The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-26
west virginia and New England

I
some remarks about West Virginia, In
connection with o visit OF Rev. Mr.. Coy.
ner, Of Grant county, to that city. We
hear from this gentleman again through
the letters below addressed TO Gov Sic.
venson, and transmitting contributions
In behalf OF Mr.. Coyner's church In
Grant county. Rev. Mr.. Buckingham,
the writer OF one, Is brother OF Sena>
tor Buckingham Of Connecticut. His
remarks concerning emigration from
New England To West Virginia, are
very much TO the point, and are sug.
Eestlye Of reflection In more ways than
one. 1--we are 10 have Rccesslons OF
population by any but the slowest pro.
cess, we must make some exertion to
Induce 1t; and where can we reach q
population 30 well adapted 10 our State
and In every way deslrableH That 10
the quarter, we are persuaded, where
our efforts ought 10 be directed, IL we can
once get Legislature that will make
an effort ct oil. One difficulty Is iudl'
Gated by Mr.. B. The New Englanders
will not go 10 . country where they
cannot have schools, churches and
society, Of some sort. West Vlr.
ElnlA US yet offsn no great at
fractions in this way, and we can only
expect these Yankees, II at all, in small
colonies. 1t 10 deeply TO be regretted
that nothing has ever been done to In.
form the people OF other States touch
Ing the advantages offered by our own.
Population Is the greatest OF all our
wants as State; and some intelligent
and adequate provision 10 supply that
want Is one Of the things we hope 10
see made by the Legislature this winter.
We labor as yet under many dlsadyan.
tages. Ono of the first things needed
Is an examination or "survey" OF the
State by some thoroughly competent
man, who can embody the results In a
volume describing In accurate but sim.
pie terms our soil, climate, minerals,
timber, water power, &c. Then ener.
getic, clear-headed, live men ought To
be sent to the centres Of population,
North and East, who could awaken the
interest OF the emlgratIng class and
lead them In this direction. But all
this will be vain II we cannot offer
them genuine Inducements; and Just
here we fear Ia where the shoe will be
found to pinch. Are our landholders
throughout the State prepared to sell
their lands on such reasonable terms
as will attract purchasers? Every
honest industrious man who comes
into the State ~ worth o thousand dol
lars TO the community II he has not q
dollar In the world. Do our .landhold-
ers sufficiently appreciate this fact
Do they realize that to give away hall
their now idle and now proftless lands
to actual settlers would so enhance the
other half US to make them richer than
they are now? Our observation Ia that
the landholders generally In this part
OF the State are not disposed to sell at all;
and In the Southwest the land titles are
30 inextricably mixed that nobody IL
willing 10 buy. 1t will be almost USE
less to talk about immigration till
something Is done TO settle land titles
and I'LL those who have good titles
are willing to divide their now
waste and useless acres with new neigh.
bors from aboad. II anything can be
done BY the Legislature to remove the
curse Of litigation about land titles that
has been entailed on more than half
this State by the detestable Virginia
system OF appropriation by treasury
warrants, that IL one Of the earliest
things that ought to be done. The pre-.
sent state OF things In that respect is q
veritable curse 10 that section; because
outsiders are not going to buy lands
here ifthey have to buy lawsuit with
every acre. Nor need the landholders
who have good titles expect to see a
thriving and populous community
grow up around them unless they are
prepared to part with some OF their
waste acres at something like Chris tian
prices; because millions Of acres OF rich,
cheap lands In the West will compete
with them for another generation. II
they don't want TO sell at all-if they
are opposed to having strangers come
In and develop the country-theu, OF
course, all efforts to that end must be
abortive; because lands for the landless
Is the prime and Indispensable induce
ment to all immigration.
So much will have to be done, both
by tho Legislature and by the people
themselves, before we can make success.
fuI any efforts to attract population and
capital to the State, and the feeling
on the subject, both among our people
and officials, has been so apathetIc
hitherto, that It Is almost dIscouraglne
TO think about 1t. But a beginning
must be made sometime; and we know
no better time to begin than the coming
winter. To this end let us pray for a
Legislature with some conceptions OF
public aims and duties corresponding
with the sore needs Of our Common
wealth.
1869
; SEPTEMBER THETwENTY.F1RsT,
MALONE, N. Y.
HONORABLE SIR: ...,.