The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1864-12-21
Weston--The. Asylum--Lewis
MT County--Coal and Oil. .

M6StOu--1QSs -ASy .
.Gfi County--Coal and OIL ..
Correspondence Wheeling Intelligence: '>-..'
This place is the. county seat of Lewis
coj;dItv, situuted on tho south side of the
West fork of the MonongaheIa river,
twenty.three miles from Clarksburg and
near the center Of the new State. It's
4 thriving town, Of about 1900 inhab.
ia6te, a beautiful court house, bank,
,woigood hotels, foundry, five stores, a
first class drug store. steam mill, &c, &c.
Ga the north side Of the river stands
the beautiful and substantial structure,
the Hospital for the Insane. It will be
q magnificent building when completed,
over 1900 feet front, built in the most
substantial manner, out Of closely grained
blue sand stone, slate roof, ond finished
to correspond. One cannot but think
when viewing it that it will stand the
test Of time for ages, und pass to future
generations proud monument Of art as
we'll aS philanthropy.
One wing is already completed and
furnished with the necessary heating
apparatus for s,cam-hot and cold bnths,
&c., and occupied by about sixteen pa.
tients under the supervision Of DR.. Hills,
formerly of the Insane Asylum at Co.
iumbus, Ohio, a man emincntly fitted
for the place, who together with his esti,
mable wife, attendants and patients, form
a little community Of their own, each
ore moving und acting in his own
peculiar sphere; kindness and affection
rcisns supreme, No straight jackets,
hand cuffs, chain or ducking apparatus
is s,cn or tolerated here, as of yurc for
YOU must know that until within the last
twenty-five years the insane we're treated
with the utmost severity with straight
jackets, terrible shower. baths, hand cuffs
and ether torturcs. No wonder reason
took its everlasting flight. But now by
what is called the non.restraint sys
tens" reason and common sense have q
chance to act and to resume their sway,
and the over excited brain is invited
soothiugly and swcetly to cease its wan.
derings and halucina:ions-to think, to
reason, and TO become responsible being.
We understand it is now ready to receive
and accommodate twenty 10 thirty more
patients, and 1 would suy to the friends
of the unfortunate that by al means
bring them Immediately as the chance
Of cure is greater when carly treated, ns
in any other disease.
The county of Lewis abounds in min
cral wealth, although hidden by the
finest farming and grazing lands in the
United States, yet under its surface lie
immense beds Of coal, Of the finest quail,
its, which is furnished at 6 cents per
bushcl and recently the oil excitement
has sprung up. From the usual signs
Of oil, such as burning springs and sur.
face indications along line extending
from the borinss in Pennsylvania to the
tpriugs in West Virginia, one can almost
trace an imaginary oil line. Already
borings have been commenced in Harrl.
son county on the east, and in Gilmer
county on the west. Oil has been OBJ
tained and from thence to the Ohio
river oil territory has brought immense
prices and eagerly sought after. So Nc
predict bright future for Lewis. Lands
are cheap ranging from So to s25 per
acre. Large tracts Of wild lands 10 this
and Braxton, Nicholas and Kanawha
counties, can be had lying along the
route Of the projected railroad, (West
Virginia Central Railway for which a
cliurtcr and right Of way has already
been granted, and large amount Of the
stock taken, offering to capitalists q safe
and lucrative investment which is already
being eagerly sought after. Yours,
RAMBLER.