Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-12-09
Special 30 the Re1isler.

WASHINGTON, December Sin converse
ton ye!terdsy with Col. SIutt. of this city,
Who is connected at present with the Geo
Logical section Of the National Museum, he
gave me some interesting descriptions OF
his recent trip tGrOugh the interior coun-
ties of West Virginia, which journey took
him abouI live months 20 complete, and
was devoted to the procuring OF maps and
other information for the use OF the Ma
tiOnal Geological Survey. Shntt is an eI-
thusiaSt on 'ie on the subject of West Vir-
ginis resources, and talked so fast that it
would have been OF no use to take any
notes Of his iscourse, but general idea OF
his impressias may be suggestive and l
can give his igureS hereafter when be has
time to make hem up for me.
l asked hin what influences governed
he direction { the geological survey aud
determined wat States should be first
tsken up and h, to,i me that this was reg.
ulsted.entirely by the convenience OF the
commission. Wien base lines are run par
ties work from aem in different directions
irg from the sara base lines determine
Ihe Direction " PARTIES in the Field
Some OF these ines had been furnished
by the Coast Surrey. and this influenced
the direction Of IN earlier work. At pres
eUt three parties SoitopOgrsphicsl engineers
are at work in Wet Virginia. The iufor-
nation gathered b. Col. Shut was in the
fist instance intpdsd for tue benefit of
IL hsr
the benefit of the polio in gathering valu-
able statistics as 10 he character and prod,
Ucis Of the territpy to be surveyed. As
furnishing some ida of this preliminary
work, the CUlonel slowed me the drainage
maps of most OF ae interior counties of
tie State, made up Y local surveyors in
most instances, ami rCOmpanisd generally
by full information Arnished by the same
gentlemen. as u the character of the soil,
TIMBER, eJc., shown rithe maps. Such OF
these maps ard thsporIion Of the infor-
NATION g. has not bel verified Dy the de
parlment will be eHsrired by the govern
ment surveyors and experts IN mineral
products, tested and aalyzod by govern
nent chemists ard Sery portion Of the
work subject 10 the tOsest revision and
CcrrSctIO before final nbicatiOu.
The Value OF hc work
when done can only be sstimsted b. re-
tlecting that it will be rs thorough and
cUmpIrte as who,e as ay private survey
of any particular Tract wa any private
ANALYSIS OF products, inIRral and yegeta-
bic, and that the report when complete.
will not be subject IL "a imputatiOn OF
bsirg moulded by any private interest
which might effect its relibiliy.
Coming back TO Col. Suits individusl
| work its interest is enhansd By the fact
Z - a 81. 80 -
the State least known and ,aversed by the
outside world. The inspection WAS male
| by the aid of wagon team where its use
was practicable, and where was not. on
horseback and by foot Webster Ci9v.
! Nicholas, Wyoming. McDowll and other
garden spots of the State whch are popu-
iarly supposed TO resemble the territory
mentioned in the old deaon's prayer,
Where the foot OF man neNr rested aud
the eve Of God never saw" a. come under
shuts observation and
The Results of such ODsrvation
shows that these sections whsh hitherto
have been act down practicsll as uupeu-
etrabie Businesses, so far as Urinary buSi
ness and commerce are coEerned are
really as accessible to the railrad builder
and developer as any other Secton of the
Stste. The reason of this is fclnl in the
nearness and coarse Of the SIRENS which
traverse the mountaia counties, There is
30 territory shown on the maPsf the de-
nartment whose streams head so close
together and furnish outlets il so many
different directions. Outlets nGOnly by
means Of freshets and the improvement OF
ordinary water stages, but for rads and
rsilvays along their banks. Fexpf these
streams have fall exceeding fromtwenty-
five to City feet per mile, and q gance at
the map shows that from the less, dsvel
oped portion OF the State they radtte like
the spokes of q wheel from its centre.
Within radius of twenty miles for in
stance in Webster county no less tan six
rivers head, and by crossing marrow lyides
IN " mOuutsinS
EgrF~s in Apy Direction Can is Sc
hy the engineers i; msy sound Ike
strange sla'emrnt," said Col. Snutt,"Dut
really do n know sBy mountain oun-
! try that is as easily accessible rs this anne
mountain section OF West Virginia
recall these observations for the ,1r-
nose OF showing that Bridge CracrafE's ell.
road TO Webster e. H., and other similar
projects are not so untenable as some Ro-
If we're to add all the reflections nd
| conclusions OF the honest Colonel as 10 he
value Of the West Yirginiscosl and timbT,
this letter would read like 8 chapter iron
| Muuchsusep, but he says he can aud VII
furnish me the figures fer it. The timbr
a!one he puts down at 500, 900 ,Ooo, and or,
walnut tree he saw which measured seysi
feet two inches in diameter and extendsl
sjghtv-two feet to the first limb, whct
limb wss three feet thick, he estimated, 4
Cut up and its precious knots and ouri:
turned into yeneeriug.
would Have Been worth $4,000
Ard yet this valuable tree had been n
down BY some boys in order to Catch 4
cooa. Ten thousand dollars for 8 single
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