Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-07-07

L
Wheeling Company.
COrrospOndencO.of the New York World.
PETROLEUM, RETCHIE Co., W. Va, I
June Goth, 1864.
| write you. from Que OF the most inter
esting localities in Western Virginia. This
is the centre of the great oil region, aud
the development of the vast wealth of hid.
den treasure which lies deep beneath these
now spsrsely settled counties the homes OF
wealth which was never dreamed of by
by the early settlers.
Western Virginia has many attractions;
with strange and eventiul history
Every hill and dale, and running stream,
has been rendered memorable with some
daring deed or tale of blood. The Titans
OF dark and mystic race have trodden
these Wilds and left the impress of their
great andimperishable deeds.
In my travel from the Ohio river via
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to Grafton,
aud thence over the North thWestern Virginia
Railroad 10 this point, passed many in
teresting historical localities, and many
points of interest to the historiRn, geOlo-
gist, and archWologist. At the point the
railroad leaves the Ohio, stands the huge
Grave Greek Mound, which has attracted
much attention, with its remarkable alpha
6etic, inscription, from scientific men at
home and abroad. AT this point were, and
still are, extensive aboriginal remains
few miles below Moundsville resided,
until within couple OF years, when he
died at an advanced age, the son of Col.
Cresap, OF colonial times, whose memory
has sustained blur from the pen OF Mr..
Jefferson, which no time will etface. Mr..
Jefferson, in the justly celebrated Logan
speech, charges Cresap with the murder
OF his (Logan's) kindred. The charge was
unjust toward Cresap, as has been clearly
proven by De Hass's history of Western
Virginia, aud Brautz Moyer's discourse be-
fore the Maryland Historical Society,"
Some additional facts will be brought out
in new work on Western Virginia by the
author of the history just named.
cannot, however, even glance at the
many attractive points which pass under
the eye of the traveller. To the geOlogist
there is very much to interest and engage
him. At Fairmont he enters the Mouou-
gahela coal region, which propose to de-
scribe in another letter.
At Nuzum's mills, on Valley river, are
extensive works for manufacturing tre-
brick. Good clay for this purpose is found
in the immediate vicinity. The clay is
more pure than that used on the upper
Ohio, in Hancock county, Virginia. 1t
contains neither gypsum, lime, nor oxide
OF iron. Clay for fire brick should be free
from sand, as even the purest would rem
der the brick fusible. ! understand that
Governor Peirpoint owns large interest
in these works. This may explain to
General Butler the Governors expertness
in "thrOWing brick"
At Grafton we crossed the Valley river,
aud proceeded out GU the Northwestern
Virginia Railroad to Parkersburg; thence
returned TO this place, which is twenty
two miles east of the latter place. l am
in the midst of the oil region of Western
Virginia. l am about halt way on the
"beIt," as oil men call it, from the Ohio
river, at the mouth of Bull creek, to Burn
ing Springs, in Writ county. have ex-
amined portion of the territory with
care, and propose to visit and explore the
entire region at the earliest practicable
day. have seeh enough to convince me
that vast, aud, perhaps, exhsustless de-
positories OF wealth lie all around me
deep. hidden beneath the everlasting hills,
where nature in her mysterious laboratory,
for countless ages, has distilled these won
derful treasures, to illuminate and lubri-
cate the world. Truly, this is the Edo
rado. With an influence more potent than
the wand of Midas, some people in this
meridian have found themselves converted
from comparative poverty into boundless
wealth. Initiative operations have only
been made. But one well has been sunk
where a thousand will be. What wealth
must all these pour forth ! BY we'll di-
rected enterprise, this region OF Virginia
must become source OF vast profit to
those engaged, and of incalculable wealth
to the country. The attention of capital
lists is rapidly concentrating here. Ten
New York companies have commenced
purchasing and leasing lands. Parties
from Philadelphia have been here, aud are
preparing to invest heavily. Pittsburgh
oil operators are present, aud the indica-
tions are that during the present season
arrangements will be made TO operate on
an extensive scale.
The oil region OF Virginia is not OF recent
discovery. 10 the early settlement of the
country, the rude frontiersman and intrepid
Indian hunter rested his weary person at
these oil. yielding fountains, bathing his
tired and lacerated limbs with the healing
fluid, Hughes RiVer, named after the ia
nous borderer, Jesse Hughes. was early
known for the oil springs found upon its
border. But, beyond the days of the In.
dian hunters-far back in pre- historic
times, the healing properties OF Crock oil'
was known. Ancient excavations, or pits"
as they are called, have been discovered in
great numbers 10 the oil region OF Fstern
Pennsylvania and Virginia. What world
of conjecture is called up by the discovery
of these early excavations Whose work
are they? Whence came, and whittier
went, that mysterious racer Do they be-
long to the race of the Mound builders
whose vast and mysterious monumental
remains are found everywhere throughout
the great valley of the Mississippi, but
whose history is as impenetrable as the
mystery which envelope their ruins? A
great field for research is before the intel
iigent archeologist aud palcoutologist.-
We hope, when this ''cruel war is over" or
sooner, to see it carefully explored.
Rock oil, as have already stated, was
known to and used by the people from the
| earliest settlement of the county
IT, k-o,,hout tba yaIIar of fha Tftfla Kama