The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-12-22
A PrimItIye Region

A Primitive Region.
Mr.. Smith Trent, Sheriff of Mcdowell
county, was in the city yesterday, en-
gagged in the payment of taxes into the
Auditors Office. In n conversation
with him touching matters and things
in that region, we learned some curious
facts concerning the remote county
from which he comes. We use the
word remote not in its literal sense OF
distance, but as meaning inaccessible.
or all the counties in the State, Mellow
ell, one of the largest in territory, is the
least in population and improvements
of every kind. II lies on the extreme
border, touching Southwestern Vir-
ginia- The population was never any.
thing but sparse; but during the rebel
lion the Union men were driven away,
and when they We're able to return, the
rebels had been behaving so badly that
they intheir turn were afraid to stay,
so that small as the population was he.
fore, it is still less now.
There is not postoflice in the coun.
", nor town, or village even of the
most diminutive proportions; there are
but few roads and they are indifferent
The Court House is log cabin; there is
not a lawyer or doctor In the county,
and as consequence the people are
healthy and free from litigation. 1t is
four days horseback travel from Ka-
nawha. 1t is practically as far from
here as England. The most convenient
outlet is down to Jacksonville, in
Tazewell county Va, on the Virginia
and Tennessee Railroad. Il is difficult
to find men in the county who have
sufficient acquaintance with the arts of
modern times to fill the various county
Offices. Some of them have to employ
deputies on this account; and one gem
tleman who happens to have enjoyed
unusual advantages, acts as deputy to
some half-dozen of them.
Money isexceedingly scarce, though
otter furs are comparatively plenty.
Mr.. Trent says he truly believes he did
not leave $50 in the county. Ut looks
like hard case to strip any people so,
even for taxes.) "Sang" is the staple
commodity, and sustains to the COM
munity something like the .relntion the
Iron interest here sustnins to Wheeling,
The country is billy though not
mountainous. Pure sparkling water
abounds. The soil is fertile and pro-
duces fine native grasses. The country
is admirably adapted to stock raising,
which is already receiving attention.
The climate is salubriOus and the win
tiers mild. Cattle live through winter
on the abundant grass alone
Coal is everywhere, and magnificent
timber covers hill and vale. Land is
worth from one to two dollars an acre,
and thousands of acres for sale. Game,
such as deer, bears, panthers, wild cats,
raccoons, offers and fish, abounds in
the forests and streams.
Does it not seem almost marvel
that such a region should exist ut this
day within $50 miles OF the Ohio river?
Yet the fact is there arc millions on mil
lions of acres OF country full rs wild as
this, and full as rich in all the elements
of wenlth-as rich, or even richer, in
soil, minerals, water power, and timber
lying yet nearer the Ohio, in Wyom-
ing, Fnyette, Raleigh, Boone and other
counties of that now remote and vet
Primeval region. Every intelligent OBJ
server who has trRversed it tells the
same tale of its gorgeous wealth of for
ests, of coal and of iron. 1t is region
that ought to be, aud one day will be,
one of the grandest manufacturing CEN
tres in this country. Strange that pop
ulatiou and capital still pass it by, aud
seek homes and investment in the less
inviting far West, when here is u re-
gton that may be brought within TWEEN
ty-iour hours of tho Atlantic, capable
supplying all the cities OF the old and
new worlds with coal for centuries, and
of manufacturing fabrics enough to
clothe their myriads of inhabitants.
1t cannot be many years before the
veil that covers this region will be lift
cd by the hand of intelligent enterprise.
Then, when railways begin to penc-
trate the valleys of the Southwest, and
factory chimneys smoke along its
rivers; when its hills and mountains
are dotted with tlocks, and towns and
villages spring up to furnish homes for
the growing population, and school
houses and churches dispense tho bless
ings of free education and free religion
to all, there will be n developement as
extraordinary as any that has ever sur
Prised us Id any part of this wonderful
land. Even within the lifetime of this
generation, it may be. the words we
print to-day descriptive OF this wilder
ness, will seem.as strange and unreal las
the traditions of a hundred years ago
that surround this region here, appear
to us to-day.