Virginian in 1909--Winding Gulf

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
July 25, 1909

VIRGINIAN FEEDERS TO BE CONSTRUCTED
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Seven New Branches to Furnish Coal Tonnage to New Road--Twenty-Eight miles of New Track

    Beckley, W. Va.,  July 24--No more auspicious event ever occurred in the history of the industrial development of Raleigh than the location and construction of the Virginian Railway by that man of magnificent integrity, H. H. Rogers.
    Now that the main line of that great road has been constructed, the building of laterals will be carried on in accordance with the plans of the dead captain of industry.
    No county in the State is destined to profit by reason of these contemplated improvements more than the county of Raleigh.  With her great areas of coal and timber within easy reach of the new road this could not will otherwise.  On last week [Microfilm indistinct.  Best interpretation shown.] there was filed with M. J. Newtown, county clerk of the County of Raleigh, eight profile maps, seven of which show proposed branch lines of the Virginian that will be constructed in the immediate future.  Those laterals will open up some of the richest coal deposits to be found in the United States.  The eighth map is a revised location of the Winging Gulf branch now well along toward completion.  The seven branch lines shown on these maps will come into the Winding Gulf branch at different points above Mullens.
    Each map is accompanied by a typewritten statement of the proceedings of a meeting of the board of directors of the Virginian Railway, held at No. 26 Broadway, in New York city, on December 14, 1908.  Each statement is to the effect that the vice-president, Mr. Raymond DuPuy laid before the board a profile map of a certain proposed branch line railway with the recommendation that the said location be adopted and the branch constructed.  It is in each case further shown that these locations were upon motion, duly seconded, adopted, and the vice president authorized, empowered and directed to acquire by purchase, condemnation or otherwise, the necessary rights of way for the construction of said branch lines and report to the board.
    The proposed lines have an aggregate mileage of approximately 28 miles, all of which will be in Raleigh county, except a part of the Devil's Fork branch, which will be partly in Wyoming.
    These roads with their approximate lengths are as follows:
    Stone Coal branch, 3 miles long.
    Laurel Fork extension of Stone Coal branch, 4 miles.
    Devil's Fork branch, 6 miles.
    Upper Stone Coal branch, 2 miles.
    East Fork extension of the Upper Winding Gulf branch, 1 mile.
    Tommy [Microfilm indistinct. Best interpretation shown.] Creek branch, 4-1/2 miles.
    Piney Creek extension of the Winding Gulf branch, 8 miles.  This line will leave the Winding Gulf branch at Pemberton and will parallel the Raleigh & Southwestern for at least two miles, the latter now leaving two miles of road on Piney in operation above Pemberton.  The Sullivan Coal & Coke Company have a mine in operation at the present terminus of the Raleigh & Southwestern.  The Winding Gulf branch beginning at Mullens and ending at Pemberton, will have a mileage, exclusive of the proposed branch lines, of 23-1/2 miles.  This taken with the lines now to be built will give the Virginian a total mileage of over fifty miles above Mullens, traversing a territory every foot of which is underlaid with coal of an exceptionally fine quality.  The Winding Gulf branch alone is capable of making the Virginian a great coal carrying road.
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Gordon Hamilton
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