New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-08
WEST VIRGINIA COAL BEDS.
A FERTILE FIELD FOR THE CAPITALIST.
WAITING FOR TEE RAILROADS TO DEVELOP IT
IoGGING IN LIE ALIEGMENIrs.


Mountains here lies, right at the doors OF tho grea
Eastern markets. moro coal than Colorado, with all It's
boaStin ever dreamed Of Here II IL, within twenty
miles OF that great inland water route, the ONO h'''r
and within $50 miles OF Atlantic tidcwater 1T IS not
here and there, but everywhere. IL juis out on t9
banks OF every creek In great veins twelve ana lcch
feet thick Back of every log cabin in the wooded
hills IS q coal hole, from which the molntanecr ugs
his supply In winter 1t easier dug than It IS to
pick W faggots and make wood fires though the whole
face OF tho country mile after milo, mountain rldgo
after mountain ridge IS solid forest save where tho
Of the loggers have chopped ont clenrlngs mo
bins OF these lazy mountancers are never empty ana
they open within few feot Os their back doors
Under this town. under Wayne Court House, under
Uamln, in fact, under every hamlet in this part Of
West Virginia is a mino of excellent camel coal
There are Indications that these valuable coal fields
will not be cfi much longer undStnrbcd az they have
been for centuries. Tho only solution ever ohercu
for their neglect hitherto has been political foss'm
Whether this be not there S good reason to be-
licve that a new era IS about TO dawn on these
mountains and that the wildcats, bears and other
"varmintsp will vet be reused and frightened away
back the mountain By the shrek Of the To-
connective and the rolling Of coal trains. Already tho
Norfolk and Western Railroad Is preparing TO como OUT
of the valley OF tho Clinch River and build norhward
through these hills. The Ohio River Railroad has
surveyed routes along the sandy. Cuyandotc, Mud and
Twelve Pole Rivers, and Will shortly reach into the
Mountains after the black diamonds and lumber TO be
found there. Other roads are projected also
Nor are the vast coal beds the only inducements
offered TO enterprise in these mountains Tho log
gng and lumber industries would bc immensely bene
flied by railroads and the transportation Of lumber
would be no inconsidcrablc item in the earnings of
road. At present logging Is the only industry Of
the people The forests abound with splendid hard
woods oak, poplar, chestnut oak, spruce ana wal
nut while at this OF tho year the air Is heavy
with the scent of the Wild cucumber flower The
logs are and rolled, skcetcd' and dragged down
the hillsldes the stream, where they are
left to await a rise big enough to float them down
to the Ohio River As may be imagined, the bust
ness is uncertain one, subject to periods Of pros
perty or depression as tho rains do or do not come.
At present the whole country is suffering, for there
has not been rise sufficient 10 make staVe-drive
for nearly eighteen months and as logs cannot get 10
market there is money In circulation, the stores
have ceased TO credit and there are many instances
OF downright suffering among the people. Every
stream is chohed and crowded with a tangled mass
of logs of different Sizes ralioad ties and slaves,
awaiting a rise TO take them out One firm OF Louis
ville lumber men have not less than $4,000 in
vested in logs hat have been heaped up, twisted
and drIiied along the picturesque shores OF twelve
Pole River for fifteen months Every log has The
initial of the chopped or branded on It, go that
It can be found and identified after II reaches the
Owing TO the uncertainty of the business the log
gnr Industry is falling off year by year but the chop
ping and hcwing Of railroad tics and the rvins7 Of
slaves aourshcs br.shly, for these being lighter can
reach market on a much smaller food. These West
Virginia white oak slaves shipped 10 all parts OF
the world, but the bulk of them consumed in the
barrels of the Standard OIL Company or are shipped
to tbe wine provluces of France ami Spain. one
house in Boston keeps agents here buying for bordeaux
nd all bN
arc largely used for dunnage for ships loaded for South
American ports
Not many years ago the forests were full Of wild
cherry and walnut but there is to be found none OF
the former variety and but little of the latter now
Agents of lumber firms in the eastern cities travelled
through here and bought every Wild cherry tree that
could bc found and nearly all tho walnut some Of
the mounainccrs If thcy had only had the moral cour-
age to hold on their wild cherry and walnut trees
for few years would have had moderate competence
within their gres through the increase in The value
Of thcr woods by This time.
The price paid for these lands IS RI
dlculousy small when the possibilities Of the
future are considered There thousands and hous
ands Of acres Of splendid forest land undcrlald with
coal veins which to-day in the hands OF the sheriff
and would be knocked down a bidder who offered as
high as - an acre. The timber the land alone
would II II could be marketed, fetch that sum twenty
times over But the people do not seem TO appreciate
the great benefits that would from enter
prislng spirit They dwell in an atmosphere Of hun
bred years ago. Perhaps the little clearing that sur
ronnds the log cabin be planted in potatoes, but
II IS the women who did the planting and who chop
the weeds and brlars after the plant IS through the
ground The head Of the family NAV DO occasional
fob Of logging or working a. the drifts In time of
rise, but otherwise his time is spent fishing, or hunt
Ing II Is rare sight 10 sec man filling the soil
while the women mothers. and daughters wearing red
yarn gloves "a without red yarn gloves Is rare
pcc ace I'm the hlsl often be seen az WORK IN mo
little clearinGs agent for Wheeling stove
house in Hamilton not long lie was talking Of his
expcrieuccs in selling stoves In the hills said he:
IL entered a cabin near the head Of Mud River and
feuud as usual a woman cooking over the lMpacc
with the old fashioned crane, skillet, and oven. !
showed her how handy stove wonld be ana Sot hef
nightly Interested BY and-by her husband. TAN
sanow mountaneer souchcd In and in a surly tone dc
marded what wanted. told him who was anu
EXPLAINED my business. Look said l. " no" muoh
trouble one Of these stoves would save your vic
a. married. hcr ter work Yer me. recEon don't
want none o. yer Stoves be replied sulklY, ana /
concluded 10 nave OF and lose no more time Win INC
brutc.
What rllcs me- said another drummer travelling
for shoe house IN Baltimore, Is 10 90 into st"ic
TO sell man bill Of goods ard find aDut dozen
loa.ers stretched ont on the counters or Nihs ao'
on the porch with pillows undcr 'helr ho""S' go go
stretched to take n every worl you say II takes al
the heart ont OF me, and often .urn and leave '"o
store in disgust without trying to make sale
All this however. applies only TO the hill country
back from tho railroads. Wherever the neisA o. Inc
"black pony IS heard and the lines of shining Steel
rails are SEEM the evidences Of thrift. push and bust
ness are Observable Nowhere IS this moro striking
than in Huntington. on the ChesapeaAe
and Ohio road Hero within com
paratvely few years have sprung up a busting
community Of 5000 souls, with marks Of progress
that make It look in many respects II he western
town Here the railroad after It's long winding
stretch through the AllcsbcnicS touches the line OF
commerce that Is carried on the yellow HOOD OF the
Ohio River Here the Ensign Car Works. with a
weekly payroll OF $4,000. employing neatly l.O9o
men give stability 20 the future of the town. {. J..
Huntington. after whom the town Is named. lakes a
great interest IN rs prosperity and owns great deal
| Of land IN and around II -
While Mr. Huntington Is helping TO build a pros
porous town on the south bank of the Ohio stephen H.
fkins a. the chief spirit In the West Virginia tentral
Railroad. IS pushing that road southwark nom Pied,