Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-08-13
WEST VIRGINIA.
Its Forests and Their Un243rlylng
Wealth.
Girls Who Can Run Granger Plough or
Swing an Axe-Home-life in the
woods-Customs, Man
ners, Etc.

ackW00dS-GuSt0mS, man
ners. Etc.
LEwIsBURG, w. Va, August 10.-The
forests of West Virginia are rarely magni.
ficent. and why they have not attracted
the attention of our enterprising lumber
dealers is a mystery. We rode for three
days over one tract of 40 900 acres, crossing
and recrossing at various points, travelling
about thirty miles each day, and at every
turn we came upon some new beauty to
admire in the size and symmetry OF those
noble forest trees. Every one was glory
in itself-a perfect array OF monarchs.
The poplars in particular were
beautiful, running sixty feet high
without a branch, straight as an arrow, and
ranging from two and half feet to six feet
in diameter. Great solid white oaks stood
beside the poplars, vieing with them in
size and beauty, with wood like soil steel,
white and sound as a bell to the heart:
The white oak Of this region is beyond
comparison. Chestnut oaks, many OF
which would yield a cord OF tan BARK to the
tree, cover all the northern exposures OF
the ravine and form the nearest supply OF
this valuable commodity to the great CEN
tire of the tanning trade. There is also the
nearest supply of that valuable tree so
rapidly disappearing from our forests,
the black walnut, in many places growing
seven or eight trees to the acre,
some of them large enough to saw ], 600
feet of lumber. Always growing in the
rich hollow and bottom land, 1t is the first
tree to be attacked by the ruthless squat
ter. Riding through the country we often
see it doing the mental duty of hedging in
pasture or covering hog pen, while the
market clamors for it, and the price at tide
water is gradually rising towards 800 900
feet. Wild cherry, whose beautiful red lus-
tire has delighted us all in the interior dec
Grafton of our railroad parlor and sleeping
cars, and is now being largely introduced
into private dwellings, is found here in
great quantities, and grows to size and
perfection seldom equalled in any other
part of the world. Resembling the poplar
in size and style, every tree almost perfect
in form and of great height, 1t is destined
to be one of
The Most Valuable Products
of the West Virginia forest. Gigantic ma
ples of every variety abound, and almost
every other species of hard wood known to
the trade; vet all this wealth stands umo-
Tested within six hours of the seacoast,
while the far-off forests of Maine, Canada
and the Provinces are being culled OF every
''pipe-stem" for lumber purposes. In
many of the counties of West Virginia this
great IOreSJ Is Will uCpOoiOo VI
coal the extent of which has never been
fully demonstrated; but enough is known
of the coal fields to prove source OF wealth
and industry now lying dormant which
will one day make this State the rival OF
Pennsylvania. In many places we saw it
in veins of from six to twelve feet. The
great trees in falling uncovered beds
of it in the forest; our horses hoofs even
often turned coal up from the soft soil OF
the pastures, and where the three forks OF
the Buckhannon river meet, in Upshur
county, the angry floods have undermined
a bank and disclosed mass OF coal twenty.
two feet thick. In some of the towns q
few of the people use this coal in open
CRATES, either digging it from bank near
the house or buyips it from some "miner'
at Ave cents per bushel The attempts at
mining made here would be highly anus
ing to a thoroughbred Pennsylvania. A
hole is run into bank, and few wheel
barrow loads taken out on rickety trestle
and dumped in q pile at the roadside.
Stopping in front OF one of these dimin'
utive mines, one day just as the
shaggy head of the proprietor ap-
peared from the tunnel bending beneath
his barrow.load of black diamonds. we in
E sq sss ss 49, ~ sSsss = seiS w
.iiiS - son ~ lparkst l6e5,
coaf ,@fszsi &c. .tske4 IA b a. ri
oatlf a'Khy don't ypu est IA q AZ
mht6<E BUSINESS VI IN MAJ tftl1oz,
might Sut EihainJ - n3lse5 ~ ~
to put in my corn patch 70 KIP ny 49,
upn The idea of hiring help 60 Aefb1oK
his mine, which would have paid him ten
times as much as his corn and his hogs,
never entered the narrow limits OF his head.
The simplicity Of the people little re-
moved from the turnpike is almost iucred-
ible denoting state OF society at least one
hundred years behind the times. Arriv-
ing one evening at the cabin OF
Prominent Backwoodsman,
we found him possessed OF three daughters,
buxom girls, who could run a plough or
swing an axe as well and as long as any
man in the clearings. They received us
standing in an awkward posture in the one
large room which the cabin contained,
staring with ox.like curiosity. A faint
"How dy" was Just audible from them in
answer TO our situations, and they imme-
diately set about getting US some supper,
which consisted of the usual fare of corn
cake baked in ashes, fried bacon, and beans
dripping in fat. 1t being dark and in honor
of the distinguished guests, no doubt, We
were treated TO o light to eat by in the shape
of an old tomato can filed with grease,
out VI SuOII oidCh rag
When this rag was lighted and the Hide
fined perfume Of the contents Of the can
came gently stealing over the table the eff
feet was anything but sppetizing, but when
the fame got fairly down TO ITS work and
the grease began to. simmer and bubble
we unanimously came 10 one conclusion
that light must die, or We go hungry to bed.
So we "doused the luminary" and swore TO
our fair hostess that we preferred to sleep
in the dark. as il was the custom of oar
country. A few moments later we were
seated before the great fireplace Watching
the flames curl and crinkle around the
burning logs. The old man had been Civ
ing us some original ideas on railroads,
and the girls were sitting bolt upright
in a row against the wall, watch
ing our every movement but
never venturing to join in the conversation:
The effect of our long ride and the genial
warmth of the fire were soon spparfn<E&
our hos. and KaYing his bard -
q q three :, -