The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1913-01-02
LET US STRIVE
FOR BETTER THINGS
PUBLIC HEARING
AT CATLETTSBURG
In Reference to the Big Sandy Inn
provement.

The public hearing held in Cat
lettsburg, Ky, on Monday of this
week by the committee of expert
enced engineers composed OF Col
Dan C. Kingman, Col. Newcomer
and Maj Rand, under the direction
OF the War Department of the u. S.
Government, for the purpose OF
gathering information to enable the
War Department to decide as to
whether to continue the improve
ment of the Tug and Levisa forks of
Big Sandy River, was SO well attend
ed by the prominent citizens Of both
valleys and the towns and cities To-
Gated adjacent thereto, that the
court room in the Federal building
was filled to its seating capacity.
The meeting was called to order
promptly at IL o'clock, central
standard time, by Col. Kingman and
the object of the hearing fully and
distinctly stated ia the most concise
ana QtRHlHeuT IlduucI.
Col. j. II Northup, of Louisa, in
troduced the chosen representatives
Of each delegation, every county,
city and town OF any Importance in
this region having delegation pres
ent
The representatives of the various
delegations presented the facts, hg-
ures and arguments regarding the
advantages and disadvantages OF the
completion OF slackwater navigation
or the Big Sandy and It's tributaries.
We have not the names of all the
gentlemen who addressed the COM
mittee and meeting but notably our
two old standby congressman, James
A. Hughes and John w. Langly, who
have spent years Of energy working
for this cause, made excellent ad-
dresses. Congressman Fields, OF
the 9Th Kentucky district, was pres
ent gathering data to present to Ri
vers and Harbors Committee OF con-
gress. but did not make an address.
The two papers which attracted
most attention were the one present.
ed by Col. c. Crane of Cincinnati,
who addressed himself principally TO
the lumber and timber development
prospects of this region and the one
presented by Judge Everett LeftWich
or behalf of the Mingo county dele
CATION and which is published in fun
on the front page Of this issue and
which addresses itself especially to
the coal interests
When dinner time arrived it was
announced that everybody present
were to be the guests Of Col. Crane
at the Alger House where good
dinner was served.
After dinner everybody returned
to the Federal court room and the
hearing continued until late in the
afternoon.
Representatives of both the Nor
folk & Western and Chesapeake &.
Ohio Ry., companies were present
aid filed statements to the effect
that they could and would take care
CT all the TeiSHL lhdt~"ouiu 49,
iginate in these two valleys.
This last statement is no doubt
true IL they are to continue to be al
lowed to retard the development OF
this region by car shortages and
high freight rates.
The committee of government en-
gineers left Tuesday for Savannah,
carrying with them the thanks of all
the delegates present for the courte-
Gus and patient manner in which
thew heard the tedious figures and
perhaps little less tedious arguments
OF our people anxious as they are to
see this work pushed along rather
than be discontinued.