Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-15
STATE DEVELOPMENT,
INTERESTING LETTERS on THE ADyAN'
TAGEs OF THR BUSINESS CONVENTION.
A Determination TO Boom the Sssis With the blggss
Kind Of BON Manifsstsd-WOrds Of In
coursgsmsnt Prom All Sits-Dsl-
sgatss Coming in Force.

CLARKsBURa, ". VA, Feb. IA, 1855.
To the Editor Of The Register:
DEAR SIR-Yours inviting me to COM
municate to the public, through the kEs-
rsrER, my opinions as to the best methods
of advertising West Virginia and inducing
capital and immigration to the State re-
ceived.
It is fact that, Notwithstanding our
grea, resources and advantages over many
portions of the West, the tide OF capital
and i'm mi grafton has swept by us for years
and built up immense empires to the west
of US. People from the East aud from for
eign lands, seeking both homes and IN
vestments, have passed US by and made
farms and cities in the West and North
west opened mines and built mp large
manufacturing establishments there, while
nine tenths of our mineral resources are
uudeveloped and our hills and valleys are
largely covered with undisturbed forests.
1t seems to me that the first enquiry for
the meeting at Wheeling on the 2sth Is the
cause OF this. 1t might then profit by the
example set by the enterprising West.
We must begin with the understanding
that the West has one great advantage over
us-free land, and that already cleared.
This advantage we cannot altogether over
come, but the land owners who desire to
sell can largely meet it by concerted action
that will lead to their putting their unde.
yeloped lands in the market at the,lowest
possible price, and then advertise them.
With cheap lands to offer the Immigrant,
the next question is transportation. |
notice that out West when they want to
develop section they put railroad into
it. That it will abundantly pay capital
to put railroads into the central part OF the
State has been fully proven By the
West Virginia Central, and this fact
should be laid before capitalists. The
fact is our best coal and iron fields and tim
Der lands have not yet been reached by
railroads, and the same is true Of immense
tracts of our good farm lands. All this
has been found by capitalists and immi'
grants because they saw that unless they
had the means Of getting their products to
market they would be worthless. When
capitalists are convinced that an invest
ment will pay, they will make it. II Will
nav those who have money to build rail-
roads into the central portion Of the State,
independent of county or district subssrip-
tions, and this fact should be demonstrated
80 that "hs who rams may read.
Oar State has been niured to some ex-
tent by number of old patents and deeds
that appear to be scattered all over the
United States, and that are often sold for
good titles to land. In my practice l am
frequently consulted by people from
hether States with these worthless
patents who imagine they have a
good title to valuable coal or timber lands,
when in fact adverse possession (if nothing
else has cut them eff for forty or fifty
years. There people seem to think that
all they have to do is TO get possession OF
an old patent issued by the State Of Vir-
pinia and then the title is vested in them
forever and day. Local and personal
palvery has also injured our State and its
land titles.
To avoid all these evils, something
should be done to get our people to work
together. There should be a general bureau
of informatien, and every county should
have it's local improvement bureau. The
development of one section leads to that
of another, one railroad brings Others, the
opening OF one coal field will lead to the
opening Of others. Inform the world fully
Of what We have, and then let il be under
stood that we are one people with a COM
mon destiny; that what benefits one sec
ton benefits the entire State; that what
benefits one man benefits all, and then all
will be well with us.
/ think this is an opportune time to
strike. The remaining undeveloped good
lands of the West have been largely alb
sorhed by corporations, cattle kings and
land grabbers. The tide that swept West
has broke sg ainst the shores Of the Pacific
end is sweeping back. The attention OF
the capitalist and the man with little
means looking for a home is being at
,racted this way. As far as immigrants
are concerned, we do not want paupers
from Poland, Hungary and Italy, but we
want men who have something TO begin
work with and who cln seize upon the ad'
yantages we offer them and become enter.
prisipg, pushing citizens. Neither do we
want capitalists who want the earth, but
men OF means who know q good thing
when they see It. All that can do to at
tract such people to West Virginia will be
cheerfully done. Yours truly,