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One of the Largest and Most Valuable Iron Ore Tracts in the United States. The Douthat Survey of 102,000 Acres in Bath and Alleghany Counties, Va. On the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.
Philadelphia: S. T. Altemus and Matthew Semple, 1889. 8vo (8.5” x 5.5”), printed wrappers. 26 pp., hand-colored folding map, 33.25” x 15”. Early pencil notes on wrappers. CONDITION: Good, some wear at upper edge of front wrapper, some pages folded, occasional marginal tears. A promotional pamphlet with a large folding map of lands boasting “the finest body of iron ore in Virginia,” and proposing a railroad through timber-rich and arable territory. The map depicts and advertises the lands of the Douthat Survey, lying between the Allegheny Mountains and the Cowpasture River in western Virginia, mostly owned by S. T. Altemus and Matthew Semple, Trustees of the Douthat Property. The map presents their holdings as rich in iron ore, and the prospectus assures investors that “the references to…ore deposits on the map are only in part and where openings have been made. There is considerable iron ore in other sections of the tract not shown.” Also identified on the maps are extensive stands of timber, including white oak, “chestnut oak,” and poplar. A proposed railroad extends from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad through most of the tract, running north and east along Wilson’s Creek through a particularly timber-rich section of the Survey. Most of the land bordering that proposed railroad was not claimed by the Trustees, but there was some available near the South Fork of Wilson’s Creek, Chestnut Ridge, and the White Oak forest. Another rail line, leased to the “Alleghany Iron Mountain Company,” connected about two thousand acres of the mines in the western Territory to the C&O Railroad. Most of the land bordering the Company’s railroad was claimed and offered by the Trustees. The text assures investors that the ore in the region is of high quality, that a furnace company is already established with five furnaces within a short distance of the Douthat Survey, and that “railways and tramways can be constructed very cheaply throughout the property, which would bring the mining operations in direct connection with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company. Experts who have seen the property all pronounce it to be the finest body of ore in Virginia.” Together with the abundance of timber—including two varieties of oak and white pine—and “excellent” farming land, the Trustees proclaim that “the property is exceedingly desirable for any large iron enterprise. Its store is inexhaustible, its location is within a short distance of the sea board, and its arable land and timber make it one of the most valuable tracts of land. Each railroad improvement seems to be bringing it in closer communication with the coal districts…it has everything to make it worthy of the most careful consideration of an investor.” The text includes a “Report on the Douthat Survey” by mining engineer W. S. Hungerford supporting the Trustees’ bold claims. This appeal evidently attracted quite a few investors. A report published in the Staunton Vindicator in early December, 1889, noted that “the land transactions…in the last two weeks have been large, and the sales have been made to parties likely to develop them. The largest side is that of the Douthat Survey…85,00 acres of this [102,000 acre property] was sold to Peter McLaren, a millionaire of Perth, Ontario, Canada, for $300,000. The cash payment was $100,000—the remainder in one, two and three years, with the privilege of anticipating the payments…The property was granted to Robert Douthat by the Commonwealth of Virginia, in 1795, and at the time of the sale [to McLaren] was held by Samuel T. Altemus and Ma[t]thew Semple of Philadelphia, trustees. The attention of the Canadian millionaire was directed to the property by…Harry Merry of Lowmoor, himself a well-posted and experienced iron man.” Trustee Samuel T. Altemus (1814–1891) was a Philadelphia notable, employed for much of his life as a general merchant. In 1844, he and his brother Joseph Altemus established the Altemus bookbindery, known for its high quality bindings. They were primarily involved in binding devotional works, children’s books, and educational texts. According to an advertisement in the Democratic Messenger in June 1882, the other Trustee, Matthew Semple, was the owner of Matthew Semple and Company, “Commission Merchants and Dealers in Evaporated Fruits and Canned Goods,” including dried broom corn, berries, etc. He was also a seller of automatic fruit evaporators. REFERENCES: “SALE OF THE DOUTHAT SURVEY, FOR $300,000,” Staunton Vindicator, Dec. 6, 1889; “Celebrated Automatic Fruit Evaporator, Four Sizes. Special Size for Farmers,” Democratic Messenger, June 10, 1882; Johnson, Mary Park. “An Inventory of the Joseph T. Altemus Bookbindery, Philadelphia, 1854,” The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 80, No. 2, pp. 179–191.
Item #7597
Price: $950.00
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