The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-01
A LETTER ABOUT WHEELING.
(Wlltlen by W. c. HowOllS, Rfq., RdItor of The
AEhtAbulA Sentinel .r.

as am now with Jefferson. here
learned the art Of type.Setting; and here
| formed the sacred relation which death
severed. u few years ago. But am
stranger here now. The old faces are
nearly all gone, lost in death, or the vor-
tex Of change Of place 30 characteristic
OF Western America. And then the rap
i'd march Of improvement has written itl
change upon the physical features OF the
place, and made It almost unrecogniza-
bic. Were It not for the fxedness OF the
hills and river, / could find no land.
marks. The native forests that clothed
the hills to their tops and the greater
part OF the Island, with the plcturesqe
fields that stretched along the river bank,
have given place to long rows o. brick
houses, or scattering TealdeneeS Of those
who seek 10 get out Of the crowd, OF
have been reclothed with vines and
fruit trees. To me, looking at this scene
as / did from the 500 feet elevation back
Of the city, and caring only Tor years and
scenes that have swept past me, the vast
improvements that have taken place are
rather unpleassntto contemplate; because
they are to me 60 many devastators, be-
fore whom the surrounding that loved
have perished. am jealous ol them,
while / respect and admire them, The
garlsh beauty Of modern architecture and
the hard lines Of paved streets, proper
and useful enough In themselves, are not
for him who Is looking for the past bloom
OF old landscapes. ...4 .m
About century ago, Wheeling was an
important out post in the early settle
ments of the West, both civil and militia
ry. simultaneously with the settlement
fort was built and garriSoned Tor the
protection Of the emigration whose cur
rent then began 10 flow into the Ohio
Valley. Later, as the point where the
National Road crossed the Ohio, and for
many years terminated, It became an en-.
trep0t for Western trade and shipment on
the Ohio river-Arst by the old broadhorn
flatboats and afterwards by the new
steam navigation. In this capacity, with
many growing manufactures 1t continued
TO increase, till railroads turned the cur
rent Of travel and trade. Once its citl-
zens Iondly expected the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad would terminate al their
wharf, and at once make It the great
point Of transit commerce between the At
iantic and Mississippi Valley, and tx It as
the head oinRVigation. But the BRlt-
more road came too slowly, and arrived
Just In time TO meet the general opening
Of the Railway system and the reduction
of the River navigation TO It's present Sec
ondary and common place condition. So
Wheeling haf TO turn wholly 10 manutac.
turing, and abandon the transit trade.
With this change 1t has grown and de-
Veloped Q source OF wealth in It's native
mineral advantages, never dreamed OF In
It's earlier days, and only entered upon
now, Glass and iron are produced in
quantities only limited by the capital at
command. The latter Is worked from the
ore into every useful form conceivable.
These are the chief products, but with
them there is Q vast industry employed In
other branches; as well as the trade Conse'
uuent upon extended manufactures. -
In the manufacture Of iron and glass
with bltumenous coal, the smoke 10 un-
limited in volume and density; % that
those who live here expect to be dirty, and
have the beauty OF everything marred BY
the universal blackness. But the dweueTs
in this cloud fight It manGully; and paint
and Whitewash are made available for q
decent covering for the buildings, while
soap and little powder for the faCsl re-
deem their personal appearance from
ways that are dark"
The city ia well built for utility and
pretty well policed for comfort; the streets
are well paved and kept clean as the cir.
cumstances will admit-one Of those cir
tcumstances being the presence OF an
abundance OF pigs, who enjoy the iull
freedom Of the city. After twenty years
residence In this country, | find 1t difficult
to conceive (unless l see them) OF a SOW
with brood OF pigs deliberately inVest-
eating every gutter and pavement In the
principal streets Of city oi 10000 or q
huge porker quietly cooling himself In q
puddle Rs saw one at the crossing OF
Market and Monroe streets oil that city.
But habit has made them scarcely noti-
cable here; and where the streets are
paved Il makes but little difference, while
Il Is an inlolersble nuisance In alleys and
the new streets.
But there is compensation the world
over; and the healthy activity OF buslne9s
and free, hearty manner Of the people
make this a desirable place, sandwltched
between Pennsylvania and Ohio, Wheel
ing has never been much affected by Vir-
pinia habits and manners. There are a
lew old Virginia families here, and there
were once Q SieW slaves; but TO the stranger
It has always been like the free State
towns along the river; and labor has mover
failed to command respect Now the
skilled workman Is the aristOcrat. Tho
trade here Is very largely with Ohio;
though the rapid growth Of the country
along the Baltimore s. Ohio road has
opened up iobbing trAdeofp no mean pro:
portions, extending over 8 great part oi
The new State, the Western part Of which
is developing unlimited wealth In itsmin.
erals. This whole country iS filling up
very rapidly, and will soon vie with New
England Ia density Of population; Whilelt
uniies great mineral resources with RBoil
that Is lar above the average for fertility,
and has a capacity for sustaining greater
population than any Eastern State.
want to make letter or two more,
descriptive Of points on the river. ] viii
therefore close this, feeling that our coli
umns are already filled for this week.
LEFT TnE CoUNTY.-We learn from