The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-28
IA BEAVRTFULV VA. TOWN
Buckhannon's Picturesque Site
and Rapid, Solid Growth.
Alive, ENTERPRIsING PEOPLE
Electric Lights and Brick.PAved
Streets .Creditable Institutionsof
Learning..A Busy Community
or Solid DIen...Rich Coal.

BuckhAnnon lies In DeauLlluI valley
l, 400 feet above tidewater. Approaching
1t from Weston you ascend to tho divide
400 feet, and thence to Buckhannon is {
fall Of 40 feet, so the engineers cay who
constructed the Camden standard gauge
which, fortunately for this region, has
taken the place Of the narrow gauge
This, it seems, is to be feature in the
railroad building Of West Virginia
Where at first the standard gauge, by
reason Of It's greater cost, is commercially
impracticable, there is profit in the mar
row gauge. Railroads make their own
business. Surely this marrow gauge did
and It's success was daily suggestion tc
it's owners that more was In store II this
region could have standard facilities.
So Senator Camden interested the Balti-
more & Ohio, which stood with its credit
at his own broad back, and constructed
this part OF a system which Is to reach
southwark across West Virginia and In
vade the iron lands OF the Old Dominion.
So 1t Ia that the visitor to BuCkhannon,
finds his way 10 that picturesque spot
over a standard road in comfortable
coaches which are not yet old enough to
cease to be a delight to the native eye.
A LOVELY PROSPECT.
II you have seen a good picture ofthe
City Of Mexico, perched up high, stretch
ing out on the table land, with sur
rounding hills making a bowl.like rim,
you have sone idea OF what Duckhan.
non looks like in its natural aspects. II
the good Lord has permitted you to
feast your eyes on the Valley Of Yir-
ginia, the fairest stretch OF land on his
foot stool, imsgine this in epitome, with
picturesque hills closing up both ends
so that beautiful plain Is hill-encircled (;
and this, perhaps, will give you better
idea Of where and how Buchanan lies.
On as pretty q day as ever dawned stood
on one Of these surrounding knobs and
took IN the view. Below, busy, bust
ling little town Of about 1900 inhabi-
tants, at the southern end two creditable
and progressive Institutions OF learn.
ing-the United Brethren Academy
with a hundred students, and the New
Methodist Seminary, Just reaching
the end Of it's first year, q
tall, handsome building Of brick Of
excellent quality, made on the spot, and
with q student rell OF l2S-success al.
most unparalleled, and certainly crafty.
ing TO the friends Of education in West
Virginia, and especially to that powerful
denomination which has founded 1t.
From the Bonth the beautiful Buck.
hannon river winds It's way like 3 thread
Of silver around the town, and flows
northward through rich coal and timber
fields on its way to the Tygart's Valley
river. High above, great tlocks OF clouds
were banked in heavy masses, and
smaller black clouds that seemed to
stand immovable looked like mountain
peaks rearing their heads beyond some
distant sea. The air was fresh and
bracing, and I thought OF Moore'e lines
on the Schuylkill cottage-"t there's
peace to be found in this world, q soul
IL at is humble might hope for 1t here"
NV friend, Dr.. Miller, who has made
his home In Buckhannon for seventeen
years, a Pennsylvania who knows q
good thing when he sees 1t, and who
knows this region from observation and
personal experience, tells me that peo'
pie have to move out OF here before they
can die. From another authority l
learn that death rarely occurs in Buck
hannon except from old age.
THE TOWN GOING AHEAD.
Az all aventa. Bnckhannon Ia strong
and lusty and has been growing at q
surprising rate. Something, must be
going on, for the main street is torn up
preparatory to laying brick pavement
aud the electric light casts its welcome
glare over the town. Frame buildings
OF substantial character, and brick
buildings have been going up rapidly
for the past two years, and Major j. w.
Heavier, good authority on real estate
matters in Buckhannop and the whole
region around about, informs me that
within this period over $780, 600 have
been expended on new buildings. This
would not be much Tor Chicago, but II
ia a great deal for Buckhannon, and 1t
has been accomplished, apparently, in
the natural order of things and simply
because 1t had to come. The Methodist
Seminary hRe, Of course, given Buck:
hannon considerable impetus and will
give 1t more; but Buckhannon was
already growing because the rich
country contributary to 1t is develop
inr, aud the Buckhannon men are
not letting anything get away
from them. Business houses in this
modest little mountain town will com.
pare fayorably with those OF much larger
and noisier pls, es. There has been
more than q fair start on the industrial
line. A successful woolen mill which
uses the fne wool of Upshur county, two
roller -four mills, one Of which is said to
be the best equipped in the State, four
lumber companies spd two brick plants
afford employment TO part Of the popu.
latlon aud give promise ot better
things to gone. Building is cheap liv.
ing fs cheap, aud the people wear q
thrifty air. Although the country roads
are almost hub.deep in mud, the streets
are filled with people who move al
though they had something TO do and
could not wait to do 1T
ADVANCE IN RIAL Es7AFa.
1 asked Maj. Heavier to tell me some
thing about real estate prices. He said
there had been steady and considerable
ADVANCE sll along the line and pointed
| to lot which three years ago could
have been bought for 500, for which be
had recently been commissioned BY
client to offer 81, 900, and which could
not be bought now for less than 81 800
The town Is pushing its way southwark
in the direction 81 and beyond the
United Brethren's Academy and tht
MethodistS' Seminary, to the higher and
beautiful lands which lie in that direc
tion, It's destiny Is TO occupy the vacant
space between It's present limits and the
dver on the sopth and TO cross over BY
convenient bridges 10 the inyltiug hillE
beyond. The old town will not buffer
but there will be q bigger and busiel
BuckhRnnon 10 take ita place among thi
principal urban communities OF Weat
| Virginia. r
LOOKING FOR TnE CAPITAL.
The site is 60 pleasing and access Il
Buckhanpon now so easy, that the in
lhnbitAnts thereof look forward NOR
Than away In the time when the Stat