The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-05-27
FROM GRAFTON TO PARKERS-
BURG.
A chat on Matters OF Interest Along
the II. q d.


The traveller who is hurried through
the State 1T the rate Of forty miles sn
hour and has 10 eye for the country
through which be passes, and no ears for
tie stray bits OF gossip which can be
heard on sill sides, loOses a great amount
of pleasure. and misses an opportunity OF
storing up much useful information. To
enjoy the ride and to see the country and
the people, let him take the way train.
We know it is slow travelling, but for
that reason we prefer it.
The country lying between Grafton
and Parker. burg is, perhaps, not me most
interesting portion Of Western Virginia
and yet it presents many things worthy
of consideration.
Some of the best coal IN the State is
found between Grafton and Wolf Sum
nit. West of that place no coal Is
mined but at almost any and every
point esst coal is produced. At Fleming
ton there are several mines already
opened and new vein Of coal has just
been found and is being mined. 1t Is
from seven to nine feet thick The mine
is under the supervision Of Mr.. Goedeke
and is leased by company for ten years.
At Carksburg aud vicinity there are
several more and another large vein has
been opened about half mile east Of
Wolf Summit from which it is the in
tontion OF the proprietors TO supply the
local trade,
Good farms are scattered on the line Of
the road to Tollgate From theje the
land is rough and hilly, and no farming
lands are found until the Little Kama
wha or Ohio Valley is reached. The
character of the country Is apparent
from the number of tunnels. Between
Grafton and ParkersbuTs there are
twenty-.hrec, and at one place five tun.
nels in the short space Of three miles.
In Taylor and Harrison counties the
best farm are seen. The grass is further
advanced at present than IL usually is by
the middle OF June. Wheat is in an eI-
cellent condition and at no point along
ths road could we hear complaint OF rust
or any other injury to the wheat from
tho late rains and cold spell. On the
contrary, the general report is that the
cold and rain have done more good than
harm. 1t was feared by many farmers
that the wheat would be too far sd-
vanCed, and that the sap would 90 TO the
overrrowth, but the cold weather checked
the excessive growth and allowed the sap
to 90 TO the heads. We noticed very
fine field Of wheat in Doddridg3 county
belonging to Mr.. L. Langitt.
~, i I,,p0r uall fhOtu N
some farmers say that apples are falling
of. Corn is about all planted.
Farmers, since the panic OF 1873, in
stead of handling picks and shovels,
have taken to improving their farms
and have made themselves more pros.
porous and independent. What shame
il has been that men with large unCultl-
vsted farms have had to purchase nee.
essares, where, with little labor, they
could haye produced much better. The
crops in the last two years have been
larger than heretofore and will this year
surpass them al.
Our farmers are in very truth the only
prosperous people in the State. All
along the line OF the road the cry of hard
times ls heard. AT Clsrksburg business
is dead and l was assured bys well in
formed gentleman that many families are
near starvation. At Parkersburg the
same cry is heard. Said one OF Parkers-
burg's best citizens, 81 am surprised to
see how some OF our people manage to
get along. Large families and low
wages were it not that during the flush
times OF the oil excitement many Of our
people secured homes for themselves they
would now be beggars." SAID another,
you would be surprised 10 sec
some of our Irish families; you
could scarcely imagine how they manage
to exist. And yet, sir, they are very
proud The Catholic priest has opened
a free school Tor his people, and do You
know they are too proud to send their
children to it, but prefer sending them
20 the Academy" At Grafton YOU csa
hear the same cry, but in comParison
with Clarksburg aud Parkersburg, times
must be considered flush here.
A great deal of interest is manifested
in politics aud politicians. The dark
horse would ike to represent the First
/ Congressional District, but will have but
few followers In the Convention. The
course pursued by the dark ho:se'
when last in Congress hardly
gave universal satisfaction. Uncle
Ben Wilson has represented ms Constitu-
ents too faithfully and too zeslousiy
to be lightly put aside. Ben. is one OF
the hardest workers in the House. Be-
sides performing an immense amount of
committee work, Ben. Is often beard
from on the floor OF the House, and al
WAYS hits the nali on the head. \ gem
tlemsn from Washington tod NE That
Ben. Is the working member OF the Com
miltee on Foreign Affairs, and tba: one
evening when he 90 led on him he found
Ben. pouring over manuscript Of some
1900 pages.
We nave hesid thst the Hon. J. j..
Davis Is not disposed 10 make any pledges
or promises; that he is }. j. Davis, and
the people, il they want HIM, must take
him as ne II. untrammelei. In answer 10
me question if he cid not consider himself
bound BY the platform OF party winch
nomlna,eI him. He Is said to haYe
answered mo. not unless was specially
ca led upon for my opinion"
In the Second Congressional district
the contest will be hot between Martin
and Faulkner. Mr.. Martin is growing
anxious, and Mr.. Faulkner is hard At
work, but the chances are In Martins
favor.
The csndidats (or the various State
and county othcerssre announcing them
selues and II WnulI be had TO say which