Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-22
A WEALTHY VALLEY
A STRETOE OF IRON ORE FORTY MIES LONG
AND FHREB BROAD.
What Potts Valley Has ia Store for The Industrial
World Wonderful Region That Premises
70 10 Heard Of Very SCon-Wll
Soon Be Developed.
sredal Corrsspsndenes al Ia Rsotster.

wen you are going 10 near gOOd ueal
about it from this time on. Potts creek
is coming to the front. 1t is not "a
BOOM" 1t is solid fact. There is to
be no hiring of Industries" to make a
temporary show; there IS to be no lot
terry Of lots, and, so far as know, there
IS no stock for sale. I merely want to
furnish the readers Of the REGISTER
some interesting information recently
CLEANED.
Potts creek rises in Craig county, Vir-
ginia, In the divide between the waters
of New river and the James, and flows
enthusiastically across a corner OF Mon
roe county, West Virginia, to conhu-
ence with Jackson's river, at Covington,
In Allegheny county, in the old State.
II is about forty miles long, and drains
the slope OF Peters mountain on the
west and Potts mountain on the east.
The valley lies mainly in Allegheny
county. The great mountain ridges are
nearly parallel, but spurs, foothills,
and lower ridges rise here and there
and encrOach upon the bottom land.
Some OF these lower ridges, Mill Ridge,
for example, are quite extensive and
would be considered very respectable
mountain ranges themselves il they
were not dwarfed by proximity to the
rIcater majesty Of Peters mountain and
Po,ts mountain, each Of which has an
altitude OF more than 5000 feet above
the leverof the sea. Along the forty
miles of the Potts creek valley there is
no important break or low gap In the
mountains that hem it in. On either
side. and at the upper end OF the valley,
where the creek has its source, stand
these mighty mountain walls that make
the deep and narrow valley one OF the
most secluded and least known hooks In
southwestern Virginia.
The present population OF the whole
valley is perhaps one thousand, many OF
whom are descendants Of the original
settlers, who located their patents and
built their cabins here about one hun
dred wears ago. The little farms have
been handed down from father to son,
the chief muniments of title being the
original grants from the Commonwealth
Of Virginia, or that sort OF title which
is acquired by peaceable and continu-
Gus occupancy and possession during
long term OF years. l was shown house
held by a widow lady now seventy-four
years OF age, who inherited IL from her
father who was born in that house.
There has heretofore been nothing to
attract strangers TO the valley, and the
people who are born and reared there
cling to the place with all OF the
mountaineer's love for his native home.
A few years ago a prominent farmer
sold of his possessions in Potts Valley
and moved his family to Kansas, where
he bought farm. But he soon grew
homesick for the sight Of the noun
tainS; for the crystal water OF the rills
that leap merrlly down the steep; for
the music of the wind signing among
the pines on Peters mountain; and he
came back and repurchased the old
place, aud resumed the hard work OF
farming among the rocks.
Except in small patches Of level bot
tom land, which have accumulated all
the fertility washed down from the hills,
the soil is very thin and poor. Wheat
grows in a sort of a way wherever
patch of land can be cleared, even on
the very top of the mountains; but ex-
cept upon the few fertile spots of bottom
land, of which mention has been made.
the corn would be considered by
Western farmer as "a mighty poor
show" indeed. The fact is that all the
breadstuffS raised in the valley are con-
sumed at home and nothing is sold to
provide ''store clothes" and furniture,
but a little butter, few dozen eggs, d
little poultry or an occasional COW or
horse. Cattle during the summer are
permitted TO wander upon the range,
but they must be housed and fed during
the winter months, and thus all OF the
hay and fodder which the farmer Is able
70 raise Is consumed at home.
The people themselves show in their
persOnS the marks of hard labor and
orivation, They are healthy, sturdy
and wiry, but the lines of hard work
and cOarS fare and pinching economy
are plainly visible. Strictly honest and
fair in their dealings, they are still
wary and cautious in their transac-
tiOns with strangers and are dis
posed TO. be suspicious lest
some advantage be taken of their
supposed ignorance OF the ways of the
great world Of business from which they
have been secluded, but OF the wicked
ness of which they have vaguely heard.
There are two or three mills, two or
three small stores, two or three black
smith shops in the valley and these af
ford casual meeting places for the
farmers who there discuss the weather,
the crops, politics In general, and all of
the small talk and gossip of the neigh
bOrhoOd. There are also two churches,
one Baptist and one Methodist, and
here and there log school house is
perched among the hills.
But all this quiet and seclusion is
soon TO give way to the hum of busy in
dustry, the tramp Of thousands Of
grimy and brawny workmen, the wealth
producing flame of a dozen furnaces.
In all human probability the opening of
the twentieth century will see In the
valley OF Potts creek, city Of high
spired churches, spacious school houses,
luxurious homes, street railways and
electric lights. Why? Simply because
in the mountains that hem in this little
valley has been found deposit of iron
ore, excellent in quality, easily mined,
and of almost incredible extent. Along
nearly the whole forty miles Of Peters
mountain on one side and the
forty miles Of Potts mountain
on the other, the outcrop may
be traced. The ore is found also
in the foothills and in the ridges that
have been wrinkled up from the val
lev. and there is much foundation for
the belief that the iron-bearing rock
nnderlies the whole extent OF the valley
from end to end and from side to side.
The existence OF iron orein the noun
tains enclosing Potts Valley has been
known for many years, but no person
L.. axtant ErON