The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-08-25

parallel ridges oft Appalachian chain
These, at first, and through the greater
part of Pocahontas, press close upon it!
channel; but gradually widen out and
make room tor the fine plateau o.
fertile undulating lands of the Umbra
rock, that We see IN the county oi
Green brier. Farther on, this stream flows
into the New river ard we look along
the remarkable stream as it runs
up to the northwest through SUNNI ers
and Fayette to its confluence with the
Gauley, with which 1t forms the Grea,
Kanawhs. 1t is emphaticslly cross
stream, rising in the Iron mountains
North Carolina, and running across the
Blue Ridge, or Poplar Camp mountains,
and across the valley of southwestern
Virginia, across East river and Peters
mountain, on the borders of West Vir-
ginia; ard here, at the mouth Of the
Green brier river, where we have just met
it, cutting, almost at right angles, into
the great cOnglomerate sandstone, and on
and across it to its confluence with the
Gauley. 1t is here, at Hinton, in Sum-
mers county, 1864 feet above the level
of the sea, but White Oak mountain, that
overlooks it on the south. and Big Sewell
on the north, are from 800 to 1900 feet
higher. We feel that this deep
channel could not have been cut
through these solid rocks by the
free of such currents as now How Lalong
it, and are led back TO the time when it
was first opened by the uphesval that
brought the great cosglomorate and all
the superintendent wealth of deposits,
which SO magnliicently fitted this region
torthe home of man where A-arats were
lifted above the ocean, and channels were
opened, and waters receded and dry land
appeared.
We pass down the channel of the
new river and find the great congl glomer-
ate dipping with its course fifty feet TO
the mile, much faster than the river, and
at the falls of ksnawha, some sixty miles
nor invest, sinking entirely beneath its
bed. TO be seen no more in this direc-
ton till it out crops again on the opposite
margin of the great coal basin in Ohio.
Passing through this rock the channel OF
the New river Tor more than forty miles, is
u wild and rugged canon, whose SCARED
and contorted sides rise IN Hreclptous
cliffs, as in the Hawks Nest, some 500
feet above its rocky bed, and mount back
into the still loitier submits OF The Gauley,
the Big Sewell and other mountains
which impart to the scenery grsnduer
and msgnifcence but seldom found east
OF the Rocky Mountains.
Northeast and southwest OF this canon
region, the uplitted margin of our great
coal bed spreads out in a wide plateau,
rising in the White Oak and Fiat Top
moutains, on the east, SO or 1000 teet
and in the Hawks Nest, on the west,
more than 500 feet above the bed Of the
river, and stretching away over the east
crn part of the counties OF Nc.
Dowel, Wyoming. Fayette, Nicholas and
Webster. 1t is, emphatcally, the
region of "brooks OF water, OF fountains
and depths that spring out of valley
hlll"-tor here arise the many rivuiets
that make the rivers, which so coplously
water this northeast incline Of the state.
Here, bursting out and swelling up from
myrads of springs, are the fountain
heads of the Big Sandy, the Guysndottc,
the Biz Coal, the Meadow, the Gauley,
the Elk and the Little kanawha 1t is a
high and wide stretch Of undulating
rlades, studded with hills that sweep up
here and there, into lofty mountains, and
gather the mist that goes up Incessantly
to water the earth. AS we look over it,
we realize the Scripture picture OF "Cat'
tie upon thousand hills" and hear the
hum of bees sounding with the hum OF
human hands,
West of this remarkable plateau, and
crowding down to the very banks OF the
Ohio river, is "A broad eXpanse OF lofty
hills. that are spread out northeast and
southwest, with the course Of the river,
and tor the whole length of the state.
Their soft and rounded outlines, orderly
confusion and endless multiplication
make them the characteristic feature OF
the state, and justify us in calling il
the land of hills, which 'the deep hath
set up on high, with her rivers running
round about their feet, and sent out little
rivers unto all their sides" Ex. 3l-4.
Solomon. it ia said, spoke Of trees,
from the cedar tree that Is IN Lebanon
even unto the hyssop that springeth out
of the wall" As great and patriotic
ruler, he gathered and dittused lnforms'
tor concerning everything that was con.
nccted with the prosperity and
wealth of his land. And surely, as we
look over West Virginia and see tha,
OF its l66i0,OO0 acres Of mountain, hill
and valley. 100000 acres Of it is still
covered with maiden forest, we feel that
here il A source OF material wealth that
NAV not be passed in silence From our
point of view, we discover that the older
settled counties which lie along the
eastern border OF the state and up 10 the
verge OF the great conglomerate have
been comparatively stripped Of their tim,
Der and sweeping along the channels OF
the more inviting streams, we can trace
winding belts Of cultivation which show
US that here too, the "aNman has been
abroad" and the timber has been cut and
RATED away 10 the marts OF commerce
But over all the rest-two thirds Of the
stste-the forests predomins.e, and only
! mere anu busCe pdt0HSn Va 'SNS~' S'N~
break the gloom Of forest grandeur
that rests upon the prospect.
These forests tell us that, almost every
where the land il rich-for the trees ar'
20 dense, and so tall, and so vide II
diameter. that none but n highly fertile
soil could have grown them. Oaks 20
feet high, and from 4 To ! feet IN diam
e,er: walluts - feet high, and from u
9 feet in diameter; poplau from 10 y
l4O feet in diameter, and 80 foet higi
without a limb-trees like these do ns
grow in poor lands.
About the heatwsters Of the Green
brier, we see some magnificent forests o
white pine (piHus sfrObls), cutting from
twenty To forty thousand fee; 70 the scre
and round about the head wsters Of tn
Chsa,, Elk, ard Gsuley, skd scattered
ALI through the northern AiIeghshies II
the shaded holows and on the hishel
platesus ;here are abundant are.s OF th
blsck fir (abeGs nigrG) or black spruce,