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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tunga>Bluefield Daily Telegraph<BR>January 11,
1910</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>WILL PUT JENNY'S GAP TROUBLE IN
SHADE</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>Row Brewing Between Norfolk and Western and
Virginian--Latter May Not Come to Bluefield</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> 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.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> 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.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> 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.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> 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.</DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=left>[<EM>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.</EM>]</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=6 face=Script>Gordon
Hamilton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>