Virginian in 1910--More rumors

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
January 11, 1910

WILL PUT JENNY'S GAP TROUBLE IN SHADE
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Row Brewing Between Norfolk and Western and Virginian--Latter May Not Come to Bluefield

    A prominent Tazewell county man, who also is connected with one of the largest coal companies in West Virginia, said last night that he does not believe that the Virginian Railway will strike Bluefield.  This gentleman, who really is in touch with everything of importance which happens in this section of the Virginias on account of his business connections, added that he does not think the Virginian will come within two and one-half miles of either Graham or Bluefield.  The nearest points according to his belief, will be Brush Fork and Falls Mills.  The route which he believes will be followed is down through Brushy Fork into Falls Mills, through the Walton property, and from there up Mud Fork across to the head of Horsepen and down Horsepen to Beech Creek up the left fork of Indian.  At a point on Indian Creek it will have to tunnel through a mountain of coal similar to the Coaldale tunnel and from the tunnel will get to Dismal Creek where the Marshall Righter property, controlled by George W. St. Clair, will be reached.  It will then go through the property of the Clinch Valley Coal and Iron Company into the Buckhorn Coal property, recently purchased by Huntington capitalists.  From this property it will go on to the Levisa fork of the Big Sandy, opening one of the greatest undeveloped coal fields in the United States.
    Another probable route, which is perhaps more trouble, would go up Slab Fork, down Wright's valley into Baptist valley, following Stony Ridge to Mud Lick, up Mud Lick along the line of the new tram road being built by the C. L. Ritter Lumber company to Whitewood and from there on to Dismal and into the Buchanan coal fields through the Marshall Righter property and as is routed above, in the first story.
    If the Virginian is to come to Bluefield it will be pretty nearly necessary for the chamber of commerce to give credentials to some member or committee and have that member or committee see the Virginian officials and get together.
    Unless all signs are wrong, and the lineups of the directors of the Virginian and the Norfolk and Western are different from what has been thought, there is liable to be a run on between the Virginian and the Norfolk and Western which will put the Jenny Gap tunnel trouble into the shade.  The Dry Fork extension seems to be the main opposition at this time, but it was reported here last night that the Norfolk and Western will not build the extension, as it has not been able to secure the rights-of-way wanted.  The opening up of a new operation by the Pocahontas Consolidated Collieries Company may have something to do with this change of plan, if the plan has been changed.  Norfolk and Western officials claim to know nothing of the plans of the company, although the first information which the Daily Telegraph printed concerning the Dry Fork extension as well as the Tug Fork extension came from an official of the road.
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[Get your topo maps out and try to follow the description of the routes.  Good luck!  As usual, the microfilm was blurred in places so the best intrepretation of names is shown.]

Gordon Hamilton
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