The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-05

From the Pittsburgh Chronicle, August IL
The valley or the Little KanaWhAG,
Pennsylvania Enterprise.Is5
Whilst Secretaries of Chambers Of
Commerce in western cities have issued
most inviting pamphlets, setting forth
inducements to immigration into their
respective sections, and Southern States
have appointed Commissioners of I'm
migration to attractrapitat settlers;
and journals in all parts Of the country,
have aided to produce the impression
that the far west is the true field for
the employment of money, skill and
energy, we have near us at home more
desirable fields, which Pennsylvania en-
rterprise is developingmo1 ;aGm02 as
! We had the pleasure recently ofa con-
versation with Mr.. William Mccoy OF
Indiana county, who sold the Expert
mental Farm to the State of Pennsyl.
vania, and who broke ground in 1865
in Writ county: West Virginia, in the
way of improvements. AT that time
the farms in the county were in q for
lorn condition, there was little effort at
1judicious cultivation, there were no
fences, the timber was neglected. boards
were sawed out by hand with the old
fashioned whip saw. He "set the ball
in motion" introduced the Lancaster
red wheat, which is now successfully
cultivated. Churches, school houses
and Sunday schools have made their
appearance, (his son and daughter
started the first Sunday school in
Elizabeth), and the village Of Elizabeth
has increased from $50 to 800 people.
Pennsylvania energy has regenerated
that county, which has indeed soil Of
almost unexampled richness, climate
that is not surpassed, and is especially
healing for pulmonary complaints, and
boundless resources in fine timber, the
vaue of which the natives have not
even vet learned. . ali ,1.,. .taat..
| Now when we reflect that by water
from Pittsburgh to Parkersburg it is
only 1873 miles, and from Parkersburg
to Elizabeth but twenty-eight miles, and
that we derive large share Of the ben
efits Of the operations Of our citizens in
that region, it is well for rs to turn
away from the seductive voices that APP
peal to US from the far west and find
out what we have right at our own
doors. The valley of o which we are
speaking is little known independent of
the oil productions at Burning Springs.
Hardly any adequate Developments
have yet been made there. Yet itcon-
tans millions of acres OF superb timber
lands, oak, poplar, walnut, yellow pine,
etc, and at the headwaters OF the
streams coal of a superior quality is
found in twelve feet veins. all these
products await enterprise. The timber
alone is sufficient to constitute the
wealth of State, but the native resi-
dents have been too inert to improve
their advantages. Everything thus far
effected has been done by Western
Pennsylvanians who have lately gone
there. :. A new era has now opened.
The Little Kanawha Navigation
Company are now at work finishing
their four dams and locks, which will
be completed in a short time, securing
navigation all the year round to the oil
territory at Burning Springs, forty miles
from Parkersburg. Their charter ex-
tends to the coal fields above Chenille,
over one hundred miles from Parkers.
burg. This river is particularly adapt
ed 10 slack.water navigation, the banks
being high, averaging thirty feet. 1t is
a deep and narrow stream. There is
but fall of forty feet in two hundred
and ten miles from Hittsburgh to Burn
ing Springs:
I'VE are pleased to note another Penn
sylvania enterprise now originated
which will be the forerunner OF many
others of similar nature. 1t is desig-
mated as the "Wirt County Boom and
Lumber Company. 1t is organized
under the auspices Of Mr.. William Oil
worth, Jr., and other prominent citizens
and manufacturers of Pittsburgh. This
Company has purchased extensive
tracts Of timber land situated on the
Little Kanawha river and its tributa'
ries. They have erected large saw
mill with all its appliances at Elizabeth
Court House, county seat of Writ coun-
ty, on the banks Of the Little Kanawha
river, eight miles below Burning Springs,
and they propose numbering on very
large scale. The Boone charter granted
them by the Legislature Of West Vir-
ginia Ga copy of which has been shown
us,) is the most liberal we have ever
seen, and grants them extraordinary
privileges. Parties interested in this
Company are connected with the Little
Kanawha Navigation Company. The
books Of the Company have only been
open for a week at the office of Harper,
Gutman & Co., on Liberty street. in this
city, and the sock has nearly all been
subscribed Owing to the advanced
prices of lumber and the increase OF
timber lands, they expect to realize
handsomely from their investment, as
Pittsburgh depends entirely on this
region for its supply Of hard woods, In
fact, it is the only field left within ship
ping distance which can send lumber to
market at reasonable figures, entirely
by water. Railroad transportation in
this staple involves such high charges
that only where transportation by river
can be had, can lumber be sold at rea-
sonable figures. We wish the parties
all success, and are gratified TO be able
to record such evidences of Pennsylva-
MIA enterprise in direction which
must not only remunerate the parties,
but also enure largely to the benefit Of