The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1864-12-08

Monday, Oct 81 ca
Permit me to insure those OF your
readers who take the slghtesi interest
in the development OF the natural re.
sources of our great and common coun.
ny, whether for honor or for profit, that
the little State OF West Virginia is now
offering herself MS the richest prize Of
all in the present grand schemes Of I'D
venture. II California is first. West
Virginia must be second; but California
is not FIRST, either 10 the variety or extent
or value of her mineral deposits | haz
ard nothing in the prophecy, that West
Virginia il destined, and that soon, 10
absorb The attention and capital Of our
IradiDg citizens, to a greater extent than
the same amount TERRITORY in any 9th
er part, not only of this continent, but
of the known world, 1t is no longer a
question Of probability as to tho vast
ness Of her possessions, nor as 10 the
certainty that her future will be grand
and important, but simply, who are the
men among us all that are to immortal
iae their names and enrich poslerity, by
becoming tho pioneers in this great field
Of enterprise?
A sotourn here in the Kanawha Val
ley during the past eight weeks, in con
ncction with former visit, has made
me familiar with her inoxhausibe min
eral wealth, and as they now occur to
me, | chronicle herein few Of the lead.
ing features Of this part of the country
for the benefit Of whom it may con
Germ" be it the Stale itself, its citizens
or your readers, who have now become
so numerous as TO constitute "thG world
in general" An air line drawn from
New York to this place would probably
measure less than six hundred miles,
consuming only day and half of rail
road travel; but tho present mode Of
reaching here is far more circuitous, the
usual routes, among the several which
may be taken, being ria Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad to Parkersburg; or the
Pcnns lvnnia Central to P,lsburg and
Wheeling, and thence from either place
by steamboat down the Ohio River to
this point, But let the traveller come
by what route he will as soon as his
destination is known, the common OBJ
servalion made 10 him is. care You 10
search of coal or oil?" The fact is that
petroleum has been discovered in more
than five huodred places throughout tie
State along the range this side OF the Al
leghany Mountains and its spurs be-
tween the celebrated oil wells in Penn.
sylvania and those oil Cumberland in
Kentucky. Your readers will remember
that attention had only just been called
to the great value and utility ofrock oil
when the war broke out and it has been
ascertained that arrangements were be.
ing made at that tina for the speedy
boring Of more than thousand wells in
localities, but the old State of
Virginia went hand in hand with her
"wayward sisters" into secossia, and the
Of these old lands, knitting
their fortunes to those of the mother
State, gave ticket ofieave" to their
then Northern associates, and the drill
and the pump were generally abandoned
for the sabre and the rife. The rebel
lion is not yet entirely crushed, it is true,
for like a ca:it seems to have several
lives; but it is pretty universally conce,
ded TO be played OUT as to this State,
and 10 he going TO satan generally
Such is the security left at any rate, that
there is beginning TO be o stir; the wells |
on Little Kanawha arc being uuplugged, |
and boring has commenced to consid
cradle degree in this valley and other
comparatively new fields with the most
promising symptoms lhat dad roWstrike
lie" in this grand basin.
Very many New Workers think their
salI.works at Syracuse an immense
thing, and SO they are until one begins
10 make comparisons, for, conlrssted
with those above Charleston in this val
ley, they would rank as little ant.hills
by the side Of great mountains. One
sees, at least, seventy five Give der.
ricks in the short space of three miles,
pumping up the saline deposit by the
brckelful. ard, ;S4aed, 30 sba0Eant isit
thA the wolSs now in operation are
paying dead rent" as they call it, on
perhaps hundred neighborng salt,
wells, i. e., so much per year 10 keep
them plugged up and thereby enable the
others to "bulI' the price Of sail. Thus
one marks the difference between syria.
cuse aGd Kanawha--hG former being
Consistently drained to her utmost cOpac.
ity. while the latter is losing but a mere
drop from her great ocean of sal aQuG
The deposit of bitumous, splint and