The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-08-04
A WEALTHY LAND.
TnE REsOUROEs OF wEsl VIRGINIA.
The Mecca Of Railroad BnIIders-MinsFal
wealth RiVaIiug COlOFAdO-TEiP
Over h Pittsburgh BOuth.
eFn RAilF0Ad, &c, DE.
P~itusurEh Telegraph,

eFn Railroad, 3e,, de.
Pittsburgh Telegraph,
FAlRMoET, W. Va, Auguat /.
A party consisting Of Hon. James II,
Hopkins, President, and Joseph Ramsey,
Jr,, superintendent Of the PltShurgh
Southern Railroad, q number Of New
York capitalists And.the undersigned, left
Pittsburgh on Friday morning last for .
tour Of inspection Of the lima Of the pro
posed narrow gauge railway, which is to
extend from Pittsburgh southwark to the
Chesapeake Ohio railroad at Grsenbrisr
White Sulphur Springs, u distance oil about
two hundred and forty miles. The obieCtoi
the excursion was to definitely select the
most feasible route for the entire road,
with q view OF putting 1t at once under
contract, With the exception oil the first
2S miles from Pittsburgh TO Virginia june
ton, ovsr which the road is now in oper-
alton, the journey has been made by
wagon, and must be 40 completed. Mr..
Hopkins had previously arranged Tor relays
Of horses at the vari rus stations along the
route, go that no time thus far has been
lost, save through the natural tardiness OF
the rural population, to whom time 10 Rp-
parsntly no object. The end Of the first
day found us az UsrmiChaels, tWenty.nine
miles from Virginia Junction aud ffty.two
miles from Pittsburgh, alter q very pleas.
ant drive through rich valleys and by the
highly cultivated and productive farms Of
Washington aud Greene counties. We
were met st Virginia Junction by Mr., Jos.
KsmmeTer, who drove US to Beallsyllle,
after stopping long enough at his hopiable
mansion o do justice 70 hia good cheer,
which wal provided In abundance and VI.
riety, The road Is graded and ready for
the iron TO Q point on the National pike
near Beallsyille, and the deniLsns OF that
~antiquated village are eagerly waiting the
advent OF the iron horse 10 awaken their
numbering business from the lsthSrgy
into which 1t has fallen since the abandon.
msnt oil the old pike "a a National high
way. This turnpike 10 historic ground,
and there is scarcely Q foot OF the road
from Cumberland TO Wheeling that does
not call to mind incidents OF interest 10 q
generation now passing away, Over this
famous highway, which has been likened
10 the AppiSn Way OF ancient Rtms,
passed the bulk Of the traffic between the
East and the West. Several Of our early
Presidents and such distinguished states
men as Henry Clay and Thomas L. Ben
ton were accustomed to 70 to and fro from
the National Capital bshind the spanking
teams which were the pride Of the road, and
rest at the wayside inns, now %tottering 10
decay. Beallsville was In former days.
point Of some importance, and Mr.. Hop.
kinB, who spent his youthful days among
its scsnes Of life and activity, was enabled,
after twenty years absence, 10 point ont
the landmarkso Of the good old times. On
opposite sides Of thB highway stand the
rival taverns oil the bygone days, provid
ing the same entertainments for man and
beast as OF yore, Al Fountain Hall, now
kept by a son Of William Greenfield, q
famous host Of the former time, stands a
huge watering trough, OF cut stone,
upon a pedestal, placed there when the
pike was the great artery, bearing the In.
scription;
"YIRrUR, LrBERrY AND I~NDPESDE cE
"FRRRDoM, EQUALITY AND EQUAL RrdHrs
"EREcTRD ny WILLIAM GREENFIELD.
"RIDE UP AND WATER"
The injunction contained In the last line
must be regarded az an index oil the broad
and practical b%enevolence OF The keeper
OF this ouce celebrated hostelry. A more
prolific, romantic and interesting field for
the historical writer 10 not To be iouna In
this country than In the old National pise.
and oil its traditions and Incidents ought
10 be treasured up for the instruction and
entertainment Of future generations Dol.
ThOmss B. searight, Of Uniontown, wboss
grea!eat pride IL that he 10 a pike boy, hss
promised such o work, and he 10 fully
competent TO do full justice to the subject,
but why he delays It's publication Ia one
OF those things no fellow can find out, IN.
less II Is that he IL too much absorbed In
matters oil present moment, His failure
TO meet the demand upon bis time and
talents 10 certainly to be regretted.
But this is something In the nature Of q
DEPRESSION, the object Of the trip not being
10 revive old associations or to delve In the
past ploties OF the grand old county OF
Washington, which has produced more
sheep and statesmen 10 the square mile
than any county 10 the United States, but
10 point 10 bright possibilities for the fu.
ture, when invested with the progress OF o
new sHe OF material prosperity. From
Virginia Juntion TO Carmichsels the oun
try along the route is OF unsurpassed
beauty and fertility. A railroad can be
constructed the entire distance at easy
grades and with but little expensive work.
On every hand fields Of golden grain, ripe
for The hand oil the ~husbandmAn, greet
the eye. The cattle and sheep are literally
gtszing on q thousand bills. Washington
county has always been famed for the
quantity and quality Ct lis wool produc.
ton, and some Idea Of the vast extent to
which sheep %husbandry is carried on will
be obtained by the reader when II Ia stat.
ed that The clip Tor the present season ex.
Ceeds 2,600,0 900 pounds. The adjoining
county OF Greene, trayersed BY the Pitts.
burgh Southern, is making rapid ttridesin
wool growing, the crUp for this year being
estimated at 1 100000 pounds. Four mil.
lion'pounds OF wool In these two counties
In one year is something enormous. The
lh0u uIUuku hl tllp tOhubII 10 tIu'A III
produc,iyeness to the finest farms Of Ian.
caster county and the Chester Valley, and
that, too, without the aid OF fertilizers.
The hills are all undetlsld With coal, and
heavy timber aboupds. The abundant
natural resources want IN outlet 10 q con.
~yenieut and %remunerative market. There
"a not a.ioot Of the Pittsburgh Southern
Railroad from Plttsbutgh TO the confines
Of Pennsylvania, or to Mofgsntown for
that matter, that will not pay AZ soo as IL
IA put In operation. A fAilrond will mate.
rally change the whole character Of the
h~usbandty 10 such q way bS 10 vastly In.
creaee the wealth producing power Of an
inexbauatible soil. WhiIe the grain 10
now fed TO sheep and cattle, which can be
driven 10 market, with q railroad Il will be
shippedin bulk, thus enhancing the value
oftbe production and the land 10 a consid.
stAbls desfee. Even without railroad ia.
ullties the Murdoch farms, near OafmiCh.
aels, compriaiug thousands Of acres, are
among TIE bestimptoVed and most highly
cultivated lands in the State. The country