The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-09-01
LETTER FROM MARTINSBURG
MARTINSBURG, Aug. 2G.

1.-THE Eastern an-handle" lies SO re-
mote from other sections Of the misshapcn
State of West Virginia that some Of the
good people are apt to forget that it be-
longs to ''this young and vigorous COM
monwealth,' (as the Governors messages
have always styled it, but those of the
citizens who have examined the Auditors
reports and learned the amount of State
taxes paid by Berkeley, Jefferson and
Morgan counties, generally conclude that
these counties do belong to West Viz
ginia and that it is good thing for the
remainder of the State that they are in
cludcd within its irregular boundary.
1t puzzles the school teachers to likcn
the map of West Virginia to anything
in the heavens above, the earth beneath,
or the waters under the earth. 1t Is
not embraced in the Mosaic definition
of things idolatrous, though my friend
Gallahcr, of the CharleslOwn Free Press,
! insists that the map of the State bears
some resemblance to the head OF IN cle-
phant, Jefferson county being ut the end
of the prubOscs or Snout. l can see 1t.
, But | wanted to speak of tinsburg.
! There is no other town in the State that
has grown so rapidly and substantially
since the war us this. In fact, Il Mar
tinSburgcr almost rescntS the Use of the
word town. rs applied to the place of
his residence, and insists that City" is
the proper term, and that it be spelled
with a capital &. 1t has OutgrOwn the
childish names of village and town, and
like budding miss of seventeen or there
abouts, insists on assuming airs of I'M
pOrtance and looking down upon her
more tardy municipal sisters in other
portions of the State. With her present
population of more than six thousand,
MartinSburg already ranks as the third
place in size in West Virginia, and, if
tn. present ratio of growth should con-
tnue little while longer, she will pass
Parkersburg, and take her place as Sec
ond only TO Wheeling in population and
commercial importance.
The close of the war ithc era from
which everything in West Virginia is
now dated found Martinsdurg Strug-
Cling town of perhaps two Thousand i'll
hadtantS. The people were, however,
thrifty and cnterprising; they worked
hard To make fortunes for themselves,
and they invited others to come in and
help them. The soil of Berkeley county
produced enough to feed Il hundred thou
sand people and everybody was
welcome to earn his share of the
product. A number Of Germans We're
attracted hither by the fertility of the
soil and the prospect for Improvement;
u D. L.,
located here one of their largest shops;
and Martinsburg soon come to be looked
upon throughout all this region as n
thriving, industrious and cntcrprising
place The city is situated on ridge,
or rather several ridges Of limestone,
which is so thinly covered with soil that
the sharp and ragged edge laS Bc"chcr
would saw protrudes in almost every
citizens backyard The trenches for the
gas and water pipes (for Martin>burg has
BOTH have been cut through solid lime
stone, and all the streets have
the appearance of being newly
Macadamized. Dig where You will,
blue lime stone turns up, and on some OF
the streets it has only been necessary to
smooth the surface, the solid rock furnish
ing the requisite bed. Here and there,
where the limestone lodges stand up, as
they often do, totally destitute OF soil,
they have been whitewaShcd and made
to serve us ornaments rather than blem-
iShes Of the private grounds IN
which they rear their heads. The
limestone is the most striking feature OF
Martinsburg in the eye Of stranger.
When the general confagration Is over,
MartinSburg may he relied upon to fur
niSh enough lime to whitcwaSh all West
Virginia, and spread it on reasonably
thick
The water works. of which every en-
tcrprising Martinsburger is bound to
speak with pride, are constructed upon
the Holly system" and cmbody all the
latest improvements. The machinery Is
very handsome and powerful, and Is very
carefully tended.
The water supply is drawn from two
large and unfailing springs which, 1t Is
estimated, will furnish abundant water
for twenty thousand people, and the
Tuscarora creek furnishes the power that
drives the works. The pipes are Of sheet
: iron laid in beds of cement and are
I said to be stronger and more dura-
bic than those of caSt-iron. The whole
works. including pipes and all
cost the very moderate sum OF S9o'o'o
and are operated ut an annual expense
! Of $1,000. The force is sufficient TO
: throw rs many streams us may he desired
/ over the roof of the highest building IN
the city and, by IN ingenious automatic
arrangement, the supply is regulated
by the demand the pipes beng kept
constantly full.
The water works were erected during
the mavoraltv of Major A. z. Shut, OF
J the Berkeley House, we'll known to many
of the readers Of the REGISTER aS Tor
long time Il popular conductor on the b.
/ X .. railroad To his enterprise and en-
crgv of such widc-awake citizens rs the
. Faulkners and others, and by the
active cooperation Of the Dd'ty mae
pendent, the progress and Improvement
J of MartinSburg are largely due.
=Mcssrs. Logan Il Wisner publish daily
. a very newsy and readable paper, which
cYertS an excellent influence in aid OF
every important scheme of municipal
good. The only topic on which it is not
deemed entirel v reliable relates to fishing
for bass in the Potomac. grieve to say
that when this is mentioned Wisner for
gets all about G. W. and his little
Ratchet, and INDUCES in most marvellous
untruthS.
Nomi nations for the House of Dele.
gates have not yet been made in Berke,
ley county and it is impossible to say
upon whom the choice will fall. Ii