The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-02-20
Letters from the People.
FROM LEWIS COUNTY.
WESTON. February II, ls6.

WESTON, February II, 1865.
Editor OF the Register:
Having seen from your paper the
statement of David S. Pinnell, that he
held in his hand deed of gift for a
stone quarry from which stone could be
procured to build the Capitol, if the
same would be located at Buckhannon,
and at the rate which the stone cost for
the Asylum at Weston, the gift would
be worth fifty thousand dollars. l avail
myself of this means to correct the mis-
take, for | conceive that no gentleman
would be guilty ofso gross fabrication
as to state that the stone in the Asylum
cost fifty thousand dollars laying in
quarry. Let us for moment make a
computation of the cost of the stene in
the Asylum. l have it from good au-
thority that there is at least sixteen
thousand perch of stone in the Asylum.
Then at ten cents per perch weuld be
sixteen hundred dollars. Now it would
not take more than one fourth of the
stone in the Asylum to erect capitol.
You can thus see that an inducement
of fifty thousand dollars dwindles down
to four hundred, safe margin truly to
make such representations on.
Now the facts are as follows: In the
county of Upshur there is not sufficient
blue sand stone, such as is used in the
Asylum, to build pig pen, as the latter
named tenement often times in Upshur
holds contraband porkers. 1t is true in
the vicinity of Sand Run thereis grey
| flint stone, such as was used in the
foundation of the BuckhannOn Court
House, which stone, cut in the manner
and style of the work done on the Asy-
lum, would cost thirty dollars per perch
as it would take a brigade Of black
smiths to sharpen the tools for regi-
ment of stone-cutters. The fact is that
no locality spoken of for the location OF
| the capitol presents such a dearth OF
building material as the county of Up
shur. Limestone there is none. When
MeSsrs. PouEdstone d Blagg erected
lue SOuEI IlOuoc, dllCE IL was DuIul
down, they attempted to burn lime, in
which they failed, the limstone not
being of the proper quality, and having
no lime in the county of Upshur they
were under the necessity of hauling
it from Rich Mountain, in the county
Of Randolph, and o portion from the
county of Lewis. d. S. Haselden, j. S.
Fisher and others had to procure lime
outside of the county of Upshur, to
bald their houses. In conclusion, there
is not in the county of Upshur, stone,
lime, and other necessary building ma
terials to be procured. On the contrary
they would have to be imported at al
most fabulous prices.
But as a county of sterility lying in
the basin formed by Buckhannon and
Rich Mountain let the traveller passing
from George Lorentz's to the base of
Rich Mountain testify. The chief pro-
ductisn is Laurel, huckleberry, Jack
Oak and ground seeds. Let the Legis-
lature appoint commission of practi-
cal gentlemen to select q site for the
capitol, and my word for it Buckhannon
will not stand ghost of a chance. 1t is
to be hoped that the God and morality
gentleman of Upshur will not be able
to find any more Benders; when for the
consideration of a corner lot on Lin
coin or Grant Avenue, as intimated,
stultify themselves by voting against
their own county, Yours.
Truth.