The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1892-06-08

Il
oiI Interests 81 the State have been I'M
creasing, and to-day thousands Of bar
reIs pour forth from her penetrated bo-
som to Intricate she creaking world
and make glad and give light to those
who are III darkness.
The poor have been made rich, and
the rich have gained greater wealth.
Capitalists have come and are coming,
seeking after the treasures Of a state
which was once looked upon as i
small patch Of backWoods. Favor
able winds have blown away the mys-
tic clouds: business men look no long
| er with blinded eyes; the sun is now
shining upon our progress, and that
which was just a mere dream has be-
come a great reality.
In West Virginia. as in most states,
which are thinly and newly settled,
I.and which possess fine forest lands,
the first source Of income which be-
comes available is the timber Many
causes conspire to induce the new
settler to turn first to the forest prod
nets, among the most important Of
which il the necessity of removing
the wood from the soil I'M order to
prepare for the plough. He is espeei-
ally tempted to fell his forest when
as for us, much Of the timber is of
good quality and of the kind most
fused ii the large manufacturing cities
Of the adjoining states.
Our timber lands are among the
richest in America; yea, we might say
| in the world. And, indeed, the only
cause which has prevented the almost
total demolitition eff our forests has
been the impossibility Of getting
much of the lumber to market.
West Virginia has had much to
complain Of in her lack Of transporta-
tion, but it. is aquestion whether she
|. will not be more than repaid for any
previous lack of revenue from her tim
bers, by having been compelled to re-
tain them, until from the rapid con-
sumption of forests in adjoining
states, she will obtain something like
an adequate return for them.
OF the 16, $40, 900 acres of land in
the state, over 6,0oo,Ooo are in the
primeyal forest. The trees vary in
size, abundance and the quality of
their wood, according to the adoption
of the locality to supply their special
requirements 49,, ~ i
There is a great similarity in the
timber over most Oft State. 1t is
composed mainly of white chestnut,
black and red oaks, chestnut, hickory,
poplar, ash, sugarmaple, spruce, hem
lock, beech, cherry, birch, locust and:
black walnut. Not. many years in
the past nearly all the lumber >Con-
sumed in the State and exported was
manufactured 2by water power, but
since then portable and stationary
saw mills have rapidly increased.
Railroads have penetrated the forests
and furnished means of transporta-
ton. ssr - 4
West Virginia's wealth, is no longer
lying dormant in the primeyal forests.
We hear the click of the woodman's'
axe: we hear the hum of the factory
wheel: we hear the puff of the mighty
engine. all of which cry aloud in ac-
cents unmistakable, Progress ! Pro
gress We have noticed but few of
the natural resources of our state, but
enough to show that our original, I'M
developed wealth is great, and that
the opportunities for the capitalist,
the laboring man and the manufac-
turer can be surpassed by no other
state in the Union. t'
The physical and avaricious is not
the whole of man. He is an intellec-
tual and moral being as well, and has
West Virginia nothing more to offer
him than undeveloped resources?ss Yea,
indeed, she has. She has schools for
the intellectual and churches for the
moral. Twenty-Five years ago there
were no public schools and but few
churches. During the superintendent
cy Of that venerable, untiring man,
DR.. w. R. White, whose life has been
devoted to the advancement of the
moral and intellectual world, the free
school system was established. And
to-day our hills and valleys are dotted
all over with school houses. No child
need go ignorant All have the OPP
portunity ofintellectual development
Following our free schools are our
normal schools, to prepare young men
and woman for teachers for the rural
districts and towns are indeed yalua-
Bile adjunct to Uncommon school sys-
tenn.
Above all is our State University.
The buildings are comparatively new.
They are tasteful, spacious and well
adapted to their purpose. The situ-
alton is beautiful; the climate health