The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-10-01
ARKANSAS EDITORS
Opinion of Our Section Of West
Virginia. ylr. Jacob StOt1er's
Impressions of Marion. Mon.
Onsalia a nd Preston Counties

Impressions of Marion. Mon.
onealia and Preston Counties
From letters written in Kingwood,
by Mr. Jacob Stotler, one of the edi
tors of the Emporia (Kansas)
Ne,es, and published in that paper,
We take the following extracts:
West Virginia is a constant sur
prise TO us. Travelling on the rail
road one sees the worst part of it.
Back from the railroad extensive far
ming operations are carried on. 1t
is a fact that the best corn we have
found since leaving Kansas is found
along the road leading from Fair
mont, in Marion county, to Morgan
town, in Monongalia county, a dis
lance of twenty miles. Our farmers
will be surprised, no doubt, to learn
that in many of the fields, which are
much greater in number and extent
than we had expected, the stalks
stood ten feet high, are of luxuriant
growth and healthy color, and a
great proportion of them bear two
ears. The corn is just coming into
the roasting ear season. The fields
often run up on the mountain sides
where certainly no Kansas farmer
would think ofventuring with a team.
The extent to which this crop is
grown was one of the surprises, and
its large size and appearance was an
other. We were told by farmer that
yield of sixty bushels to the acre is
not uncommon. And better yet, corn
brings a much better price here than
in Kansas. 1t is seldom below forty
ceNs per bushel, and from that to
sixty and seventyfive cents. limo
Thy is extensively raised on the
slopes. There is none Of what we
call bottom land We are feeding
upon the largest and finest potatoes
we ever saw They do well here.
Apples, pears and plums are raised
in great abundance. They do not
seem to grow large but the trees are
literally loaded with fruit. We see
sugar cane, and all sorts of vegeta-
bles are abundant. Honey is also
plenty. The season is full month
behind Kansas, but if anybody has
formed the opinion that West Vir
ginia is barren country a trip here
and an Investigation of the country
living back from the railroad will
open their eyes to their mistake in a
hurry.
But the best has not been told.
West Virginia's greatest source of
wealth lies in her mountains and on
top of them. Hidden under the sur
face are coal and iron ore in endless
supply, and on the surface are mil
lions of acres Of the finest timber in
the world. We presume there would
be no exaggeration in the assertion
that in the counties Of Marion, Mon
ongalia and Preston, over which we
have been travelling for several days,
the wealth in the mountains is equal
to that of the same number Of acres
anywhere in Colorado or New Mexi-
co. In the neighborhood Of Laurel
Point and Pierpoint meeting house,
Monongalia county, there are three
successive veins of coal, seven, nine
and eleven feet in thickness. The
people use coal in their houses, and
it is almost equal in quality to the
famous Pennsylvania hard coal.
They also have soft coal in abund
ance. The matter of fuel is mere
triae in the cost of living here. We
heard of man the other day who
bought a good wagon load of coal at
the bank for fifty cents. 1t is fur
nished at from 50 to Sc per hundred
bushels. Fine timber is being cut
and shipped to Pittsburgh and other
points. Trees forty, fifty and sixty
feet long are felled and trimmed to
the square and hauled by OK team or
horses to the Monongahela, and
thence RATED to market. Single
trees often bring as much as $50, $75
and $50. / was told of one the other
day which brought about 500. The
immense oaks, poplars, chestnuts,
etc., are found from four to six feet
in diameter.
This country has gone on for over
a hundred years in the primitive and
slow ways of humanity. Of course
there is much improvement in many
things. What is wanted now is the
infusion of northern enterprise and
energy, and with these few more
railroads. The people here are ready
and anxious for both to come. We
have been almost exclusively among
republicans, and have heard Of but
one or two Democrats among the i'm
mediate relatives Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas Murdoch, who are not repub-
licans. Preston and Monongalia
counties are republican, and Marion
is close county. The people, while
they cling to many of the old ways,
are intelligent and economical-liv
ing almost entirely on their own pro-
ducts-exceedingly religious, plain
of manner and speech, and the
most friendly and hospitable / have
ever met. After all, it is men and
women that make an empire, and the
foundation of a rich, and at no distant
day, prosperous state, is laid in
West Virginia, in the intelligence
and virtue of her people. Many
railroad projects are discussed for