Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-12-04
MANGANESE MINES
TO BE REOPENED
PoweIls Fort Development Will Be
Pushed--New Jersey Capitalists
Interested-Best Ore i'm U. S.

In statement issued by interest
ed parties it is generally understood
that the manganese mines in tn
Powells Fort Valley will be reopen
ed and the high grade product fror
these celebrated mines will again b
placed on the market
During the world war the almos
chemically pure manganese iron
these mines was used by the Ma
tional Carbon Company and to tn
extent of being the chief source o
supply of this rare metal Shenan
doah County contributed largely il
winning the worlds war.
The statement as issued by tn,
Corporation is as follows:
Negotiations have been completed
whereby the Powells Fort mangan
csc property of 631 acres. at Powell,
Fort on Massanutten mountain, ha.
passed to the control of Virginia
Manganese Corporation.
AS a result. definite announce
ments were made this week that ope
rations will be started Immediately
and men are already at work repair.
ing the mill and other buildings
preparatory to mining without de-
lay.
The Virginia Manganese Corpora
ton is controlled by a group of New
Jersey and Pennsylvania mining
men. headed By Barnet Katz. presi-
dent of the Katz Building & Con-
struction Company. of Jersey City,
N. ]. Mr.. Victor Petriella, first
president is the controlling head
of the Hudson Tile and Marble
Company of Newark, n. j., and Mr.
Harry Coplan, second vice-president
is engaged in the anthracite mining
fields of Pittston, Penna The sec
retary-treasurer is Mr.. John E. Fos-
ter, for many years executive head
of several coal mining companies in
the Pennsylvania anthracite fields.
Mr.. j. Carson Anderson will be
connected with the new company as
chief engineer and superintendent
of operations.
vice-president Petriella, who will
remain here mill production is
started says it was the high quality
of the ore deposits that made the
development of the Powells Fort
property advisable.
THE condition of the steel mar
ket," says Mr.. Foster, secretary
treasurer. and the steadily increas-
ing rail orders and orders for other
finished steel products, necessitates
the production of manganese ore on
a large scale to supply part of the
great demand Russian and Brazil
ian ore cannot be depended upon
with regularity, partly because OF
the unstable conditions in Russia
and inefficient mining methods in
Brazil When ore finally does ar
rive at our shores, it is not uniform
in character and seldom two ship
ments reveal the same quality.
There is no question but what
IL WI ~ OF nc
deposits greatly superior to foreign
ores and it is our intention to push
production speedily. New tunneline
will be started within a few days
which will cut virgin deposits to {
depth sufficient to keep the mil
supplied night and day"
The property was formerly ope
rated under lease by the Nationa
Carbon Company who discontinued
activities following the signing o
the armistice.
The buildings are now being re
paired, and the mill machinery il
being overhauled by A. X. Thomp
son, a mechanical expert, for man.
years connected with the Corn Pro
ducts Company as master mechani
and for eight years chief engineer oil
British vessel.
Both common and skilled labor i
being engaged at the mines daily AM
the houses are being equipped t
feed and house the men employed
AS soon as mining operations ar
started two shifts will be employee,
to increase production, for the com
pany is now being beseeched for it
output by several steel corporations