hyams became an investment banker based in boston, and specialized in natural resources. he was responsible for the growth of such companies as the anaconda mining company. in the early twentieth century, he was the principal financial manager for the construction of the deepwater railway in west virginia and the tidewater railway in virginia, which were combined in 1907 to form the virginian railway (vgn), completed in 1909. the new railroad, ostensibly headed by coal mining manager william nelson page of ansted, west virginia, was financed almost entirely from the personal fortune of a silent partner, industrialist henry huttleston rogers, a native of fairhaven, massachusetts. it opened up major new areas of bituminous coal in some of the most rugged terrain in southern west virginia for shipment to hampton roads, where a new coal pier was built at sewell's point.