But Houses for Sale JAN 1419?" By Nelson Sorah Staff Writer Residents of West Virginia?s newest city own no houses. Gary, McDowell County, which had its charter of incor- poration accepted by the attor- ney genemal in September of 1970, is owned almost entirely by U. S. Steel. The majority of the company?s coal is moot! there. U. S. Steel owns all houses, the water plant, provides gar- bage pickup and electrical pow- er. It also does all maintenance work to the and pays real estate taxes on them. The steel; company giant initi- ated the mov! to form the city from five small coal towns near its massive coal preparation plant. Those towns are Gary, Wilcoe, Thorpe, Elbert and Fil- hert. U. S. Steel?s reasoning be- hind the incorporation is to alleviate the burden of main- taining the houses and to save . money by not having to pay real estate taxes. The company purchased all land encompassed by the city from the Pocahontas Land Co. and is to sell the houses to residents now renting them. this move, revenues usually expended for mainte- nance, is expected to be saved. In return, the residents can expect l?n?mses at a minimum cost, low water rates because U. S. Steel-is donating the water plain to the city and a rather large city budget because of industrial taxes the company wilt have to pay. For U. S. Steel, the m0ve will mean a vast saving in revenues but to the residents of the area it Was probably the only avenue for them to take in order to maintain their house-keeping functions. Engineers working for U. .8. Steel surveyed and at the ewest. State City I Company Town Dowell County Court for approvMARCH 16, 1970, residents voted to incorporate and elected a seven-member chatter board for the purpose of drafting a elm-tor, which was completed in June of 1970. Under the new Municipal Code of West Virginia passed by the 1969 legislature, the attorney general accepted the charter of incorporation in September. The next step for Gary, origi? nally founded about 1901 when coal was first mined there, is a city election for mayor, recor- der, and five coimci-lmen on Feb. 9. With the deadline for filing Jan. 26, the 2,800 residents of the Class city, haven?t beaten a path to the county clerk?s office to register. With less than 10 days re- maining to file, only one resi- dent has done so. Lloyd John- son of Wilcoe is seeking the First Ward council seat. Also included in the election will be a provision for approval of the charter. If passed, the incorporation takes effect July 1 Of this year. candidates elected aiso take office? at that time. . Although Gary, sebond largest city in McDowell County, is just getting or its feet, it can stake. a claim to being one, of the state?s top five coal producing- cities and if nothing else, home: of the state double-A footballi champions. i 1819 Ohio River Survey Found in FRANKFURT, 'Ky. 'An historic 1819 survey of the Ohio River was uncovered accidental- ly in the secretary of state?s office, and lawyers say it may be used in Kentucky?s river boundary dispute with Ohio boundariesof the city fend the company - petitioned the Me- which is before the U. S. Su- preme Court.