Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-08-26
EARLY HISTORY
OE POCAHONTAS
Difficulties Under Which First
Coal Was Mined from Nos. !
and 2, and Men Who Start
ed the Big Mines.

(The following article is from Il
special edition 'of the Richlands
News, dated. July 4, 1892, and kind
ly loaned to us by Mr.. c. f. Frazier,
of Graham. Mr.. Frazier lived at
Pocahontas, his father being one of
the pioneers of that town whose
family was one of the most highly
respected in the community.
''In March, 1882 other fixtures
were received, and placed in the
temporary office to be used by the
superintendent, who at once moved
in, within the following staff as aids:
Mr.. C. w. Bolton. Of Prospect, Pa,
draughtsman and architect, Mr.. Jnv.
Spots, of Tazewell, accountant ano
paymaster. Mr.. Bolton planned and
supervised the work of putting up
the first tipplc over which the coal
mined from Nos. l and 2 veins Were
to be screened. During this time WI.
had to be content with what We
could procure from adjoining farms
to eat. The variety was limited an,
SO was the quantity. The nearest
r. r. facilities were found at Salt
vile, 81 miles away, and over rug
ged mountains and rough roads; IL
was 90 miles to Wytheville, another
r. R. town. Freight was freightcd
over on two four, six and sometimes
8 horse wagons. All money to pay
expenses of development to purchase
supplies for the necessaries of life
was carried from Wythcville OH the
back of horse; the parties from
whom land and timber were bought
would not accept checks, such mooe
of payment being new to them and
would not pass current. The inhabi-
tants of Stony Ridge of the Tug
Fork or Sandy had no desire to take
written check for their property,
it mattered not how solvent the bank
upon which drawn, or responsible
the drawee might be. it was 10 good.
The pay roll of the company would
sometimes amount to as high as
$4,000 in n month, so the reader
can easily see that it was not pleas
ant to carry that quantity of legal
tender of the u. S. over wild coun-
try.
"Flour, corn, meal and bacon were
high in figures, and vegetables in
proportion. A supply house for hold.
ing the necessaries purchased was
built at the mines on Coal Brancr.
and here the workmen repaired when
their larders became low and re-
pleD ished their bins. In the month
of October, 1881, there was a meet
ing Of the stockholders of the S. W.
Va. Improvement Co., at Dublin, in
Pulaski County to perfect their or
ganization. At this meeting Mr.. Ed
ward Il. Steele was elected Presl-
dent and Mr.. Edward J. Collins sec
retary, both being citizens Of Phil
.adelphia, and gentlemen of fine bua-
iness ability. The main Offices of the
company were in Philadelphia.
In the spring of 1883 the company
opened out with general merchandise
in one of it's new cottages, with w.
O. Davies of st. Paul, Minn., stol Z
keeper, and regular or cheaply con"
:structed boarding house was reared
near the present freight station, now
used as tenement house, and is ii
fitting morument to the pioneer days
of Pocahontas.
During the lapse of this period
work was steadily pushed in the
mine entries, gangways and air
courses were opened until about 40,
600 tons of coal had accumulated i'll
the Coal Branch Valley, where 1t
was dumped as rapidly as taken
from the mines. With such rapidity
was this branch of work carried OF
that in few months the valley waI
filled with the carbon and space was
at a premium. Then came in forced
suspension of the work for a short
-