The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-04-20
WEST YlRGINIAS BOOM AND PITTSBURGH

The Great Interest that Ia Being Taken ii
the Work of Our State Development.
To he Editor Of he IateiliOeReer.
sm:-Pennsylvania people are yer!
much interested in the scheme Of devel
opment proposed by the people Of Yves
Virginia in behalf of their State. Thu
scope OF the scheme has been 40 admira
bly, explained through the efforts Of the
INrRLLIGESCER that it is generally un
derstood not only in this State bu
throughout the country.
The inherent resources Of West Vir
ginia are within the knowledge, find
of nearly every manufacturer OF THU
city. Many of them have gone to con
siderable trouble to learn OF the deposits
OF coal, iron ore, facilities OF nc
cess, remoteness from market and
such other vital points rs they
looked up in the location OF theil
present plants. Some OF them have
gone into the State and are as thorough
" posted upon her resources rs any o.
her citizens. All say that in their iudg
ment West Virginia is to be replition
of Pennsylvania in the matter OF iron
manufacturing. One gentleman said tC
me last night: 1.-THE only present obstacle
is the lack OF transportation facilities,
1t is true that good roads bound each
side OF the State and another good one
connects them and gives eastern and
western connections, but there is moth
ing that is practically competitive. The
lack OF competition has strangled half
dozen promising furnaces and cut of the
development Of the best coke mines in
the Union. This is the one obstacle,
and, l think, the only one to an imme-
diatc boom in the State. 1t is true the
roads contemplated by ex-Senators Davis
and Camden will remove this objection,
but they arc not yet built, and OF course
this fact procrastinates the others.
II should like to see the case pushed
as rapidly us it can be done, because, in
my judgment, Pittsburgh is bound to
realize most largely from the solid results.
Coal is not by any means dead to Pitts.
burgh. Natural gas is only q means oil
saving the coal still in the ground.
Every year the supply has had to be
hunted for further up the MOnongahelN
river and the time is not far off when
West Virginia will have to furnish the
great bulk OF the supply. This coal will
have 10 come from Fairmont and Ciarks.
burg and the hills OF Randolph, md, may.
be, from the mountains that beetle the
Shenandoah. Our ore will also come to
us oyer the same route. Then there is
not q stick OF timber OF any description
that Is cut on this side Of the divide
that cannot be floated to Pittsburgh and
disposed OF to better advantage than in
Baltimore, Philadelphia or New York.
Your tan boxes, your hoop-poles, your
headings, slaves and even your scng are
us marketable as elsewhere in the coun'
try"
This is but a sample OF what comes to
me every day. 1t tellsn new story to the
West Virginiun, because he is familiar
with the products Of his State, but it is
encouraging to him in that it shows to
him the interest outsiders tako in his
State and their intimate familiarity with
all OF its resources.
The matter OF development, II will be
found, will be gradual, and those who
have gone so heartily into it will per-
haps ut times feel discouraged. How
ever, there are scores Of unmistakable
signs OF development already noticeable.
The most tangible aud reassuring one ia
the great meeting ut Wheeling where
representatives OF every county in the
State assembled to emphasize the degree
of their dissatisfaction with the existent
condition Of things and to advertise to
the capital and energy OF overcrowded
States tho advantages that arc within
their reach at nominal cost. C.s. II.
PiHsbHryh, april 1G, 1855,