Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-01-31
From Kanawha.
Correspondence of the Gailipolis Journal.l
CHARLESTON, w. VA.
Jaauarv 15th 1897

with the New Year 1867, but as far
as this section of country is con-
cerned, it might as well bear the
date Of the old year, or none at all.
For, owing to the ice blockade in
the Kanawha, the new year has as
yet, brought US no new knowledge,
no new items of interest, and our
communication with the outside
world being thus entirely suspended,
time and place have ceased to be to
us, of any practical Importance
Four weeks without our Cincinnati
papers! What has the world been
doing meanwhile? Is Max. still in
Mexico? Has Congress impeached
the President, or passed any more
suffrage and Freedmen 's-Bureau
Bills? Is Mr. Seward still "hope-
ful?" Does the Democratic party
still adhere to their new doctrine of
negre-suffrage? Is Mr.. Davis still
slipping his wine at Fortress Mon
roe? Has Mr.. johnson delivered
himself of any more of his little
speeehes? Does the Atlantic cable
still bind the two continents together?
These and q Thousand other ques-
tions we might ask, but cui bonos
'where ignorance is bliss, tis folly
to be WISE" The sun still rises and
sets here, so of one thing we are GER
tam, viz: the daily revolution of this
mundane sphere upon its axis. Be
yond this we know nothing, desire
to knew nothing, Congress may leg
islate us in or out of the Union. 1t
matters not, so long as we are ig-
norant of it. We are little world
in and of ourselves, q law unto our
selves. Let the world wag on.
Our Legislature met at Wheeling
on the 18th inst. We speak OF this
as fact, not because we have any
knowledge of it as such, but that
being the day fixed by law, we pre-
sumo, in the absence of evidence to
the contrary, that the Legislature
duly met according to law. The
members from this section went over
land to Parkersburg, thence by rail.
The question Of the permanent ioca-
ton of the State Capital will be be-
fore the Legislature again this win
ter. They failed to settle it at the
last session. Charleston will put in
her claim among other competitors.
At the outset she will command as
large, if not larger vote than any
other one place. In the lobby she will
not be SO strong, and bargain and
combinations among other cloimants
may defeat her
From a late article in the Kanawha
Republican, published at this place,
we compile the following items Of
interest, touching the resources of
the Kanawha Valley In 1910, coal
lands in Kanawha coEpty and yicini-
ty, sold at from one cent to one dol
lar per acre. Since then. they have
largely increased in value. For ex
ample: in lS43 o tract of 1900 acres
of land, in the vicinity of Charles
ton, sold for S30U.0O. In 1853, the
same tract sold for $4,000 In
1865, enc third of this tract was sold
for $4,000, its value consisting al
most wholly in its coal Surely the
coal lands Of the Kanawha offer
rich field for the investment of capi-
tai. Within the last ten or twelve
years, thirteen companies have in
vested in coal and iron lands, and in
the manufacture of coal oil, 50, 200,
600, all within a short distance of
this place. Over 100000 have been
expended in securing slack water
navigation on Coal river, for ship
ment of coal There, improvements
were greatly injured by the freshet
of 1861, but the repairs necessary to
restore navigation are now nearly
completed. On the Kanawha, Elk |
and Coal rivers are found in the
greatest abundance many varieties
of the finest Goals, chiefly camel,
splint and bltumineus. The splint
and bituminous are equal to the best
Ohio river Goals, while the camel
coal commands in the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi river markets from 33 to 80 /
per cent more per bushel than any /
other coal For years previous to !
the war, the salt produced On the
Kanawha, amounted to over $780,
900 bushels annually. The produc-
ton decreased during the war, but |
is again largely on the lncrease.-
The finest oil is produced from our
camel coal, and even in competition
with petroleum-Our manufacturers
are able to continue their operations
with profit. The navigation of the
Kanawha river is also being con-
stantly improved. Two years age
the Kanawha salt company lost some
$4,000 bushels of salt by accidents
in shipping; during the past year
only one boat load. Surely here are
the elements of a rich country
They only need deyelopement. D.