Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-04-07
WEST VA. RESOURCES.
STATE EXHIBIT BY COUNTIES.

STATE EXHIBIT BY COUNTIES.
From time to time we shall publish
the interesting letters from each coun-
ty in the State, as we find them in the
Wheeling Inteuigeacer State Develop
ment Edition. "A great deal of infor-
nation is given that will enable every
reader to have some idea of the re-
sources of the State, with location OF
towns, counties, &C..
BARBOUR Co.-PHILIPPI, County
Seat "A glance at the-map of West
| Virginia will show that this is one OF
the interiorcounties of the State, that
it's outlines are regular and the dis
tance from its northern toits southern
extremity but little less than the dis
lance from the eastern to the western
extremity. The general character OF
| the county is undulating or billy as
/ the base of Laurel Mountain on the
east is approached. The county was
formed March 3, 1843. The Tygarts
Valley river is the principal stream,
traversing the county from north to
south.
There are also in the county Buck
| harmon and Middle Fork rivers.
The general character of the soil is
that of fertility, no considerable por-
ton of any part of the county, except
the steep slope of the base of the Lau-
rel Mountain being unproductive.
The population of the county, as
nearly estimated as possible, is about
000 AaosIad ivorooco nxynr tho
census of 1880.
Undoubtedly the timber, coal and
iron interests of the county where
fully developed, constitute the chief
sources of wealth, though it is thor
oughly adapted to the cultivation of
the cereals and to the grazing of cattle
and sheep-the grass lands in many
parts of the, county being equal to the
lands ofany portion of the State.
Oftimber. the best quality Of white
oak, poplar, walnut, hickory, chest
nut sugar, maple and ash, exists
in abundance, particularly the first
three. The average diameter of the
first two being at least feet, with
trunks 90 to 40 feet in height-often
without limbs.
| There are number of saw mills in
the county. Many persons are en-
gagged in timber cutting. Coal is found
in inexhaustible quantities. An
analysis of the coal makes marvel
Gus showing, and is especially adapt.
ed to coke making. ~
Iron ore is found in the county. AT
Valley Furnace, in Cove district,
about ten miles from Grafton on the
| D11f q, nd ~
miles east on the Grafton & Greenbri-
err railroad is an old iron furnace, after
which the place was named. Pig iron
was made there from about 184S upto
1854 when it went out of blast, because
of the great cost of transportation,
fifty miles to the Monongahela river.
The Grafton & Greenbrier Railroad,
a narrow guage, forty-two miles long,
begins at Grafton, on the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad, and traverses south
along the east bank of the Tygarts
| Valley river to Belington. It passes
Philippi, twenty-four miles from
Grafton, and does. large business in
| freights on timber and lumber. Net
monthly earnings about 81 800. Spa
| The rivers and creeks are used for
grinding and floating logs, to boom at
Grafton, Taylor county. AT Meats
Falls, on the Tygarts Valley river, the
splendid falls there, eight miles north
of Philippi, affords abundant water
| power.
The turnpikes and roads are as fol-
lows: Beverly & Fairmont, Morgan
town & Staunton, Gnatty Creek &
| West Union turnpikes. Also indiffer-
ent but numerous county roads.
Limestone is found in abundance,
the stratum being eighty to one hun
dred feet thick at Valley Furnace.
Fire clay is found in large quanti-
ties near Philippi. There is no coke
making in the county, but it could be
manufactured with profit.
Improved farm land, highest $40;
improved farm land, lowest So. About
one-half of the county is cleared. Av-
erage price of uncleared lands $40 per
acre. Owners do not generally wish
to sell. Price is advancing, because
of railroad means of transportation of
lumber and timber. The railroad built
in this county, and the one projected,
| have increased or made active the
price of timber lands. The county
would not in my judgment, again
vote a subscription to railroad, hav-
ing already subscribed 5000 to the
capital stock of the present road.
There are two or three small distil-
leries in the county.
Many sheep are raised, displacing
cattle to some extent. Parts of the
county are particularly adapted to
sheep raising. Horse breeding is only
Icl;nh IL, ~, INT 40 ,,f 10,
increasing. Many horses have been
sold and there is quite a lively de-
mand for them by buyers from Penn
sylvania.
There are one bank, Tygart's Valley
Bank at Philippi. Capital stock paid
i'm $50, 600. .an
The total rate of taxation is Sl.27 on
the 500. The total assessed valuation
is $2,735,0 900. This valuation shows
considerable increase over former
years. ,a8f
There is 100 schools with the same
number of teachers, having an atten-
dance of 5000 pupils. There are two
newspapers published at the county
seat, the Plaindedler and Republican,.
There are about thirty churches in the
county representing the Methodist,
Baptist, Presbyterian, United Breth-
rem, Dunkards and Catholic denomi-
nations.
The value of farming implements is
$4,000. Cattle, 100000. Horses,
mares, asses and jennets, Sl34, 600.
Sheep, $4,000. Hogs, $4,000. These
are the approximate data, and shows
a large increase over assessment for
previous years.
All kind of labor is needed in the
county,, particularly thrifty, industri-
Gus husbandmen, or men who can aid
in developing the coal, timber and
iron wealth. No particular industry
promises more than another, and no
one man has made more than a re-