The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-06
wHATTnEY ~ OF Us.
Opinions of Press and People Regarding
West yirEiniA's Boom,

He,g York Financial ErdNtRer, March 9.
The convention Of business men, rail-
road men and farmers, which assembled
in Wheeling, W. Va, on Wednesday last,
has special significance from the fact that
It marked the institution Of an important
movement designed to draw capital and
immigrants to West Virginia for the pur.
pose Of developing the natural resources
Of that State. This lie, we believe, the first
determined effort Of any magnitude, tnat
has been put forth In that direction, sGo
coming at this time when go much Of pup
lie attention Is turning toward the Middle
and Southern States, 1t should result in
very material advantage to the State oil
West Virginia. In the western and south
ern march OF the railroads and the Gomez
auent development OF vast areas OF the
country, Weat Virginia seems to have
been passed by and overlooked in great
measure, and there ig every Teason why
this hitherto comparatively neglected
corner Of tho country should now receive
the attention from capitalists and settlerS
10 which It Ia entitled by reason OF the vast
wealth with which nature has endowed IT.
The energies Of the people OF West Vir'
SiniS have not been lying dormant oy any
means, but the movements which have
hitherto been projected for purposes Of
DEVELOPMENT have been largely oil local
character, II now appears, however, that
public attention is 10 be invited towards
the State, upon broader and more COM
prehensiye scale. Tho least that can DO
said 10 that what the men Of West VIZ
Sinia have to cay shout their State ls wen
worth listening to.
An erroneous and rather unAccounta0le
Impression Seems to prevail that Wess
Virginia Is both remote from the
great centres Of business and inaccessible
as well, while in truth the Slate nestle9
right in between PenngylvRnia, Ohio and
Virginia in such way rs to bring 1t in the
| ysry path OF at least two great truak lines
which furniah reedy communication with
any point. An hour from Pittsburgh, two
houfs from Baltimore or Washington, i've
hours from Philadelphia or seven hours
| from Now York bring ono into the heart
of the State. West Virginia can no longer
be considered as in tho fer away West or
the distant South, for the frontier Inca
have long since passed over and beyond
the Stats, leaving ii almost ON the very
border Of the North and East, and leaving,
too, within eEsy reach the wealth which
capitalists and settlers have gone 70 seek
in much more distant localities.
It'll to be wondered ct, that state
which offers the remarkable natural ad.
vantsgeB that afO TO be found In West
Virginia, should have been permitted to
lie Untouched for so long period and 60
little effort made 10 turn its wealth to &C.
count. Hereis State embracing an area
OF "a. $50 square miles, or more than the
combined area OF Massachusetts, New
Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island,
and yet It's population is but fraction oil
thoss older Ststes and it's railroad mileage
only about 1900 40 compared with over
Ii. 200 miles for the four States. Although
the natural resources and mineral wealth
OF West Virginia 10 vastly in excess Of
these older States, Q comparison with
them is manifestly unfair to West Viz.
oinia, as It's opportunities have been COM
psYetiyeIy small. The time haa now como
when the greatly increased and Inn
proved facilities for communication with
the South must prove OF great
advantage 10 tho Intermediate Sec
tions as we'll as the more distant southern
States, and West Virginia should share IN
such benefits, and 1t may be truly said
that there are few sections Of the country
which are in better position TO profit by
any movements in the line OF develop
msnt than Is West Virginia at present.
| In coal and timber lands the State is mar.
yelouslv rich. The great Appalachian
coal field covers some 10000 square miles
OF tie State aud there are vast deposits Of
every variety OF camel, Bplint, coktuS,
block and bituminouG Goals in thick and
easy worked veins. Hundreds Of thou3-
ands OF acres Of good agricultural lands In
the State, lying within 800 miles oil tide
water and within 100 miles OF the Onio
river, Cau be purchased for from II TO 70
per acre. The timber alone on these lands
will psy the cast OF clearing and the un-
deriving seams Of coal will yield from
6, 900 to 5000 toms per acre. The lines OF
the Baltimore 4 0hio and the chesapeake,
& Ohio Systems already bring much oil
this coal into the MARKET but with q
further extension OF the railroads in the
State there will come an increase IN the
production that will form great volume
OF traffic and bring handsome returne to
mining and railroad Investments. Capita!
in almost any amount can be used TO good
advantage in West Virginia, and nov
that the great tide Of emigration, which
has for yesrs flowed westward, 10 now
commencing to surge backward, there ts
an oppostunity for large portion Of II 10
find It's way into most deOirGble region
in West Virginia.