West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-09-25
WILD MOUNTAIN SCENERY.
A Buggy Trip Through The Interior
OF The State.

i"S iNtuih ~ lluI CITY lew uaNS
ago, after u three months trip in a
buggy through West Virginia in
the interests of II. G.. Dunn's Com
mercial Agency. lie Travelled
nearly 1900 miles and visited near
ly every county in the State. We
extract the following account of h :
trip as published in the Wheeling
Graphic.
81 left Wheeling June 2 in bug.
gy and followed the shore Of the
Ohio river to Moundsville. From
Moundsville / went by the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad to FAIR
mont, passing through the famous
Warrington oil fields. The roads
in and around Warrington are in "a
vile condition. The mud was often
hub deep and six horses were neces-
sary TO wagon. Even with this
equipment it was frequent occur
renee for a wagon to stick in the
mud and additional horses were nee
essarry to pull over the bad places.
Warrington is situated in the
southwest corner Of an oil belt that
is fifteen miles long by five miles
broad. The number of clusters"
or dry holes is very small in proper
ton to the total number of wells
drilled. The field is very produc-
tive, some of the large wells yielding
500 barrels day.
Four miles southwest of Grafton
is the 'littlc village of Clarkson
which a year ago consisted of q store
and house or two and bore the
title of Briartown. Now it has a
u population of over 400. 1t is on
the Monongahela River Branch of
the b. q o. running from Clarks-
burg to Fairmont. The mines and
coke works of the Upper Mononga-
hela Coal and Coke Company of
which The B. & o. is large stock
holder, arc located here. The com
pany
EMPLOYS OVER THREE HUNDRED
men, has 800 coke ovens and n vein
of coal eleven feet thick. very access
iblc, and by analysis fully equal in
coke producing qualities to the ft-
nous Conncllsvillc coal. The town
now has Il number Of very good gen-
eral stores, general air of thrift
and push, and very bright future.
! reached Albightsville at the
base OF the mountains by cir
cuitious route and drove up the
mountain side 8 miles to Terra Alta
on bright moonlight night. The
ride up the mountain was like pass
ing through place of cnchantmcnt.
The pale blue of the sky was gem
med by Il brilliant setting of stars
and fair Luna's rays cast a spIendor
over the undulating panorama
stretching miles beyond my feet.
The mountain streams tumultuous-
ly tossing in their tiny beds filigrecd
the twenty mile scope of country
visible to the eye with delicate net
wore Of silver threads woven into
quaint and fantistic arabesques, as
if q genii had in wanton sport plan
ned their intricate beauties.
Terra Alta was formerly OF some
note as summer resort but is now
in its decadenee, Aurora, ten miles
further on, furnishing greatly
superior hotel accommodation has
turned the tide Of summer travel TO
itself.
At Aurora got on the famous
Northwestern pike extending from
Staunton, Virginia, to Park ersburg,
West Virginia, famous in stage
coaching days. The pike was built
on good grade and in its earlier
days must have been a magnificent
stretch to drive over. Although
poorly kept up it was by far the
best road found on my trip.
At Philippi, in Barbour county,
| stayed a day and ia company with
Attorney Melville Peck drove over
TO the home Of G.. S. Hamrick, the
discovcrcr Of the only known per
feet process Of embalming bodies
and preserving meats and fruits in
perfect state for practically an IN
definite period. Mr.. llamriok is a
stopped, gray-haired man, turned
seventy, and lives in a hut OH q few
acres Of ground which furnish him
a scanty subsistence. From q child
he was fond Of dabbling in drugs