands of one of the
trunk lines and the following editorial
from the Richmond Times Dispatch of
last Thursday would Indicate that the
Z. & 0. Railroad were the ones for
tunate enough to secure it. While
many might wish the Clinchfield had
been secured by those more closely con
nected with the development Of this
particular section there need be no fear
but that the G. & o. will handle it to
develop the section it traverses and in
deed It Will be big advantage to the
Y & y. IN giving them an outlet to the
South Atlantic Seaboard and a chance
to participate in the benefits of the
Panama Canal. let it be hoped the
Elkhorn-Dante connection will soon be
built and the Clinchfield become q trunk
line indeed.
The article from the Times-Dispatch
follows:
Edwin Hawley, of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad, was in Spartanburp
last Sunday on his way back to New
York, after tour of inspection over
the line of the Carolina, Clinchfeld and
Ohio Railroad, which now runs from
Dante, Virginia, to Spartanburg. he
was accompanied in his inspection of
this railroad and its enormous coal
properties at Dante by Frank A. Van
derllp, President George w. Stevens.
Vice President Decatur Axtell, Frank
Irumbull and other directors of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and by
number of other influential factors in
the development of this immensely val
liable property. All the indications are
that the Chesapeake and Ohio will buy
the Clinchfield Railroad and operate It
and its coal properties, yet Mr.. Hawley
would not admit that anything had been
done and Mr.. Stevens was silent as the
grave.
1T is known that the Chesapeake
and Ohio are now building railroad
from Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to Dante.
Virginia, distance of thirty-five miles,
through very rough country, nearly
all mountains and solid rock, and it is
not like the Chesapeake and Ohio to
build road thirty-five miles long to
reach places like Dante where there is
a very nice hotel, and, counting the peo-
pie who are not engaged in taking out
the coal, population of probably fiftv
or one hundred people. The Clinchfield
Railroad is 243 miles long. 1t was
built at an enormous cost, and is prob
ably one of the greatest ttiumphs of
railroad construction in this country.
certainly east of the Rocky Mountains.
1t was built for the purpose mainly of
getting the coal out of the ClinchfieId
reaches. An immense quantity of coal
has been taken out of the mines at
Dante, and put on the market. The
coal Is of a particularly good quality
Last week one of the largest cotton
manufacturers in upper South Carolina
spoke In very high terms of the quality
of this coal, and of the advantage with
which 1t had been used by manufactur-
ers IN that part of the country. The
Cilnchfleld people who own the coal
fields also largely own the railroad. and
are doutless interested in the Che sa-
peake and Ohio property. The building
of the Elkhorn link and the purchase or
lease of the Clinchfield road would give
the Chesapeake and Ohio an immense
advantage in handling through traffic
from Chicago and the Lakes to Charles
ton, Savannah, Jacksonville and other
Southern shipping points. The Clinch-
Held people already own valuable termi.
mails at Charleston and plans have been
made for the largest possible develop
ment of these terminals. The opening
OF the Panama Canal would give the
Chesapeake and Ohio people great ad.
vantage in handling immense carpoes
for the Isthmus and the South Ameri.
can trade by the Clinchfield Road apc
through the port of Charleston-tht
nearest port to Panama on the Atlantic
Coast.
1--WE have not the least doubt that tn,
Chesapeake and Ohio people have Sc
cured the lease or ownership of tn,
Clinchtield Road, and there is nothins
of which they should be ashamed of i
they have done such thing. What W,
cannot understand is why they shoul
not talk about it when they are aske,
about it, because the people are a
much interested in the development O
the commercial and industrial South a
the Chesapeake and Ohio people posi-
bly, can be.