The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-09-04

Indiana aud Illinois. II would pay
much better from this locality. She'll
bark aud white heart hickory, wild
cherry, white ash, cucumber, maple
aud other valuable hard wood trees are
found in great abundance. Evergreans.
especially white and yellow pine, and
the hemlock, grew upon the morutsins,
and in due time viii come TO market,
In region which is now so near %
market there would seem TO be o grand
opening for the building Of steamboats,,
for manufactures Of many kinds Of sg-
ricultural tools, OF cabinet furniture, OF
wooden ware, which form so large q
part Of the business OF manufacturing
communities in New England. Here is
the raw material in boupdless quantity
snd cheapness; here is the coal to fur
nish fuel and power at one, fifth its cost
at tide water, and the rich bottom
lands of the Ohio and its tributaries to
feed a manufacturing population, il it
should be numbered by millions. There
is hardly any one Of the leading manu-.
factures, that make northern commnni-
ties so prosperous, that could not be
better carried on in the Valley OF the
Kanavhs.
Nor is cheap, raw material the ouIy
advantage. Labor is much cheaper
than in the Eastern States. The
emancipation OF the slaves has throw
great numbsr OF able-bodied men up.
on the labor market. These men
chiefly have bull; this railroad, and
opened up this grea! highway OF COM
merce through these rocky Businesses
The general testimony in regard TO
them u that, where they are well d.
rected and faithfully paid, they com
pare favorab'y with any other body OF
uneiUcaied lsborers in the world There
are, OF course, dali heads and idlers
among them, who are Improbable
The same can be said OF the Irish and
Germaus, and even the cute Yankee
race has is drones All accounts
agree that freedom and education are
improving the nero rSCe. that his IN
dustry can b. successfully stimulated
by pecuniary motives, that he is now
efficient help, AMI likely TO become
more valuable as be rises in intell-
gence and in sOcla, culture. At any
rate they are here, born upon the
soil, strong and vigorous, with fewer
vices than the peasantry among
other races generally have,
hungry for knowledge, and ready Tor
any new order OF things that may give
them a better chance in life. Many OF
them have already left, seeking new
homes in the cotton States, where labor
is better rewarded, which shows clearly
enough that they appreciate the ordl-
nary motives 10 industry. The onIy
choice is between the development o.
the raw material OF wealth that is con-
centrated here in Western Virginia in
such abundance, and still iurther
migration OF the freedmen down the.
Mississippi Valley. They are natural
ly gregarious, have strong home feel
ings and attachments, are fond Of cIy
life, aud would work kindly into any
OF the manufacturing enterprise. that
might be started here.
If they have the raw material aud
the labor here, why are not theee new
industries started2 So far as we are
able to comprehend this question, the
difficulty lies in the owners OF this un-
developed wealth. They do not appre-
ciate the difficulties in starting rev en-
terprises here, and there is no concert
ed practical encouragement given to
eastern capital and skill to make their
investments here. There lie plenty o.
talk about the natural richness OF the
region, but no tangible offer made 10
q manufacturer or mechanic TO set up
his business. Very likely, on the con.
trary, the moment one should present
himself with a proposal 10 purchase,
the property would be so advanced in
price as 10 prevent bargain. In msn-
ufacturing communities in the East,
strong inducements are held out to the |
capitalist to come and start new en-
terprise among them. Real estate is
put down to nominal price TO induce
them to come in and settle, and their
property is exempt from taxation for a
term Of years. Property holders see
this to be for their interest, because they
know that every dollar invested in
honorable business in their community
adds TO the value OF their property
Every skillful workman that settles
among them adds TO their general
wealth aud prosperity. The city gees
the economy OF this Course, ior
skilled labor creates property
Operatives must have homes
to be taxed, and mechanics TO /.
feed and clo,he them, aud every new
industry helps to support others. the
real estate Of 8 manufacturing company .
may be exempt from tsIation for ten |
years, aud yet the town or city make
mony by the exemption from the in
creased value OF other property that rises
with the success Of the manufacturing |
enterprise. Mining cities in the east
understand this, and have their boards .
OF trade, whose special business It II
to keep the advantages Of their location
before the public, eui to offer special .
inducements to capitalists to start new .
enterprises among them. Railroad /
men understand this, and when the
cities become overcro FdeI, cheap homes
in the suburban villages are offered to !
the working classes, and free passes
or cheap cOmmutation tickets are o. .
fered to ell sett!ers. There is go much .
competition nov in inviting capital and
skill to new enterprises, that no COM
munity can expect TO secure them with.
out energetic measures on its own part,
whatever its natural advantages. More
water runs TO waste al the Ranawha
Falls than turns all the spindles at
Lowell, and all the raw material Of
clothing, TODD and shelter are cheaper /