The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-14
pIyor,lloatlon Of Our industries

| tnat no one luuuHtIy ~ RIeAl anu AuPV''
tant enough to protect o community
against general staguation and depression
when ita production is largely curtRlled,
unless that community has diversified
industry to fall back upon.
Wheeling has pinned her faith 50 pre-
dominently to nails, and so much of her
spare money has been invested In that
direction, that a longstrke in that depart
ment is like blow on the head that dszes
and almost upsets The senses, This ought
not to have been the case in the recent
past, and we rejoice to believe, now that
natural gas has come, that 1t will not be
the case in the future.
The nail industry has been greater
success in Wheeling than elsewhere In
hecountry, mainly because Of opr cheap
fuel, our relatively lower expenses in the
way Of taxation and cost Of living, and
the fact that We make an excellent article
For the same reason the manufacture Of
glass has been also q success in this city
and vicinity. And to a greater or less
extent the came success has attended
other industries, such as the production
OF bar and sheet iron, railroad ironr pot
terry ware, paper, hinges, taCks, iron
hollow ware, boilers, engines, and other
speClaltles.
It Is hardly too much to say that every
industry in Wheeling that has been start
ed on proper financial basis and that
has been honestly and intelligently man
aged has been a success, and for tue rea-
sons and advantages which We have
enumerated. nspite Of scanty means at
the outset some OF our largest concerns
have grown 10 their present proportions
by reason Of our natural advantages and
the economy and intelligence Of their
management. This has always been justly
esteemed as strong argument in favor
Of Wheeling as manufacturing confer.
Had we been better located in railroad
way at an earlier day and not side.tracked
to the extent we were by the only railroad
then existing in our midst, our natural
a dyantages would have attracted greater
attention on the part Of outside capital
and our industries would have been much
more diversified than they arc to-day.
But despite Of this byEoue disadvantage
we have slowly grown, and We have q
population in Wheeling and vicinity Of
GO.OOO, and at least an easy condition Of
financial means. In other words, the dis
advantages that retarded growth in the
past having been greatly changed in our
favor We have now the prospect Of a
greater growth in wealth and population
than at any time in our previous history.
The recent history Of Pittsburgh is be-.
fore us for our encouragement. Only q
few years ago that city seemed to be in a
state OF deCadence. There wero!large fail.
ures Of heavy firms, general stagnation in
her industries and severe depreciation in
real estate. Many people supposed Pitts
burgh was doomed, and We heard much
about the center OF the iron business
moving West and South, and the general
drying up Of her former sources OF pros
perlty. But how Is 1t to.dsy2 Pittsburgh
was never greater nor more buoyant than
she Is at this moment.
In the first place, Pittsburgh, like
Wheeling, had the great and invaluable
resource OF cheap fuel, which was her
rightarm Of defence against long continued
detrimental competitor. This cheap fuel
was made still cheaper by the new meth
DDS for utilizing even its former refuse and
producing q purer and better fuel in the
way Of artificial gas. Had natural gas not
been found aud introduced pittsburgh
would still have experienced something
Of her present revival. And II natural
gas ever fails the Wis momcntSm which that
city has taken on recently will never be
lost, but will go on augmenting.
And asit is with Pittsburgh 80 1t will
be Wheeling. In the matter Of industrial
Identification We run on a parallel line
with Plttsburgh-a shorter line than hors,
Of course, but nevertheless a parallel. We
have the nucleus Of growth here which is
exactly akin to her still larger nucleus;
and the attraction Of gravitation that man
ufactures. byawell understood law, always
have for accertion, will assert itself here
Just as surely as II has OF Pittsburgh.
Wheeling has to-day every advantage
that Pittsburgh enjoys in the matter o.
fuel, and she has more pronounced ad'
vantage in the way Of competitive rail
road ireights. We have three rival sys
tens at our doors that can never be any.
thing but rivals, and we have the better
navigation OF the Ohio river to always In
tOnsily this rivalry. We have lower tax
alton, and lower rents, and generally
speaking cheaper living. There Is nc
cheaper place Of It's size In the country In
which to live than Wheeling. This Is al
ways assured to her BY the excellent agrl
cultural and horticultural region that sur
rounds her.
Just at the opportuuo momen. natural
gas has come 10 assist, II not to boom, the
general awakening and revival Of bust.
ness that Is going on all over the country,
Thuu far this great ald-thls cheap and
pure iusl-iS peculiar TO two manufacture
ing Pittsburgh and Wheeling,
Whether natural gas can ever DO eCono.
mically transported to much greater dis.
frances from the asld Of production Is as
yet an tinsolved problem. 10 be specially
valuable In manufactures II must be
cheap and abundant, Thsrei 10 every indl.
cation that II will be cheap and abundant
at Wheeling, and there 10 no fear what
ever TINT any place will over have An nd.