Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-08-20
WEST yIRGINIA's CRISIS.

West Virginia is Just in the inciplent
stages of development. For years and
years the tide of capital and immigration
rushed past our doors on to the attractive
helds of the West Our people sat still and
made no effort to attract attention to the
boundless wealth which lay concealed with
in our borders. We seemed to have been
ObEyiOus to the great possibilities of our
State, or what was worse, indifferent to
them. 1t is no exsggerslion when we say
that for decades individuals in Western
Virginia were the owners Of land beneath
whose surface were slumbering minerals
that If opened up and placed upon the
markets OF the world would have been
worth millions OF dollars to the proprietors
vet those same individuals were content to
exc out an existence AMI make scanty
support for themselves and families BY
hoeiug in little patches of corn TO secure
the winter bread, and by shooting game and
digging ginseng to be used as commodities
in 6artering for the little clothing and
tobacco they regarded as essential for their
protection and comfort. Generation after
geuerastOn passed away in this same old
sleepy way until few years ago the reced-
ing tide of capital and enterprise first struck
our borders.
Then it seemed that our loug RIP VAN
WINxLE sleep was at an end, and that at
last our people we're awake to the great pos
sibilities of our State. With that eager
hunger which comes from long fasting
there seemed to be no safety to the Ape
tite for development ana improvement. A
change had come over the spirit of our
dreams. There was not remote corner OF
the State where the spirit Of enterprise had
not penetrated, and where the talk of rail
roads was not heard and schemes for degel-
oping the varied resources Of each locality
were not discussed. Capital from abroad
began to seek investment within our borders
and enterprising men of means began to
roiect and set on foot measures for I'M
locking our hidden wealth. First came the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, built BY
Northern money and BY Northern enter
prise, dsshing through the widest and
most unsttrsctive region of the common
wealth. And as if by magic touch, what
Ill IL h,l ,,Hs.--
wilderness suddenly bloomed as tie rose.
Where decade ago no sound was heard
along the esnons Of the New River
except the hOoting of the owl or the
scream Of the panther now are heard the
busy strokes of the picks Of hundreds and
hundreds Of miners and the Industrious
hum Of furnaces and rolling mills, while all
along its line are dotted beautiful towns
bright and cheerful in their new and neat
appearance while q thrifty population is
daily adding TO the wealth and prosperity
Of the entire State. On the completion of
this road quickly followed schemes for con-
Meeting this line with that other great
artery of trade passing through our northern
border-the Baltimore aud Ohio road.
And then branches began to reach out from
each Of these great through Zines into the
interior. Seeing this wonderful develop
ment that Northern capital aud enterprise
was accomplishing in our State, western
capital and enterprise fastened its eyes upon
rs and Immediately we see milhonaires
from the golden slope Of the Pacific coast
rushing toward US and in conjunction with
local enterprise and eapitalin an incredibly
short time We see magnificent new rail,
road skirling along the banks IF the Ohio