Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-02
WEST VIRGINIA RAMBLINGS.
An Interesting Account of a Trip Through
the Interior.

the Interior.
To he Editor Of the Register:
SIR-Wednesday, January 18th, 1SS8,
found NE on board Of the train that leaves
Wheeling at Il o'clock III. IN the Ohic
River ruil,Oad. Having nothing in partic'
ular to do for 4 few days, l thought it {
good idea to visit Weston and Buckhan
non vie PaGkersburg and C~larksburg. No
having been over this route for some time
l concluded the trip wonld be wortt
making 10 note the changes, improvements
renew old ac~qUaintauCes, make new ones
etc. Any enc at all familiar with the Ohit
Valley before the railIpad Was built 10 SEE
il now, eau not iail to note the wonderful
changes that have taken place. Tine Lori
only knows how many times l have waited
all day or night for Il steamboat on which
to yet away from those Ohio river landings,
Time after time | have taken a horse 10
mid winter and rode all day or night IL
the cold or wet in order to reach the out
side world. The mails we're interrupted
al intervals, and q large humber OF other
annoyarces the people were subjected 20,
too tedious to mention. This has all
changed now. The trains are usually on
time, so that all can calculate with u rea-
sonable degree OF certainty when he is
going to start and when he is going to
reach his destination, the mails are regular
and the people feel they have certain and
constant communication with the rest OF
mankind in defiance Of ice and low water
in the river.
How such valuable and rich railroad ter
ritory rs the Ohio Valley was allowed to
unoccupied so long Is q mystery.
In fact it is a mystery why the whole
State of West Virginia has been passed
over By capitalists seeking investments Tor
other and more remote fields less renumera-
tive. The outside world need coal, iron,
coke. timber, etc. These we have in mex
haustable quantities and Of the finest
quality, lying within probably two hun
dred miles of the Atlantic seaboard. All
the vast resources lying dormant IN the
State are compar atively useless unless
developed BY railroads. There Is nothing
we need so much as railroads penetrating
the State. Tho people ought to afford all
proper and legitimate encouragement 10
capital investing in the State. \ llherai,
lust and businesss-like policy should be
sdopted and all this elamor against nail
roads,, which is the only stock in store OF
the ~demagcgue, should be suppressed,
capitalists understand once for all
that money invested in railroads will re-
eeiye the same measure OF justice meted
out TO money invested in anything else.
&This Ohio Valley certainly is rich in the
1t doubtless is one among the
finest valleys in America. Its iertillty IS
probably unsurpassed. lsometlmes tninE
the people living in the valley do NOT
realize what a boon they possess. The
people of the Ohio Valley ought to be hap
DIV and contented, for in the main they
possess everything to make them so. AT
4 o'clock p. IN. l arrived at Parke'sourS
and lett al 5.35 d. II. over the b. u u, GO
ing east. The ride over the b. x y. was
uneyentful. l could not see much OF the
country on account OF the hills and tunnels.
l occupied the time in motto ng the ricKety
old station houses, shantleS, etc., so mum
erous along the line. The b. u U. ought
at least. in Justice to themselves, Whltewash
these house and shanties. They are standlDg
of the effect of the discrlml-
mating policy pursued by the b. x ..
against the local traffic. The B. &O. nave
continued this suicidal policy so long that
the people have lost confidence IN them,
and they scarcely have q dlslnterested
friend in West Virginia.
At 12.lO o'clock p. m. THURSDAY, j tooS
the train at Clarksburg over the T., W. q
@. narrow sauce railroad, arriving at Buck
harmon ut 800 O'Clock p. m. the same
day. What a blessing this little ral!Eoad
issto the people of Lewis and Upshur n
ties! Even counties lying further in the
interior, such as BraXtOn, Gilmer, Web
ster, etc, cannot fail to realize the Dene-
fits. 1t being in the midst Of winter, "nen
things are at a standstill, OF course one can
not approximate an idea OF the business
carried on along the line, but Judging by
the many SAW mills in sight and the large
ricks OF lumber it gives one an ldea
of the immense lumber business that
certainly must be carried on AT
Weston and Buckhannon both saw many
hundreds CT thousands of feet OF lumber.
The Rrckbo,no, Riyer Lumber COmpany
carries on an extensive lumber business at
B~uckhannon. They have now about $751;
600 invested. DIR. Newton, Levi Leonard
and Others, OF Buckhannon, aud Mr.. Matt.
Harrison, Judge Henry Brsnnon, DR..
Kunst aud others, Of Weston, are among
the principal stockholders; in fact l be-
lieye the stock is substantially held by
Weston and Buekhannon people. Mr..
Matt. Harrison is President and DIR.
Newton GAnsraI Manager of the