Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-05-17
OF WEST yIR-
GINFA.
A TALK WITH GOV. MATHEWS

y AIN w IL WV. A<A ALL w -.
PRoGREss OF THE STATE IN POPULATION,
WEALTH AND ADMINISTRATORS
,fENrs TO NORTHERN SETTLERS.
New York Tribune.l
Governor Mathews, of West Virgin
ia, spent a few days in the city recently,
the adjournment of the Legislature OF
his State giving him an opportunity of
enjoying brief season of rest and rec,
reation. lie is a man of about 40, Of
medium stature, with brown hair, side
whiskers and mustacht, and cOunte
nance whose healthy color bespeaks a
good digestion and fondncss for out
door exercise. In its main outline his
face resembles that of Wade Hampton,
but his figure is shorter, more compact
and more alert than that of the South
Carolina hero. He is Democrat, of
course, aud is in the middle of teur
years, term TO which he was elected IN
1876 by a majority of $4,000. His
Democracy is Of the liberal and pro-
gressive school. He dcplores sectional
ism and rejoices that in West Virginia
there is now very little bitterness in
politics, and that men of the highest
character are found in both parties. y
representative Of the Tribune talked
with Governor Mathews the other day
on The condition, resources and pros.
poets of West Virginia, q State very
little known to Eastern people, although
lying almost at their doors.
I'VE estimate our present population
It 100000" said the Governor, "a gain
Of about G0,O0) since 1870 This gain
has been chiefly from the natural in
crease OF our own people. We have
had very little immigration not that
we lack plenty of room for more inhab-
itants. but the tide OF foreign emigrants
flows past us to the West. Recently
number of Swiss and ScandInayians
have come in, and their success will no
doubt bring more people OF these ma
tlonalities. Our mountain counties, with
their fertile valleys and upland pastures,
are particularly pleasing TO these peo-
pie, reminding them somewhat Of their
native countries One obstacle 10 i'm
migration has been the ownership Of
large tracts Of wild lands by few indi-
vidualS, who have kept them out OF the
market We have men who own as
much as 100000 acres each. These
big tracts are gradually getting broken
all rocky and sterile, by any means
The sides and tops are often fertile, and
you Lave only to clean off tho under
brush to get fine growth of blue grass.
The mountain lands are thus OF great
vaue for pasturage. The cattle and
sheep industries are developing rapidly.
Sheep do remarkably well on the noun
tain ranges, and the cheapness OF land
makes this industry especially attract
i've"
care the salt works in the Kauawha
Valley in operation now :"
Eyes; | believe they are doing tolera-
bly, well For time this industry was
greatly depressed, but it is picking up
rapidly"
ave hear very little of the West
Virginia petroleum fields Of late"
"a good deal of oil is still produced
in the neighborhood of Parkersburg,
but it comes from wells Of small capaci-
ty, and the business has lost its specula
tive character The yield of the old
wells has fallen Of, and few new ones
are being sunk
"You make a good deal Of iron in
your State, l suppose ?"
"Wheeling is one of the chief iron
making cities in the country. 1t turns
out yearly more than one-third of all
the nails in the United States, and fully
oue-fhh Of the annual production of the
entire world. Wheeling is also heavily
interested in the manufacture OF glass,
which it ships everywhere-even to
London Brazil and Australia are
among the best markets for our glass.
One feature of this industry is rather
singular Our manufacturers makes the
beautiful glass chandeliers which have
become 50 fashionable of late, but they
import the cut-glass pendants from
Switzerland, where the peasants make
them by hand cheaper than they can be
made by machinery in this country.
Many OF these chandeliers are sent TO
London, so the pendants make two yoy-
ages across the ocean. Speaking Of the
iron business, there are now important
works at QUinnamont, on the Chesa-
peake aud Ohio Railroad. Valuable
deposits of ore have been found on New
River, on the line between Virginia and
West Virginia. These are manganese
ores, from which Spiegeleisen and 8es-
semer steel can be made at price far
below the ordinary cost OF manufac-
ture."
"Are your coal fields being worked"
"To a much greater extent than form
erly since the opening of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Road. We have more coal
in proportion TO our territorial extent
than any other State in the Union, and
a much greater variety, too. We have
bituminous, splint, semi-cannel, camel
aud a peculiarly fine CRATE coal known
as Campbell's Creek coal. Many new
mines have been opened lately and are
being worked. Our State is wonder.
fully endowed with natural wealth. /
have not spoken OF our lumber interests,
which are quite important We have
white and yellow pine in abundance