Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-11-17
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE
AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH TEE EY-
GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA.
Out Of Politics, But Stll in the Saddls-Deyel-
Oping the Vast Wealth Of Glasgow's Rich
Mountains-Millions Of Dollars Going
into Big Industrial Pants.

| GLAsGOW, VA, November lO.-A
striking observation made when one
visits that lusty industrial infant known
nowadays as the New South" is the
fact that Cincinnati merchants seem
unaware of either its birth or its
vigorous new life. This observatian is
a stern and stubborn fact. Down
in the prosperous valley of the
Virginia, where have been, when
the people ask, Where do you come
from?" and one answers "From Cincin-
natl" they raise there brows and say,
''Is it in this State, sah?" They rarely
see n Cincinnati commercial traveller.
Just why the great Cincinnati houses
neglect this region, into which million.
Of dollars are now being poured, and
following which flood come thousands
upon thousands OF workmen TO create a
market for the great staple in which
Cincinnati deals, is one of those curious
things easy to state but difficult TO eX-
plain.
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore
and even Richmond get nearly all the
trade from this thriving region, despite
the fact that the buyers are willing to
purchase in. Cincinnati and that Cincin-
natl has abundant and rapid facilities
of transportation into this country. II
the merchants here were ever pre-
JUDGED against Cincinnati or Wheeling,
which is doubtful, they are now ready
and willing to buy where they can do
so to the best advantage. Cincinnati
or Wheeling cdn compete. Why do they
not? Who knows?
would as soon think OF visiting the
Vatican and not seeing His Holiness,
the Pope, and OF coming to Virginia and
neglecting to call upon the most pie
turesQue and interesting figure in the
old as well as the new life Of the his
tercal State-General Fitzhugh Lee,
Ex-Governor of the Old Dominion, and
now the most popular public man Ia the
South. General Lee is no longer an
ofiice-holder nor an oflice-seeker. He
is vigorous, busy, brainy man OF af-
fairs. The friction OF the lively life Of
business man has not destroyed but
polished his graces as n gentleman.
81 assume" he said to me when |
called upon him at his Office at Glasgow,
Va, to-day, that you are an inter-
terviewer, but" with laugh, 81 can
tell you in advance that nothing in the
way of politics shall enter into our chat,
and, II by inadvertence should touch
upon this tabooed topic, know you will
forget it," | did. "By the way" he
asked, before | could put question to
MIN, "Wherc is Colonel Fred Mussey
nowadays? The last time saw him
was at the Inauguration exercises Of the
great Newport dry docks, which are,
you know, the greatest in America.
He responded after dinner to the toast
The Press and when he arose"-here
General Lee smiled at the memory
Ibis eyes met mine. i am glad to see
General Lee here Mussey said, 'be-
cause I've written a great deal about
him, and yet it seemed that the more
wrote the greater became the respect OF
his people for him. and feel convinced
now that my efforts during his cam
paign added at least ten thousand TO his
majority" General Lees great should
ers shook with laughter and his great
bright eyes twinklcd merrily as he told
me this story.
"How did it happen, Governor,
asked, that you came here to Glas
COVE" That" he replied, sis readily
explained. | was kept busy during the
last year of my Gubernatorial term re-
jecting offers OF commercial opportun'
tiles because they would have taken me
out OF my State and away from my
| o. nd Of
approached me with Il prospectus oi
this new industrial enterprise. / ex'
amined 1t carefully, saw that 1t was
sure to be a substantial and handsome
success, and after some consideration
accepted the presidency OF the Rock
bridge Company, under whose auspices
the City OF Glasgow has already become
such success. was told of the won
derful deposits of iron ore in the Glas-
Cow region, Of Its fine limestone, TIN,
glass sands, fire clay and so on.
and"-
"Mr. Peasants" said the General TO
his secretary, who had interrupted the
conversation at this point, "tell them !
will see them at 1l:l5; am engaged
with an Ohio man nOw." The visitors
were party of investors, who were
waiting in an outer office for an oppor-
tunity to see the President OF the Rock
bridge Company.
II visited the country" General Lee
continued, catching up, with the
facility of man used to interruptions,
the thread of his talk, "and found that
the half had not been told me concern
ing the natural resources OF this rich
region. Then went to Pennsylvania
and investigated her iron indus
tries. 1t costs Pennsylvania from
fifteen to seventeen dollars to manufac-
ture her iron. while we make IL at a cost
of from nine to eleven dollars. | rea-
soned that il they can make money at
that figure. why can not we make more
Of Il? Finding no contradiction to the
query, | accepted the Presidency OF the
Rockbridge Company-and here am
and was never so hale and hearty In my
life.
81 am graduate of West Point; have
fought Indians, and was leader OF cav
alry. In fact, / have always been a
leader OF men. and find that my early
trimming is of infinite advantage to me
now"
1--WE want to move Cincinnati here al.
ter awhile. and | believe we will do 1t,
remarked the General. yesterday
had \ letter from ex-governor Foraker,
to-day a Commercial Gazette representa-
tive calls on me, and | would not DC
surprised if Mr.. Halstead came down to
buy n lot"-this with laugh.
General Lee turned In his chair, ana
nointing to range of diamonds, said,
ssDo you know that in that mountain
wonder we have deposit OF from seven
to eight million tons OF iron ore? Ihis
Is what Prof. John K. Proctor,
Of kentucky, found. When l
told it to the celebrated English
peologist, Mr.. Moore, who was sent here
bv an English syndicate, which, by The
wav. has lust placed 81, $1,000 here, he
said that il must be a mistake, but after
spesding Some time prospecting ana
testing. he came to me with his calcula'
tions and said that Prof. Proctor wa
three hundred thousand tons snort
.Rut why,' inquired he, did you pur'
chase an additional tract oil thlrty
tbousand acres?' Simply because,
evnlained. this country Is growing ano
needs more iron. As it grows the de
mand on us will grow, and we want u
meet It. We have everything here tha'
the world uses and we can supply IL
cheaper than any other section or peo
nle. The furnace is the basis of a town
bnild IL and You will soon have its ad
;wnc,s-steel plants. machine shops and
soon and-so-on. We don't want 10 eu'
up pig iron and sell it in It's raw state 'S
shipping it away to be Manufactured
and then brought back to US with tne