Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-02-12
fLosai corrssposdenee Of tie 1ntslirene.r.l

fLosal cousspoaaene. Of he 1utslsesssrI
Tie Past and PreseHt Of BeEair, With Some
SpeeulGtions az to its Fnturs-A Side Note
on the State Of National Polifie, a. Sen
From BeELair-7He County Sat Of Befmoat.
BE1LA1R, Ohio, Feb 10, 1855.
Eds InteltigeHcsT:-In my former letter from
West Liberty, Va, had the pleasure Of giving
you peep into matters, to some extent general
and particular, in that village and its euVirOns,
but there was one subject on which did not
then speak, reserVing il for 4 future occasion
when all the candidates for county Offices shall
be before the people. Then, If permitted 70 re-
visit your county, wish TO speak out boldly
and Independently on county matters, and the
the kind of men that are suited for these diiIeF-
ent Offices
But for the present, let us look At this village
and its prospects. For over twenty years there
has been a small village here known by the
name Of BettaiT, gathered together chiefly by
the fine coal banks IN Its envir0ns, which were
worked on q pretty large scale, the coal being
shipped TO Cincinnati, &c. for sale. Several
roads from the interior Of the county eonEerged
to ferry here, and for many years past quite
respectable amount Of shipping has been done
for the size Of the village. But the county seat
being at St ClaiTsville on the National road, and
Bridgeport aud MarunsVille both lying on the
river and being in the same county, and Wheel
ing, then only four miles distant now stretching
almost down to the opposite side, hindered its
growth by driving away the most Of the bust
ness Thus things moved on At rather q slow
pace until the location Of the Central Ohio Rail-
road, which was to touch the Ohio river at this
point. About this time . large body Of land
was purchased by the Company building this
road little above the old village, on part Of
which quite town was laid out From that IN
the present time Bellair has been looking up The
ne% town il laid out on beautiful site, with
many streets. and it win eventually be quite
town. II has fine facilities for manufacturing,
and no doatt capitalists will eventually avail
themselves OF these advantages. The G. u. R r.
having been successfully operating for some
three years, and crossing the river here, has
made quite business in shipping and re-shiP.
ping its freight. A number Of merchants and
other citizens have purchased lots in the new
town, and erected buildings suited for business
or residences.
This town is surrounded by fertile hills and an
industrious population, much of whose produce
will find market here, and probably in time,
will be chiefly consumed by the manufacturing
population that Is yet to live and labor in all
this coal country bordering on the river.
Nothing OF political nature is creating much
interest here at present; all are watching with
some feeling the movements of Douglas and the
Administration, and are wondering whether the
Democratic party will digide or not; but this is
all useless, few men may break of from that
party and give their influence to the Republican
OF some other party, as il often the with all
parties, but for great party, like Il has been for
years, swaying one of the greatest and most in
telligent nations on the globe, to divide on
question in which they are agreed as TO its fun.
damenta principle, and O1ly differ as TO its APP
plication, would be- believe, without par
allel in the history Of the world. Some times
Democrats become a little too Democratic, and
run into wild extremes on popular sovereign
~, ''inaiienable rights or 'higher lawism, :"
but the sober second thought Of the people
either brings them ''to the rights" or leaves
them to make living as best they can. Oeea-
siOnally, when man who is seeking Office, leads
off little too far to return with honor, seeing
| that If herernain where he is he will be left by
all parties, makes grand leap into some other
party where he hopes some day to gather Iaurels
or receive the spoils of Office" as your present
Governor did in days of yore. But whether
this will be the case with any Of the public ac-
tors now on the stage or not, the future alone
will develop.
| The greatest interest in this place at present,
is OF local nature. portion Of the citizens
\ of this county have been speaking of removing
their county scat. and several petitions have
been circulated in favor Of different points along
in this way, the eye of the county began to be
turned towards this place as the most suitable,
provided it were moved at all. St lairsville,
as other places, ever watchful of her own inter
est entered her protest to its removal at ALL This
has been responded to quite ably by a commit
tee from this point. and now there is quite an
anxiety to know what will be the final result
upon the Legislature on the subject A.
/