The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-22
Kanawha valley Prospects.

| TUE bome ume past We nave Deen op
serving, rather carefully, the status o.
affairs politically in the great KnnawhI
valley. The Third Congressional District
which has its political and intellectual
centre at Charleston, the once noted
permanent seat" socalled, OF our STATE
Government, embraces a large and i'm
poHant portion Of the area Of the State
The people Of that section ArS peculiar
aud we think that we DO not put It toe
strong when We say that they are selfish
and in some respects, hidebOund. They
have ever since the organization Of the
State persistently refused to fellowship
with those citizens OF the State who, nc.
cOrding To their idea, were unfortunate
enough to be born north Of the Balh
more and Ohio railroad. They have
regularly and systematically opposed the
Drift Of public sentiment in this locality
and indeed We may say in the entire
Northwestern portion Of the State, for nc
other reason than the fact that our people
hereabouts are keeping abreast OF the
times and are moved by the spirit Of pro.
Uess, intellectually and otherwise, Of our
neiShbors across the river. According to
the IDEAS which prevail in the Kanawha
Valley, We, Of this locality, are too greatly
inbred with Yankee notions, and the
Spiri! oil progress which pervades 1.-THE
universal Yankee nation" to be worthy
Of tleir respect and confidence; and the
consequence Is, oilishness on their part,
whiG, for years, has amounted to any.
thing else than homogeneoNsness Of
feeling, action or enterprise between the
two great sections Of our State which
are divided by the Little KanawhA river.
TboS north OF the river mentioned are
identified with northern ideas aud enter
prises, while those south Of It have pinned
their fortunes to the "solid South" and
will continue to hang so long as that
institution has vitality enough TO wiggle.
We have again and again counseled against
sucha suicidal course by the citizens Of
the Great Kanawha Valley, but 10 no pur.
pose, The people Of the northwest are
not 10 blame; they have gone straightior-
wRrL without regard 10 sectional strife,
and have prosPered, while those who
have opposed them are but little In al.
vance Of their condition at the CLOSE Of
the ltO civil war. To prosper, individ.
uals must be generous, liberal and
enterprlsing. In this intellectual, pro-
gres've age, no individual, or locality,
eau prosper by encouraging race ieuds or
DIMINISHING upon the superiority Of classes,
exccp: upon the basis Of intellectual and
monI qualifications. Our fellow.citizers
Of the Great Kanawha Valley will, after
while, learn these things, and will, no
doubt, cut themselves loose from present
surroundings and go TO work, In real earn.
est, to develop their resources and be
happy and prosperous people.
kThey have coal in abundance in that 10.
cality. They have timberoi the very best
qualities, and in endless varieties. They
have iron ore in paying quantities. They
hare salt. They have what will ultimately
become a trunk railroad, and they have
splendid water navigation. They have
everything necessary to make them
wealthy. What they want to do is TO 70.
to work themselves, and encourage capital
and labor to locate in their midst, to assist
them in the development Of their resurces.
1t should make no difference to them
whether capitalists come from tho North
or the South. The question should never
DO asked where man comes from, II he
come Tor the purpose Of taking stock in
coal and timber lands, or todelve In mines
Or salt wells, Wesay these things should DO
80, but We are sorry to say they arc not 50.
We are credibIy informed by men
who know, that only a very few
lrms are now solvent and carrying on
business in the Valley, out OF the large
lumber who have gone TO that locality
rom ths north, since the war, and invested |
heir money In coal, salt, timber and the
ike. And why this state Of affairs? We