The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-07-24
VIRGINIA.
Her VAST Agricultural md Mineral
0urces-UnrivRled Geographical
Position, and Gneqnaied inn"re-
ments 10 Imnii < ration.

RICHMOND, va, July 10.
Virginia is still, not withstanding her
late Acknowledgement one of the very
largest States in the Union. Her pOpu-
lation before the war was, of whites, on
ly Fifteen persons TO the square mile, and
of blacks, only seven; making a total
population of twenty-five To the square
mile III the adjoining free States Of the
Atlantic coast, in themselves far less in
yiting to settlers, the population over an
equal area Is eighty-two persons 10 the
square mile This simple statement dis
closes how large portion of the soil of
Virginia is unused and waste And
when we consider the widespread de
struction Of personal property which the
war has produced property which must
he restored by considerable ontlay of
money before these lands can be titled to
advantage we can readily imagine how
very large proportion of the lands Of
the commonwealth ought to- and doubt
less will, be thrown upon the market
FACILITY OF TRANSPORTATION
AT present the tide of emigration flows
to the West Lands in the trans Missis-
sippi now receive the surplus population
of the crowded old world and the al
ready overhowing North Those west
ern lands would be dear, as gift, com.
pared with the lands of Virginia, when
consideration is taken of the long, IT,
dious and expensive transportation whj"h
their products must undergo before reach
ing the great marts on the Atlantic sea
board. What a contrast, in this espect,
do the lands Of Virginia present That
territory is traversed by several great
rivers susceptible of navigation - the
James. the Rappahannock and the York
W hich naturally place the products of
its farms at the very wharves of New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. -
There is scarcely 4 farm in tide-water
Virginia, the transportation of the pro-
ducts of which to New York costs an APP
preciable percentage of the prices they
bring Piedmont Virginia is traversed
throughout by rivers, railroads and
canal, which enable its products to reach
market at a minimum cost for freight
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
1t il nearer from St Louis to Norfolk,
Va, than from st Louis to New Orleans.
1t is nearer by several hundred miles
from Cincinnati to Norfolk than from
Cincinnati to New York The shortest
pathway from the great basin of the
West to the tide water lies directly across
the State of Virginia 10y ronte which
I,, of U-Int
blockade Across this route lies the ex-
tension of the Pacific railroad in
straight line, to the Atlantic The vital
importance of this rOute ST exit for the
West is becoming more and more mani
fest every day The lake cities-Chica-
90 at their head-are taking away the
trade OF Cincinnati, Louisville and st.
Louis, by reason of their lying on the
great water line Of transportation lead
ing through the great lakes and over the
New York and Erie Canal These cen
tral cities iud it necessary toopen short
route for themselves to the Atlantic
That route lies directly across the terri
tory of Virginia Its advantage of dis
tance will give it a great preference over
the circuitous route of the lakes and the
New York canal. The valley of the Ohio
the States of Missouri, Kansas and all
the great central belt of country running
back to the Rocky mountains, will soon
be at the doors of Congress demanding
appropriations for opening this short cut
through Virginia, by canal and rail, to
the Atlantic This grand desideratum is
already far on the way toward compile
ton by means of the Virginia CentTal
railroad. the Coyington and OHIO rail
road and the James River and Kauawha
canal
PRODUCTIONS
Virginia has ever been renowned for
her agricultural aud mineral resources.
Her wheat is reckoned the finest in the
world. In 1860, out of an aggregate OF
l73, ,104, ,924 bushels Of this cereal, pro-
: IL -. - $n- 81,