Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-27
he struggle she is making for competing

=
the struggle she is making for competing
line Of road.
The town Of clarksburg itself is but little
more than trading point between the sur
rounded county and the general market.
That is 70 say, that the chief business OF
Clarksburg is to market the immense
product OF one of the richest counties OF
The State--its horses, cattle, sheep. hogs,
grain and coal.
There are few more productive sections
than this. Clarksburg is the largest horse
market in the State. Its cattle are among
the best in the country. 1t supplies large
demand from the Eastern cities for mutton,
and especially for young lambs, which are
sent out in large numbers. The county OF
Harrison is splendid territory for raising
sheep. The grass grows spontaneously on
its hill tops. It's valleys raise the finest
wheat in the State. All around and about
there are splendid and inexhaustible mines
of coal-better gas coal than the Cumber-
land coal, and which can be mined for one
third less than the Cumberland coal; more
over it is proving to be as good coking coal,
as the Connellsville for many purposes;
there are now fifteen coke ovens at Wilson
burg, fifteen at Farland, and there is ru-
NOR of contract for the building OF 800
ovens at these points. Besides these sources
of industry there are manufactures spring
ing up in Clarksburg of some importance
such as the Portable Engine mandatory
carriage manufactures, hay truck factory
pottery. &c.
1t will be seen from the nature OF Clarks'
burg's business industries that it is emin-
emily a producer; that il depends almost
entirely upon foreign markets; that almost
everything il has is for sale abroad; aud
therefore that its prosperity and it's very
existence, in a business sense, depends
upon getting its products to market upon
favorable terms.
Now, the people of Clarksburg complain
that such is the discrimination against
them in freights that it amounts
almost to blockade; that, at best, it cuts
down their profits TO an unreasonable ex-
tent, and in many cases where they might
make large sums Of money upon their
commodities, they are unable to market
them at all. This is very big subject at
Clarksburg and il were TO enlarge upon
it, would require more space than admis.
sible, but have given an inkling OF the
situation sufficiently to explain the eager
ness for the railroad they have projected
down the MonOngahela river. and which
under the determined leadership OF Mr..
Lowndes is bound to be built.
One of the chief curiosities, at Clarks'
btrg, just now, is
Gen. COTS New House,
which he has been building for the past
three years, and which is now approaching
completion. This new structure is worthy
of better description than such clumsy
architect as your correspondent can give It,
Through the kindness of the General,
was permitted TO walk through its spacious
halls and elegant apartments, and examine
somewhat closely its various ARCHITECTURAL
features, which are certainly very elegant
and very elaborate for country residence
The building contains 40U, 900 bricks and
has % rooms. The first floor is divided into
drawing room, dining room. library, othce,
and kitchen. The second floor contains
several bed chambers, a billiard room,
private library, bath rooms, &c.
The most interesting feature about the
structure is the great variety of woods
which General Golf has employed to finish
the several apartments. There are no less
than
Fifteen Different Kinds of Wood,
all of which were cut from Gen. COTS
farm, with one exception. He is thus put.
ting on exhibition the infinite variety and
value of West Virginia timber for building
purposes. He has finished separate room
with each one Of the following varieties
viz:
Black walnut, white walnut, oak, ash,
eye, chestnut. mulberry, maple, sumach
and sycamore; and l can say from
personal inspection that each one of these
rooms is sufficiently elegant in itself for a
drawing room. Every one OF these woods
has been given what is termed
The Hard Finish,
and there is not the sign OF a paint or var
nish brush in the interior of the house,
Some woods that have never been used for
such purposes are really the most attrac-
tive when thus finished. The room finished
with the blaCkeye wood is in fact the most
beautiful in the house. 1t has rich light
yellow tint which is very cheerful and ele-
CANT in its appearance.
Gen. Golf is carrying out in this plan a
recommendation which he made for finish
ing the State Capitol at Charleston-that OF
finishing the several apartments with the
various Kinds of hard wood growing in West
Virginia.
This hard wood finish" seems to me to
solve the anticipated difficulty which the
scarcity of walnut and other hard woods is
bringing about Under this process the
SofteSt wOod-as pine for instance-tases
on the most solid appearance and really a
superb polish, although no varnish is used
1t is first "primed" with filler, as they
term it, then it receives a coat of oil, then
polished, when another coat of oil is given,
and lastly the hard finishing oil is applied
Gen. Goff@s residence is estimated TO cost,
when finished, about $40, 0OO 1t is a home
of which he and his native town may well
be proud, and one in which he, as well as
his many friends, will always feel at home,
for it will lack nothing that wealth, art and
good taste can give it to make it complete,
comfortable and attractive. and added to
this will be the hospitable misunderstanding
qualities of its host.