The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-26

2Utl Of N0Vemper luLOMlnks meAhAh4S
q Legislature Of the 4Reorganized Coy
eminent Of Virginia. profesedly duly
elccted,a convened July gay at Wheel
ing, elected two United States Senators,
and passed several acts for carrying on
the war and the State government, ~
OF which was afterward ratified " III
almsst unanimous vote OF the people
who voted. This convention oil Noyem-
Der 20, 1851, framed new eo .Ua M.!o d
which was approved BY tue voters my .,
1862, On the 18th OF May the Legisia,
ture gave lis consent TO the formation Of
n new State within the Jurisdiction oil
Virginia. The consent Of Congress was
wit6held, however, until clause was
inserted in the proposed constitution pro-
yiding for the gradual emancipation OF
the slaves. This was soon done, and on
the 3lst OF December, 1852, President
Lincoln approved the act oil Con:
gresa. On the 18th Of May a general
election for the new State government
was held, and on the Goth Of June, 1873,
It was duly organized at Wheeling. The
consenting State Of Virginia and the new
State Of West Virginia were, Of course,
only distinguished by fiction OF law:
They were really the same territory and
neonIe. The action, as I have said, was
revolutionary, but 10 keep up the fiction,
Governor Peirpoint transferred the gov
eminent OF the "Old Dominion" first to
Alexandria, and finally, after the war and
| by support Of its decision, to Richmond.
As State, therefore, West Virginia has
but brief history, and we can say but
Little OF her growth in population-un-
| less we 20 back TO a period anterior to
her separation. The earliest migrations
10 the State were little over q century
ago. Al first they were arrested BY the
great barrier Of the Allegheny Moun=
1ains-and Of course the Tier Of conn
ties constituting our eastern border
were the first settled, Then, following
the line Of the early military expedi-
tions, under Gen. Braddock, across the
Laurel hill TO the head waters Of the
Ohio, and afterwards under Gen. Lewis,
into the valley OF the Great Kanawha,
we find many hardy adventurers pushing
their way into these. more accessible re-
gions and maintaining perilous conflicts
with the yet Contrasting cred Man." As
early az 1878, we find Gen. Washington
advertising more than %, 900 acres oil land
on the Ohio and Great Kanawha, secured
to him by royal patents, and com.
mending them upon the ground that
should the "scheme Of establishing new
government on the Ohio, in the manner
talked, Of, ever be effected, these must be
the most valuable lands in It, not only on
account Of the goodness Of the soil and
other advantages enumerated, but from
their contiguity to the seat Of govern
ment. which, 1t is more than probable,
will be fixed at the mouth OF the Great
Kanawha. ......
THE CENSUS OF 1890
reports for the part Of the territory OF
Virginia, now consisting Of West Virgin
ia, a population Of 55,s73. In the first
following decade II increased IL per cent;
in the second, 81 per cent; in the third,
30 per cent; nthe fourth, 20 per cent;
in the fifth, p per cent; in the sixth, 80
per cent, in the seventh, or up to 1860, 20
per cent, with an aggregate population OF
37C,6SS souls. From 1860, to. 1870 she
passed through the desolatiug ordeal OF
the war. She was the border ground OF
the conflict, and her population was d.
yided and scattered North and South,
more than that OF any other State. Yet
she increased. despite OF all these draw
backs, more than II per cent during this
decade, or within 8 per cent OF the
average increase Of the United States, and
reports in the census OF 1870 total
population Of 4420l4.
The origin Of this population is unu-
sually heterogeneous. Thirty-four are from
Alabama; 81 from Arkansas; 10 from
California;lG6 from Connecticut; 1876 from
Delaware; 10 from Florida; rs from
Georgia; 100 from Illinois; 4OS from In.
diana; l7S from Iowa; IA from Kansas;
1888 from Kentucky; 70 from Louisiana;
l76 from Maine; 1898 from Maryland;
453 from Massachusetts,; 90 from Michi-
gan; % from Minnesota; 80 from Missis-
sippi; 3G2 from Missouri; 9 from Ne
braska; 2 from Nevada; 100 from New
j Hampshire; S42 from New Jersey; 1859
from New York; 1852 from North Caro-
lima; 12, 1874 from Ohio; 8 from Oregon;
5,407 from Pennsylvania; 81 from Rhode
Island; 100 from South Carolina; $50
from Tennessee; 81 from Texas: 149 from
Vermont; and 3S1 ,206 from Virginia.
1871 arc colored, and Of these, 1870
are from Virginia. OF her total popula.
ton, only 1901 are foreign born;
OF whom 6,2Sl are from the different
states Of Germany, 6,s32 from Ireland,
and 2,S77 from other parts Of Great Brit
ain. These numbers are taken from the
census Of 1870, and We recite them as in
teresting facts 10 the student Of sociology.
Evidently the type OF the West Virginia
lpopulation Is Virginian, but that type OF
| The. old State that was most adventurous
and progressive in its spirit and ready to
take q new step In social and political
life. During the eight decades enumerated
in the United States census reports, this
part OF the original State of Virginia has
included nearly the whole increase OF the
Joint population, and has evidently been
the great reservoir OF the outpouring i'm
migration Of the eastern portion OF the
common territory. In their new homes
they were at first contented with the sim
pie and frugal life OF hunters. To many
the dog and gun were the chief riches.
III Euld peEluN ~ WAtGh
large tracts Of land were battered
4 for bear, dog and rifle. Isolated
. in great measure from all ac-
cess to market, there was but lit
tic inducement to produce more than a
bare support for themselves. Besides
this the titles to the land were so uncer-
tain that even the more enterpris-
ing were deferred from improving
entries, which, in all probability, would
. become involved in litigation and, in
the end, prove to have been covered by
older warrants. The sparceness Of the set
Elements, tho difficulty of intercourse, the
, almost otaldestitution OF churches and.of
!, schools, and the thrlftless habits fostefed
. by the absence ofall stimulus to prodnc-
ton, with the want Of sympathy and 4
feeling Of common interest between the
eastern and governing part 81 the State,
and themselves, ii can be readily, under,
stood, why, with asteady increase otpop:
ulation, there was not correspondent
l;nhyaNRo nj anternriae and nrodnctinng