The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-03
WEST VIRGINIA WILDS.
a COUNTRY rIR FROM RAILROADS.
transportation Almost Entirely by River.
Los-Rolling and Rafts-An frreiig-
ious and Iawiess People.

In the present time OF civilization il is gen.
orally conceded that railroads do an enor-
nous business and in Virginia the railroad
has entirely taken the place o.. the tow-path
and canal In West Virginia il is different.
owing 90 a different class of freight. The
lsrger part OF the transportation ia this State
is done by the waters OF its own or adjoining
rivers. and it has only been of late years that
great railroad enterprises have taken place.
The rivers Of West Virginia carry an enor-
nous tonnage of low-class freight. such
as ooal, timber and stone. and in order
70 make these rivers accessible tho Federal
Government has spent vast sums for the i'm
proyement OF the navigab.e streams
The Great kanawha, which reaches the Ohio
az Point Pleasant. Is the principal competitor
Of the Monongahela in tho coal trade and
since 1913 the Federal Government has ex-
PENDED Sl,g.6 203 for the improvements of
this rver. II has completed hyo locks and
dams. two fixed dams and three movable.
The Little kanawha which has a total length
OF one hundred and fifty miles. has been inn
proved for navigation for a distance OF fifty
miles.
The Big Sandy river strictly speaking is
but twenty-six miles long. but taken with its
principal tributary the lug river, It provides
one hundred and ten miles adapted TO steam
navigation Of light drawing.
he Federal Government has expended on
this river S242.29S The amount OF coal ship
ped from Point Pleasant annually IL l,O6Lo1o
tons The value per ton of the equipment Tor
transporting this lOw-class freight IS only
Sl.l7. while the average per ton Oh the great
lakes has been shown 20 be S5S. The great
difference Is owing 70 the fact that - per
cent OF the tonnage in West Virginia - low
class fraf~hr A lorrn HnQntffV TIMBER lNS
beon fioated away 10 the Ohio river and mil
lions OF feet have been lost by high water.
LoG-RoLIISG TrnE.
Rafting timber has become an art in West
Virginia. aud every young mOunialneer makes
his first entrance into the world by helping
s0me more experienced ratter TO nOat ms TIM
her. 1t IS an exciting time IA the spring OF
the year TOT the young mountaineer who loves
risk and danger and having once gone down
the Ohio river they are always anxious TO 90
again. OF late years the lug Fork OF the big
SANDY has had the largest timber trade. The
timber IS cut and trimmed along the ridges
or on the hill-sides. and then comes log
rolEn' time which resembles the Virginia
consolidating at night. except the former Is
done in the day. This Is the mOuntaineer's
harvest and the old people say Everybody
used 10 turn out at the log-rollin'."
Log-rOlling in the day aud dancing at night.
No one received any pay but the compliment
would be returned by heppen 10 hoe corn
or some similar work.
The timber may yet be forty miles from the
Tug or some large river. but II IS rolled down
the hills 70 some branch, and from this 1t -
carried Oh by means of splash dams, which
are built a mile or q mile and half apart.
according to the size of the stream. These
dams are very curious structures. They are
very high but are not strong. They are
closed 10y means of large gate, and can be
opened when the dam Is full The timber,
IT,. II.Ir itxrn IN
the backwater of the dam, Is arranged so the
logs viii at off when the dam IS opened
This water fills the dam below, and should
any logs have lodged the first dam Is again
stopped and opened Thus all interlopers
are carried down.
UNwRMDY RATS.
When large stream is reached the logs
are arranged into one large raft thirty or
forty feet wide and from one hundred to one
hundred and eighty rect long. In nayiga-
BILE streams these RATS are very hard TO man-
age and consequently they require men who
are skilled with q raft rudder. Inns rudder Is
constructed on each end OF the raft. 1t IS
about twenty-five feet long made OF heaVy
timber and is almost balanced about midway
by heavy frame two OF three feet high;
The young mOunIelneer IS enraptured with
this mode of travelling. A little log hut IS
made on the raft in which they sleep and do
their cooking. They fish or hang out lines,
and ire guently they have catfish for dinner.
Me- read IN the history Of Abraham Lin
coin OF the lumber rafting on the Mississippi
AS if 10 were a thing of the past. There may
be little done there now. but 10 IS still carried
on to a great extent in West Virginia ana on
the Ohio river.
COUNTY POLITICAL PAPERS
One Of the interesting things in the noun
famous part of West Virginia Is the number
OF political papers which spring mp IN the
county seats previous to the election for
President, Such papers as the Mountain
Index" and the 'Iwelve-Pole Monitor" ana the
Hector" have great influence with the vote
Of the county. As soon as the election Is
over the paper stops and does not start until
the next election comes around.
APRorLE WITHOUT RELIGION.
Tradition saws that every race has a relig-
ION but If some OF the mOuntaineers and RAT
ters were clas5ed as q separate race believe
there would be found a race without reilg-
ion As tor theism and atheism they never
consider the subject. Everything goes on on
Sunday lust az any other day. Few houses
have any look of home about them. but those
with the OpOssum skin tackled on the outside
of the house and the long string OF red pep
per pods hanging on either side OF the front
door have a tone of comfort which the others
do not possess. The mOuntaineer has good
Kentucky saddle and usually very poor
mule.
WILD AND LAwLEss COUNTRY.
The further one goes from the Ohio river
up the Tug or IWelye-P Pole river the rougher
the country gets but when one passes
through Logan county travelling Is frequently
dangerous. Crime there usually goes unpunish-
q, OF. escape IS easy. know an instance where
a native came TO q camp on the Norfolk and
Western railroad and put Winchester at the
window and shot at a young engineer who
was sleeping. The bullet went through his
clothes over his breast and lodged IN the
wal.
II is moro than mystery how some of these
people live, for no one ever sees a good gar
den. and frequently they have none. but in
some sunny place YOU will find irish potatoes,
sweet potatoes and cabbage. The leaf OF the
cabbage is used all the year around. In the
winter it IS "a cd In the form Of sauer-kraut but
q taste for this must be acquired.
CHANGES IN PROSPECT.
Along all this rough countr there has come
n change. aud enterprises are sprlngln up all
along the new line OF the Norlo and West
err railroad. Although the track aging from
Fikhorn to Ir0ut0n. o., mss not been en-
trely completed passenger trains arc running
from Dunlow to kenoya. W. Va. Botn OF
the latter are new towns.
Two new coal mines are now being ope-
rated one at ilemming and one at lerguSOn.
new coal field is now being opened along
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