172 



CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES. 



operations in the city of Charleston, Mr. Samuel Stephenson 

 gives the following specific information: 



^'In regard to the early operations in Charleston, Kanawha 

 county, I desire to say that there were a great many large mills 

 located here at one time which have long since ceased operation. 



' ' The Bibby mill was one of the oldest mills operated in this 

 city. It was built a great many years ago and had a sash saw. 

 Later a circular saw was put in its stead. This mill was operated 

 until a few years ago. 



"The Woodruffs owned and operated a mill from about 1872 

 to 1878. This was a large circular mill^ capacity from 20,000 to 

 80,000 feet per day. The principal lumber manufactured and 

 sawed at that time was walnut and poplar. 



"Manley and Frailkill had a circular saw mill, capacity 15,- 

 000 to 20,000. They operated from 1874 to 1880 ; walnut being 

 the principal timber manufactured. 



"Behjmier operated a circular saw mill from 1874 to 1882. 



''In 1882 J. R. Huffman, the inventor of the band mill, built 

 and operated two band mills within the city. One of these mills 

 is still standing but doing no business. 



''The Devereaux Lumber Company o^vned and operated a 

 large band mill built about 1880 and run until 1904, when it was 

 torn down and moved to Mississippi. This mill perhaps cut 

 more timber than any other mill that operated in the city. 



"Since the building of the Coal and Coke railroad up the 

 Elk river most of the mills have quit business as their log supply 

 could not easily be maintained. 



"These are some of the oldest mills which operated exten- 

 siveb/ from 1875 to 1905. A great deal of timber which came 

 out of the Elk river valley, from Kanawha coumty and from 

 points farther up, was rafted and floated to Gallapolis and Cin- 

 cinnati where it was manufactured. The dates given in regard 

 to these early operations may be a little off, but in the main they 

 are correct." 



J. H. Diss Debar, Author of "The West Virginia Hand Book i 

 and Immigrant's Guide" published in 1870, speaks as follows of 

 a company that operated in Charleston : 



"A company of enterprising Pennsylvanians, with a capital 

 of $300,000 under the corporate style of "The Elk River Land, 



