Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-05


 Surpassed and Rarely EqualIed by the
 Glittering El N@fados Ofthe West. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 While in Washington during the past month had the pleasure of several very agreeable interviews with citizen of West Virginia, the venerable Judge Camden, whose home is at Clarksburg, W. Va.
 From him gathered much interesting in- formation in regard to the natural resources ot this new State, a sister of anamolous birth, and was quite surprised to find that it possesses to great an extent the elements of vast wealth and future prosperity.
 Properly developed it will become field for industrious and enterprising people from the more densely populated eastern States, scarcely equalled and rarely surpassed by any of the more remote or glittering Fl Dorados of our continent.
 A few clippings which take from local newspapers, furnished me by the judge, may prove instructive and interesting to portion of your readers. Respectfully yours. .
 c. B. BOWERS.
 It is safe to say that the citizens of no American commonwealth have ever been en- gagged in the promotion of more Iaudable or important enterprise than are the people of West Virginia when making an earnest effort to bring prominently to the view of the commercial and manufacturing world the un- told and almost incomprehensible material resources of their State.
 Let us notice briefly her forest products alone By the census of 1850 1t is shown that 15, 280 square miles, or sixty-two per cent of the entire area of the State is cover ed with primeval forest. This vast forest io hU of hQr woods, which fo- quantity and quality has no parallel in the new world.
 But of that wonderful region, where grow to gigantic size the various oaks, the sugar, hickory, maple, walnut, beech, cherry, null berry, locust, etc., West Virginia owns, or embraces within her confines It, ,2S0 square miles or 9,779, 200 acres coveted with dense forest standing in almost primeval grandeur. Whence then must come the hard wood to be used in the various industries during the next century? Shall British America furnish iti No, for it is not there. Shall it be brought from the Pacific coasta No, for it is not there Shall it be obtained from the mountains and plains of South Amerioaa Certainly net, for the same reason that it cannot be secured elsewhere. It must come from the valleys, spurs and foothills of the Allegheny mountains, and West Virginia is to contribute large proportion of it. Hence, we ask: Do West Virginia land owners know
  answer no, for in the aggregate it cannot be estimated.
 The value of her forests has been roughly given at $80,000,000. Taking this estimate as approximately correct, what a wonderful change it's realization would produce! But when will it be?
 The rich Ioann soil of the agricultural dis tricts of Harrison is peculiarly adapted to grasses, which has made it the principal stock grazing county in the State. The wool pro- duct for last year amounted to $40, 900.
 The market value of improved land is $40 fourth of the country is uncleared, but the lands are timber culled. They average in price $12 an acre. Projected "a lroads have enhanced the price of coal lands. New peo- pie are wanted and will be cordially welcom- ed There are excellent openings for coke niture and agricultural implements, canning fruits and vegetables, butchering cattle for the eastern market, and the establishment of creanneries.
 Limestone exists in abundance. Good fire clay is found, but has not yet been developed. The same may be said of iron ore. Natural gas has been found in several locations. There is plenty of good building sand in the county.
 AN INDUSTRY THAT WOULD PAY.
 A fruit canning establishment is indus try that would pay in Clarksburg. The amount of fruit that annually goes 10 waste in this county because it cannot be used and there is no outside demand for it is enor- mous All this might be utilized and an immense business built up. The fruit raised in Harrison county is equal in quality to any in the world and with the advantages pos sessed in being able to use it fresh from the trees or vines an extraordinary good quality of canned fruit could be placed in the market from a cannery located at this point. The amount of capital required would not be large and the returns we think would be gratifying. Let some of our enterprising men take hold of this scheme.