American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-10-15
From the Richmond Enquirer.
THE NEW RlVER-ITS NAyIcATIoN

~
understood by the people of our own State
or even by many of the dwellers on ;ts
widely beautiful, its rich and mysterions
shores. Though almost as large q stream
as 'no james River, and passing through
tho very heart Of Virginia, and the great
store house of her exhaustless mineral
wealth; by and through immense aud
vide extending coal fields; BY mountains
OF IRON ores and vast deposits Of salt; by
regions Of lead and copper aud ali the
valuable and useful treasures of the mine.
~ the deep and outrageous forests Of
gigantic trees, and through rich and fer
tile vallies and upland pastures, and bv
the most romantic and picturesque scenes
ana pleasant resorts, whose pure mountain
"ir ana Sirtuous mineral waters make them
NOT only the store houses Of Nature. hut
almost an elysium, where many of the
evils we cannot avoid in less favored places
dare not ventcro. Tet,though associnted
WITH al. thosc, 10 Interesting and inyitinu
= the enterprising and adventurous, New
h,ver Is still almost terra incognita.--'
we have seen maps representing the coun.
try, both at home and abroad, in which
this noble "river Of tho woods" is not
even deigned place.
Previous to the advent of the VIRGINIA
and Tennessee rail road through the South
West, that richest part Of Virginia.
domain was almost unknown, and the
wv oodis OF our ancestors, was indeed
NEW River" 1t il not 80 long ago, that
we have forgotten how astonished many
OF our Eastern people were when Govern
or Floyd and the mountaineers of the South
West, exhibited their mineral treasures.
their salt and plaster, their coal and iron.
taeir lead and copper, &C., or told Of the
rich and extensive vallies through which
that great trunk line should run. Their
description has been moro than verified,
and even greater riches than we anticipat-
cd crowd the mountains of the South West;
and tho rail road which was claimed on
the strength of its mineral wealth, has
been erected, and the progressive path Of
the iron horse lies along its rich and fer
tile vallies. Yet what efforts have bee n
made for their development, public or pri.
yate Is not the South West and the
borders of the New River, still sealed
book to many of US, and the wealth that
lies concealed in these mountains and
beneath their yallies is as valueless and
useless to US as if it never existed. Capital
IS not invited, emigration is not encour-
aged, information is unsought, legislation
is slow, internal improvemen ts are discon-
nected and unfinished, their management
is imperfect, labor is below par, enterprise
languishes, practical education o myth, as
lar a. business requirements are concern
ed, and agriculture, though our great de-
Pendencs, our only support, is far from
being as profitable as it should be under
scientific and enlightened treatment
Therefore, our territories remain in Wild
erness, our internal resources undeyeloped,
our mining and manufacturing, our COM
meroe and our trades, almost teo significant
to be named, and our laboring classes
ignorant and in miserable poverty /; migra-
ton to other States decimates our popula-
tion-our enterprising young men 20 to
seek fortunes in more liberal and enter.
prising regions, and too many of our capi-
talists and business men invest their means
away from home, or buy up vast tracts of
land that they may 'lord it, in compare
tive poverty, and inglorious inaction, over
few indolent and careless slaves, or de-
generate sons, of some of our most noble
ancestors, who are forced to their seryile
condition by the circumstances which sur.
round them. The glorious and often peril
Gus excitement Of the adventurous miner.
the scientific and practical requirements Of
the great manufacturer, the boundless
wealth of the princely merchant, the pro.
ftable trade of the importer, &c., &c., are
neither experienced nor enjoyed by our
business men generally, and the manifold
blessings they might scatter over the land,
the thousands they might employ and
mako comfortable, the Intelligence thew
might develope, the sciences their wealth
might encourage, consequently cannot fol.
low. But to return strictly to our subject,
from which We have been led by intrud.
ing questions which initiate against the
Development of our vast and various re.
sources. We find the New River Just as
nature formed it, when its deep channel
was first cut through our Western noun
tains as great highway, perhaps, from
the interior to The ocean, or q "short cut,
at least. There is, however, an opening
made--a commencement to improvement
to improve the river, which NO are pleased
to chronicle, since it promises much for
the future. ~ ,e%
Il. G. Booth, Esq, OF Giles, and sever
al other gentlemen, who are interested in
lands along the river, and who obtained a
liberal charter last winter, for its improve.
mont, have actually commenced operations.
They have contracted with gentleman of
practical experience in such matters, to
make the river navigablo for small steam
ers, from point short distance below
the New River White Sulphur, to Central,
on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad.
| for The sn m of Q1k nnn 4 Tha d;alA-.. -,