The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-10-27
rhnnhIn side of the Rlver.

Ob,o river almost as well defined as the
river itself. The Ohio was the Rhine
tina, flowed between Alsace on the one
aide and Baden on the other, and that
represented far more than even that IA
nous river 1.-TWO conflicting forms oil
civilization" And by virtue Of this broad
line Of political separation the city Oh
Wheeling naturally represented, to a Ger
tain extent, the antagonistic position so
long held by the historic city Of stras-
burg towards her suburbs on the "lett
bank" And although the people OF Wheel
ling and those OF the towns on the other
side came and went without the interven'
ton Of Custom houses yet notwith'
standing there was q well understood
latent feeling Of alienation and antsgo-
uism that needed only the occasion to
elicit It's expression.
Happily, however, for all Of US the war
put this tendency TO political and social
segregation in process oil extinction, and
to-day there remains but comparatively
little Of it between the two sides Of the
river. We had no differences in dialect to
overcome, as had ALsAcE and BADEN,
nor any national traditions that were not
common between US. To-day, therefore,
the intelligent people Of the two shores
recognize close bond OF identification
not only in political sense butalso in the
way Of o common dollar and cents in
terest.
At no time in the past has there been
such a tendency to literally bridge over
all real or imaginary causes Of separation.
And at no time has so much capital been
at work in nurturing and charging this
tendency. Within the last few years the
development on the other side Of the river
has been gaining steadily on this side,
and owing largely to the employment OF
capital owned in Wheeling. There is no
use and therefore no sense in regretting
this development at what some people
would call our expense. In proper
view Of the situation 1t is not at our ex.
pense at all. If Providence had intended
but one side Of the river to DO developed,
he would no doubt have distributed the
resources less evenly than he has. But
the fact that both sides have substantially
the same resources shows that we were
meant to develope and grow up together
as one great community, and to be bound
together by a common interest and a
common destiny.
Owing to the fact that the natural chan
mel Of the river is on this side we were
enabled to start first in tho way of this
common development And owing
to the building of the Nationa
road we were still further en-
abled TO hold and improve upon thil
earlier start in the race. These advan-
tages naturally attracted more attention
to this side Of the river and the resnl,
was that one manufacturing enterprise
after another located in our midst and do
veloped our resources. In the nature o.
things however It was only question o.
time as to the commencement Of cores
pondlng development On the other side
The proper time was dependent on the &C
cumulaiion of the necessary capital some
where, either here or elsewhere, 10 ap
propriate the resources OF that side and
turn them into wealth for those who own
ed them, for those who should labor or
them and for those who should furnish the
capital.
Such time has now come about. The
war liberated Wheeling from debt and
gave wonderful stimulus 10 her manu-
featuring interests. Those who were In
moderate circumstances became well of
and those who were well of became rich
and thus large surplus Of money was &C
cumulated for the work that has now
commenced. This surplus capital either
had to seek the field that It has found neal
by, in our midst We may say, or II had Il
go abroad In search of attractive invest
ments. Within the limits Of the city. the
available sites were all taken DIP for Rol-
ling Mills, and naturally, therefore tho
unoccupied sites of the other side attrac-
ted attention and found purchasers.
The great idea Of this region is 10 In
vest in the iron business and especially e
make nails. The reason is that the bust
ness has been very successful, and has
made a great deal Of money for those en-
gagged in Il, besides building up tho city
ind It's environs quite rapidly within the
last lew years,-Mheeling and vicinity Is
now the greatest misunderstanding world
No other place compares with It 10 The
amount and qpali,y oti,s production in, thil
specially Of thGiron, business. The time il
coming, however, when our Investment
wilInot run so much In one direction. By
and by we will branch otfinto less popular
departments Of the business, We will do or
larger scale'what-iS already being done
on asmall SCALE vizsmakc bar and sheet
iron and also large and small railroad
iron, And, In addition 10 these, VIC
will, US is already being attempted
on tho other side, s-make Steel, and
as they are Also doing at Martins
Ferry, make . larger grade Of mill cast
ings Of all kinds. An lncrcasa in oul
present variety OF manufactures will
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