Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-03
THE GREAT BOOMER.
The Possibilities which Natural
Gas May Bring.
Will WheeIng's Industries Increase and
Multiply through Its Adgsnt?-
"CoId Shorts" Musings.

"Cold Short" in the last issue OF the
Age Of Steel, sgAin urges upon the atten'
ton of Wheeling business men and manu-
iacturers the possibilities that the intro
duction Of natural gas may bring to our
We quote from his letter;
This natural gas gives wonderful i'm
De,us 10 enterprise; il is scarcely possible
70 place an even Hypothetical limit TO the
advancement it is going to bring to Pitts
burg. The supply seems to be strengthen
inc: the more recent wells yield q much
stronger volume Of gas-the yield OF some
Of the m is almost incredible. One OF them
II is said, is blowing of 10 0OO, 900 feet per
day and that the roar can be heard at q
distance of Eve miles. The gas area can
not be said to be extending, new wells
are being struck only within the already
sscertsined area; and some which had
bsen abandoned ere being redrllIed WITH
promising indications. The inference Is
reasonable that tor profitable, or even Prac,
ticsbls, uses natural gas will be confined
To An area circumadjseent and tributary
to Putsburg and Wheeling and their sub
urban towns. And it is also reasonable to
suggest that should the supply OF this gas
continue for ten years that this part OF the
Ohio valley from Wheeling to Pittsourg,
sbout ninety miles, will become one vast
workshop, with industrial establishments
do,tiuz the entire distance in close prox'
unity to each other. This, of course, Is
contingent upon another condiuon-ths al
ia vhsther Wheeling takes advantage OF the
ooportunisy with the spirit OF modern
nrosress or succumbs to Rip Van Wrinkle
droWsiness. believe she has the grit, the
saud, 10 be expressive; but sometimes l
think she needs the go1d to make her real
ize her own good qualities, TO stimulate
her into youthful elasticity and exertlon
before her Joints stifen and the psisy OF
nramature old age Gomez upon her. Nat
prsI uas ia an innoVstor, snd it is more
han probsble it will establish q modern
order of affairs in Wheeling An exhibit
recestly published shows q marked
increase in toe development of In
dustries in the Soulh. Productions
Of manufactures have increased
from $SI5,9 l4774 in 1880 to
$I45 ESQ 900 in 1885; mining production
from Sc. 97S, 700 in 1880 to $2O,872 OeO IN
1855. an increase in the two OF Sl43,624,-
$50. or about 81 per cent | advert TO
this because the trade Of these cities, Pitts
burgh and Wheeling, with the South, has
become q prominent feature. have rot
the data to figure from, but it is safe to ca
innate the amount well up into the NIL
lions. 10 all the progress made for build
lag manufactures, supplying mining
equipments, agricultural implements,
structural materials, rails, ETC., Plttsburg
has had tbs bulk of the trade. l have
seen but one estimate, but 1t will give some
ides OF the whole. J. P. WitheroW, in
blast furnace construction, has done 81
925 900 OF business iG the South during
the last five years. This Southern trade Is
increasing very rapidly, for there 10 no sec
ton of the country that Is improving so
rapidly and so substsntislly as the PORTION
called the South There was, 1t Is true,
room for improvement, and they have
shown their appreciation Of the fact and
their capacity TO effect taese improvements.
Pirsburg. az | remarked, has the cream
OF this growing and valuable trade, and 1t
will stand her well in hand 10 cultivate and
nurse it, for she is going to have some
lively competition if Wheeling proves her
sell equal to thu opportunity about to De
offered to her.
No city, since the days OF Tyso, ever
be2ame commercially great without the
sid OF manufactures, not manufacturing
confined to one specially, tor that indicates
nsrroRness Of perception snd limited Ca
uscitv, but diversity in the products manu-
fsctursd is the alimeGt which has been
found nourishing aud this is the psoulam
that her wellFisheSs want TO tone up
Wheeling with, and she will no. only
resurrect herself, but be OF beneiir
to her stronger, better nour-
ished and more enterprlsiDg
sis'er, PittsbuTg. The attention
OF the whole country is msgnencally a.
trac.ei to this region, 50 favored by ma
ture, and great results are expecrsd. Pitts
burg ia responding msgniGcenrly, aud II
Wheeling, with the same advantages, with
her splendid markets, her remarkably
cheap rates of living, superb climate and
low taxes, fails 10 double her population
and manufacturing resources during the
next five years dating f,om the advent Of
the natural gas to her, her name will BE-
come q by-word among the cities OF pro-
gressiys America.