The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-15
THE PAN.IIANDLE.
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial. z
CHARLESTON, w. Va, Feb. 9.
'AN-HANDLEDoM.

PAN-HANDLEDoM.
Observers Of the map will have noticed
long narrow strip Of territory extending
nOrthward from the main northern line Of
West Virginia, and located between the
Ohio River and the western boundary Of
Pennsylvania. This strip Of territory is
some sixty miles long and from i've to
twelve broad, and is very appropriately
called the Panhandle. The laws Of geo.
graphy would give 1t TO Pennsylvania or
to Ohio, hut through some strange ma.
neuvering in running State lines, It be.
lougcd TO old Virginia until the separa.
tion, and then fell 70 West Virginia. II
is said that when tl@southern boundary
Of Pennsylvania was finally determined
upon and run out by commissioners, they
were 10 proceed stated distance ITO the
Ohio River" bat their distance was ex-
hausted when within some twelve miles
OF the Ohio, owing TO a miscalculation,
and then, in running due north, this strip
as before described, was left to Virginia.
This is its history as / have been told, al.
though am not positive of its correctness.
Perhaps the learned historian ut Pome.
roy, Ohio, can throw additional light upon
the subject.
The Panhandle is composed of four
counties, to.wit; Marshall, Ohio, Brooke
and Hancock. itI. 't iA.i'g Id
Marshall is the largest. 1t contains q
lair proportion OF bottom land, the rest Is
rolling and hilly, but rich. The county
has no poor soil. The value Of its real
estate is nearly three and half millions
of dollars. The county seat is Mounds.
vile, where the Pcnitentiary is located.
Ohio county is one OF the smallest and
wealthiest in the State, being situated in
narrow part of the narrow Panhandle.
1t is perhaps not over ten miles square,
yet it contains, a population Of some thirty
thousand, and taxable property to the
amount OF over fifteen millions Of dollars.
Brooke county contains property to the
amount Of about three millions Of dollars,
aud is in highly improved and flourish
ing condition, improved lands being worth
from forty to a hundred dollars an acre.
Hancock is the last county in the Pan
handle, its upper extremity extending
farther north than Pittsburgh. 1t con.
tains taxable property to the amount OF
about three million dollars. 3 Il
These four small counties compose the
Panhandle. They are all small, yet they
contain about One.sixth in value Of the
entire taxable property Of the State, and
nearly one.eighth Of the population. 1t
the garden spot otWest Virginia, the seat
Of its best schools, its finest churches, and
its greatest improvements. -
wHEELNe, aH
The chief city, not only of the Pan
handle but Of the State, Is the county seat
OF Ohio county. The city is improving
rapidly in wealth and population. 1t con.
tains several large iron and nail works,
and rolling mills for the manufacture of
railroad iron, sheet iron, bridge iron, &c.
There are also two spike mills, which turn
out annually from fifty TO sixty thousand
kegs Of spikes. Indeed, its iron manufac-
lures are among the chief features of the
city. 1t has one mill which turns out
sixty tons of railroad iron per day, and
which furnished the iron toI over fifty
miles ofthG Pacific road 'H 1iyfat
Glass is also manufactured on an exIen-
sive scale in Wheeling, some OF which is
Of very superior style and finish. The
amount OF products. in this line per annum
exceeds half million of dollars. 3 q ir
The city also contains two oil refineries,
ten or twelve breweries, six or eight tam
neries, several carriage and wagon lacto.
ries, cigar and tobacco factories, marble
works, wood and planning mills, flouring.
mills, sash factories, land so on. = -3afE
On the whole, Wheeling is q prosperous,
fOurishing and growing city, the metropo.
lis OF West Virginia, and has every advan-
tage for being the Capital Of the State,
except the simporta tanti ono Of all, location.
WHAT OUGHT TO BE DOVE WIN THE PAN
HANDLE.
In Justice and geography, the four Pan
handle counties ought to belong To Penn
sylvania. ANY man with n map before
him cannot dispute this. Besides location
there are other reasons. The people of
the Panhandle have little in common
with the people OF the hills and hollows
that make up the major portion of the
rest OF West Virginia. They arc not no.
mogeneous. They ,have lew social or
commercial ties to bind them. The sys-
TEN of government that suits the Pan
handle does not SUIT the mountains. One
wants a school system which the other
does uot want; one wants tho county court
and The other don't: ono dcsirei PeIicapitG
representation, and the other proposes
that rocks and stretches OF gloomy for
esls shall becounted as ,adlasis of repre-;
sentatiOn.a ~ S9rF-s VI "a ~
This natural antagohism, these conflict.
ing interests and diverse ideas can be
plainly seen in the Convention now in
session here. The Panhandle pulls one
way, and the mountains and hills pull the
other way, Tlieyllave not yet been to.
gether upon single measure of import
arce, aS have been able to sec. In
brief, the system oI government that Is
satisfactory and congenial to Ohio and
Pennsylvania is what the Panhandle
wants, and what II Wiilnot get 80 long as
1t remains attached 10 the immense mass
OF mountains and barren wa stes behind it.
am told by representative men here
!nal II Is the desire Of nine, 1enths of the
l'anhandle togo TO Pennsylvania or Ohio,
anu lhat halt u million dollars could be,
1aIsed II Il would bring about the desired
event: Win the people OF these States
they have common ties and commercial
interests, and could they c,It themselves
of and go into Pennsylyalia. II would
enhance the value OF their property at
least twenty-five per cent. / am tod Of
instances where, property, Just over the
line in Pennsylvania, brought forty and
sixty per cent more thanproperty oi,the
same description two miles west, and in
West Virginia,
THR PANHANDLE IN THE CONVENTION
The Panhandle has ten representatives
in the convention, all gentlemen Of worth
md ability. They are John II. Atkinson,