Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-09-18
For tie Register.
Correspondence.

Mr. DEAR StR tin compliance with
promise heretofore made you, will, from
time 10 time, give you my ideas OF the
advantages. geographically, and come
mercfally. of Western Virginia, its re.
sources, and its wants. In SO doing how
over, should my views be thought novel,
or nv suggestions premature, / wish to
acouit YOU In advance Of any responsible
ity for them. Myself Yirginian by
birth and associations. you will readily
pardon me should ]. lin my Eeal=for the
adyancemento Of the interests OF my ma
Tive State, express myselfin too sanguine-
! 3 msnner Witt reference 70 the resources,
and the undeseloPsd strength Of our glo; !.
tious old commonwealth, and Of the
same time, should I reflect harshly. o..
bear too hardly. on our apathy and indo:
lenee as a people. ] know that you will
attribute ii TO The right cause. ssT
The, term "Weslern, Virginia" is gen.
orally applied 10 the portion Of the State
lying West Of The main range Of the AL
leghanies although properly. both on &C.
count gifts geographical and commercial
interests, il should include al that coun-
try lying, West Of the Blue Ridge, com.
pretending within its limits the rich Val.
ley of the Shenandoah, emphatically cal
led 1.-The Valley in Virginia" which is
necessarily interested, and that to a large,
extent, in the prosperity or the failure of
any steps that may be undertaken by us.
in working out our own ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
The great use which has been made of
late years, of Railroads, in the inter.com>
mun:casion between the different parts Of
our wide domain, and the certainty that
on the judicious sustenance and nurture
of that mode. or an analogous one, Of
traffic, fully justifies me in the assertion,
that the untold, but heretofore unavail-
able wealth Of the larger portion Of the
lands lying in the greatvalley Of the Mis-.
sissippi, can only be made subservient to
the purposes Of humanity and civilization,
by some such means.
/ A glance at any good Railroad map
will exhibit the fact that heretofore the
attention of Railroad operations in the
United States has been mainly directed
10 the construction of great lines of COM
munication between the East and the
West. for the purpose of transporting the
produce OF the valley Of the Mississippi.
and more particularly the valley OF the
Ohio. 10 Atlantic Tide Water 10 the neg
lect of an interest certainly not less impor-
tant, tina. is, speedy and direct inter-
change Of commodities between the North
and the Soulh-the manufacturing and
the producing regions. But careful ex-
animation of the map will also shew that
but few comparatively short links OF
road are wanting (from Pnrkersburg,
south, and from The extension OF the
Il. ES.lJ ID Il Is, \
an unbroken line Of Railroad from Buffa-
10 and the great Lakes, extending Gems
trally through the United States, to Mo-
bile and New Orleans.
When such missing links shall be sup.
piled, and tho Cotton and other like pro-
auctions of Tennessee, Alabama, Missis.
sippi, &C., seek the shortest route from
the field where they are grown, 10 the
mills where they are manufactured, they
must, through necessity, pass through
Western Virginia, past the vast deposits
Of Iron and Coal. and her profusion OF
water power, still further north, to points
where the enterprise and sagacity Of the
inhabitants has already anticipated such
a state Of things, and. after being manu-
featured. they must return again over the
same route, to supply the necessities of
the original produce, unless We arouse to
a consciousness of our advantages, of po'
sition and resources and energc;ically re-
!. solve to improve both.
But it has been too long the custom OF
the inhabitants Of the Old Dominion, TO
talk lengthily and rrosily of her great
natural advantages and resources. with
out making any corresponding effort to
avail themselves Of either. 1t has unfor-
tunately been, heretofore,
"voz ct preterea nihil,"
or % facetious friend OF mine translates
it. call talk, and no cider"
Should we, repeat, but resolve to
avail ourselves Of the natural facilities az
forded by our geographical position. the
abundant fuel and water power lying
waste and unimproyed around us, and the
ores and minerals with which our hills are
full to repletion. can imagine no rea>
sons why Western Virginia should not
become the site of the greatest manufac-
turing interest on the continent. Shrewd
and calculating men from the North, are
already alive to this fact. and while our
men Of means and holders of valuable
real estate are supine and apathetic. such
men as Eli Thayer and others, are even
now stretching out their hands to grasp
the tempting prize.
Should you think these slight essays Of
any value. I shall be pleased to continue
them from time to time. when opportuni-
ty allows. In the mean time. let me
quote, as somewhat Apostle. the con.
densed idea of the Post, in reference to q
similar subject.
"Ei.her he fears his fortune much