Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-11-20
A Msuntaia Town.
SUDDENLY SPRUNG UP IN TIE MIDST OF
VIRGINIA FORESTS.
Nheeling Intalligencer.

Wheeling Intelligencer. a
DAVIS, TUCKER Co., w. VA, Nov.
1.-Two years and half since the
hunter or prospector who dared
brave the woods trusting himself to
dead trails and moss hidden. half
erased blazes, found at the mouth of
the Beaver. where it empties into
the Blackwater In Tucker county,
the reported site of future city.
Were he too late to go farther. a
large fat stone some six feet over
lying close to the junction OF the two
streams, was hospitable find on
which to make his bed of hemlock
boughs. Around on every side was
a dense mat of tangled laurel, through
which the sun never peeped. The
forest primeval lay for miles an I'M
broken stretch. No soft plumaged
birds that nestled in them ever gave
up their life that frivolous fashion
might be bedccked. The squirrel
and wildcat, rabbit and bear were
safe in their burrows and liars, save
from their own kind. And the leg
ions of trout gayly ran in those
waters, and whether glancing over
rapids, or hiding in deep edies, were
equally safe from the anglers keen
hook. The ringing noises of evils
cation never reached the ears of him
who rested on that stone. They
were as unknown there as when the
tree tops above, through which the
winds made melody, were but lift
ing their heads to the sun.
But in the solitude there was no
silence. The wild anthems played
by the winds on myriad of harps,
the gladstone birds and the rushing
waters of the river, as they hurried
along to their plunge of sixty feet,
made music ceaseless and beautiful.
But the underlying coal and the
wealth of timber waiting to be car
ried down the river on its floods
were too valuable to longer lie idle.
May IL. 1885, the work was begun,
when the first timber was cut, and
Davis hogan to take shape. June
| 10, the same year, the w. Va. G. Il
p. Ry. was completed to that point,
and those hills and mountains, which
had echoed only the squeal of the
wildcat or bay Of the deer hound,
now echoes long and loud to the
shrill whistle of the locomotive.
The town at present writing has a
population Of 476, and is growing
every week. Personally known to
your correspondent are representa-
tives from Ohio, Indiana Pennsyl-
vania, New York, Maryland, Vir-
ginia, Kentuckey and Canada. And
| it needs but the mere mention Of the
fact that the town already has a
good public school house, a Presby-
terrain and Methodist church to
know the character of those who are
making their home here. The shops
of the road are located here but not
yet completed. The working force
that they will demand is yet I'M
known.
The Davis mines, two miles east
have capacity of 100 tons daily,
with pay roll of some 81 500 month
ly. The capacity of the North Fork
mines will be 400 tons daily the first
year, and increase thereafter. A
road seven-eights of a mile long is
nearing completion to these mines.
Outside of the coal interests and
lumber manufacturing and large
tannery, Fayerweather II Ladew are
fast completing a tannery said to be
second largest in the United States.
When in full blast they will employ
over five hundred men. The facili-
ties for hemlock bark would be hard
to beat as Davis is in the midst of
a great hemlock region where there
is a supply of good timber for years
to come. The largest mill interests
are held by the j. l.. Rumbarger
Lumber Company. They have their
trains chartered and well improved.
Their mill is a band circular combin-
ed run by two engines and will
have, when the circular is in opera
tion, a capacity of 10000 feet daily.
At present they are cutting nothing
but cherry, of which they have a
million and half feet in their dam.
These, with the usual amount of
mercantile business done by five gen.
eral stores, one drug store and one
bakery, make the business of the
town. The traveller in place of hav-
ing to rely upon the big fat stone for
accommodations with bed of hem
lock boughs has handsome cottage
hotel lighted with gas, with e capac-
ity of 70, standing close to the de-
pot, well up the hill, commanding
view of the town and s,nl,ara.Anfrnn hn