The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-08-04

valuable. A good quality Of cokine coal II
found on Ralston's Run, where Q furnace
has been erected, but which 10 now out n
blast Tor lack Of railroad facilities. All
kinds OF timber, suCh 40 oak, walnut, ash,
locust, poplar, birch, peech, sugar, maple,
hickory and other valuable species abound
in this region, Limestone, glass, sand and
fire clay are among the products OF this
sectisn. Between Mt. Morria and Nor
RantoWn the country 10 somewhat TouRheI
than about O%ArmichAsls, bat seated be-
hind 9 pair Of tTusty mules the trip
was taken with safety and comparative
ease. On SCOTS Run and Roblnson's
Ran are extensive veins Of cokina
coal similar in quality to that mined 81
Conellsvills, but with greater thickness oil
the vein and within over ten miles short
or distance to Pittsburgh. All the bills
along the route between the points named
are underlaid with this superior desCrip'
ton oil soft coal, there icing three veins
Of the thickness respectively Of three, i've
and eleven feet, while the thickest vein Of
Oonellsvills Is but nine feel, Deposits
Of superior quantity and quality oil
iron ore that would be valuable with rail-
road facilities exist around MorgAntown,
and something like eighty years ago there
were i've or tiE blast furnaces put In oper,
alton in Morgantown, working natural
ores. These have CONS out OF blast, owing
10 the expense OF transportation, but the
rslighting OF the fires would quickly fol.
low the construction OF q railroad. Coke
10 extensively manufactured Of Grafton
and FGiEmont, on the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, and q furnace 10 In operation at
Grafton, while the character oil the ore
and coal deposits at these places Is the
same as OF Morgantown.
At the last named place, whore we re-
NAMED over night, We found the people
intensely excited over the subject Of rail
roads. The citizens Of MoTgAntoWn con.
clude that they have been isolated long
enough, and are determined TO reach the
outside world In some direction. 1t may
be said In general terms that the railroad
fever peFvRdes the State, and the feeling
OF MorgIntoWn 10 but az index Of that
exhibited throughout West Virginia, The
people realize that 30 vast q section "a
their Stale comprises with such an abund'
ance Of coal and ore and timber and graz
ing lands, only needs development 10 rank
It among the foremost wealth producing
regions 10 the country. They have abund.
ant grounds for the faith that West Vlr.
ginia exceeds even Colorado in the value
Of its mineral and timber lands. Charters
for railroad enterprises are daily being ap.
piled for and issued for oil parts OF the
State, and railroad meetings are almost as
frequent ~ political gatherings In
Tho haak ~ kha pRaaiNaaIia naonnainn
Money 10 being subscribed aud donations
Of land are being offered In every county
10 the State. The railroad excitement
about Pittsburgh pAles lie Intellectual fires
before the greater glow OF enthusiasm In
the New Dominion" Railroad facilities
are the pressing need Of the times, and
the people are bound they shall come II
their zeal and liberality are to count for
anything. OF oil the projected routes
through the State, mi 10 more feasible
or has acquired a better status than the
Pittsburgh Southern. The company has
been rendered coal and timber lands In al
most every county from MorgAntown 10 the
White Sulphur Springs, the donations in
some cases embracing hundreds OF thous.
ans oil acres, while the subscriptions in
The counties Of M%onOngalls, Marion and
Harrison alone aggregate S460,000, and
6lO0 900 ls offered on %Buckhannon river,
in Upshur county.
AT Morgantown we met General Stur.
giss, ex Senator Wiley, Colonel FairChild
and Mr.. HaRaDs, all oil whom are inter.
esied 10 railroad projects having for their
object the connection Of Morgantown
with the outside world. They take q
friendly interest In the Pittsburgh South
ern and appreciate the advantages OF a
line that Is thirty miles shorter to Pitts.
burgh than the Monongahela river. So
much in earnest are The people Of Nor.
gantown 10 Obtaining railroad Communi.
ton that our party was rendered O aere.
made &c a token OF the favor with which
the proposed road 10 Pittsburgh IL regard
ed. Mo'gAntoWn Is the seat OF the Uni
yerSity Of West Virginia, and Is a beauti-
ful place, situated In q picturesque country
which can be seen Tor miles In every
direction from the high parts Of the town.
With the completion OF the Government
dam Ia the Monogahela River navigation
will be opened 10 Pittsburgh Home time
next year. The people are not satisfied
with the slack water, however, aud moth.
Ing will put them Ia an equabte frame oil
mind short Of a railroad by the most di
rect route. M%orRantown 10 quite 0 sum.
mer resort for P~IttsburRhers, with oil It's
ln1CCessibility, and we found Of the lead
ing hotel Magnus Pilaum, N. Bigger aud
wife, Mrs. Wetter, II. PeaSe and wife, @
Church, A. Fisher, s Haney, +. Estep, T
Slocun, aud several others who are spend.
Ing some time there for recreation.
From Morgantown In the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad, which traverses West Vir.
GINA east and west, the Pittsburgh South.
ern has the choice Of two routes: Up
Dents Run reaching the road at Fairmoni,
a distance u 10 miles, or up Decktr's
Greek 10 Grafton, about Is miles. Our
party took the Dent's Run route 10 Fair.
mont, passing thfoHgh fertile lands under.
laid with thick veins Of q superior quality
Of coal. The line Of communication be.
tw MorgantoW n and FAirmoRt 10 what
la known as a mud pike II Is q toll
road, but not macadamized. The toll
gate at Morgantown is in charge Of
4 colored man, who keeps the road
closed by means oil a hickory pole resting
on a pivot and stretched acroes, until
he gets his tribute, which for q team
amounts 10 three cents. That Africans
income IL slow, but sure. Driving Y
this 70 d we were met at every turn BY
people coming to camp meeting. They
were 10 wagons, In Cafrifges, on horse
back and Oh loot; In plA,oons, In squad
rooms, and In single file. II seemed as
though the whole church militant was on
the move, with cavalry, infantry and bag.
gaee wagons. Rural swains and mountain
maidens In their best bib and tucker were
conspicuous In the throng, showing that
the youth and beauty Of West Virginia
are enlisted Ia the cause Of religion. The
long procession was conclusive evidence
that The country was p~opulouS and pIous,
and this 10 a great incentive 10 railroad
building, az the population generally
has 10 follow the railroad instead u
he railroad seeking out the people.
At FairmOnt other engagements called
the moneyed men oil Gotham away, and
the party was disbanded for a lev days.
Ia. . ~ nae. al. .