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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tunga>Bluefield Daily Telegraph<BR>December 5,
1909</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>TWO ROADS FIGHTING FOR BUCHANAN COAL</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>Norfolk and Western and Virginian Contesting Every
Inch of Ground--Mate Creek Storm Center</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> Commenting on the increased activity in the
acquiring of coal lands in Buchanan county, a prominent engineer said last night
that the Norfolk and Western and the Virginian Railway interests are fighting
every inch in the Buchanan county fields. Both roads recognize the value
of the undeveloped territory in that section and both are after it. The
Norfolk and Western,it is said, expects to be into the field via Bradshaw, on
the Dry Fork, while it is thought that the Virginian either expects to get in
via Mate Creek or from Matoaka.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> This raises again the question as to who is
really building or intending to build a line from the Island Creek property down
Mate Creek across the Norfolk and Western into the Elkhorn field and other
valuable fields in that section. Two sets of engineers have been working
and as they leave no marks on their stakes it is hard to tell just who they
are. The engineers have found that each one's route crosses the other and
this has added to the muddle to such an extent that although the men higher up
may know, the Virginian has never showed its hand as yet. From Elmore east
the road has a trunk line, but from Mullens to Deepwater the road has only a
railroad track. It is the evident intention of the Virginian to go down
the Guyan river to some point where it will connect up with the Island Creek
property and from there get into Huntington. The Deepwater charter called
for a fifty-mile branch down to Guyan river, but a connection with the Island
Creek property and railroad would give the Virginian direct connection with the
Chesapeake and Ohio and thereby an entrance into Huntington over the Guyan
Valley line. From the line down the Guyan the road could throw out branch
lines which could tap a great deal of coal land. The presence of the men
of H. H. Rogers as a factor at Swords Creek would make it appear that the road
intends to join up with the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio, which roads Edwin
Hawley is reported to be after. It really looks as if the real heart of
the whole affair is located at Mate Creek. While everything would tend to
show that other sections are being taken into consideration, Mate Creek looks as
if it is the eighteenth hole. The whole golf links will have to be gone
around before the John D. crowd drive that ball into the last hole and walk to
the club house.</DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=left>[<EM>The last part of this article makes one think that the
reporter missed not being able to play golf in December. The mouth of the
only Mate Creek that I know of is at Matewan, some nine railroad miles east
of Williamson. With Pike County Kentucky across the Tug River from
Matewan, Mate Creek seems to be a unlikely route to Buchanan County,
Virginia. Also, the upper reaches of Mate Creek would be hard for the
Virginian to access from the Guyandotte (aka Guyan) River at
Gilbert. Any thoughts on this?</EM>]</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=6 face=Script>Gordon
Hamilton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>