The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1892-06-08
WEST VIRGINIA.
Her Natural Resources-C Coal, Iron Ore
Petroleum, Timber Schools
Progress, Prosperity
Etc. I

Standing in the shadow of the
nineteenth century and upon the thres-
hold OF the twentieth and in the .thir-
tieth year Of our existance as a sepa-
rate commonwealth, we are. not
filed with doubt and fear as to the
future of our Little Mountain State. I
Her soil is rocky, but not barren; her
. hills are high, but not without their
treasures; her forests remote and ex-
tended, but are filled with wealth;
and not until this present time has
any systematic effort been inaugural
ted to bring to the general attention
Of our own country and of Europe the
great wealth of West Virginia,
5sa There is no state that presents
equal opportunity and advantage to
the laborer, the farmer, the mechanic,
= the manufacturer, the business man
and the capitalist, To prove this as
sertion we have only to glance at her
natural resources, the most important
of which are coal, iron ore, petroleum.
and timber. The largest expanse Of
1ontinuous coal area in: the world is
that of the Appalachian Coal Field Of
America, Its length is eight hun
dred and seventy live miles, extending
from the north of Pennsylvania to the
central part of Alabama. Its breadth
is one hundred and eighty miles. The
coal Of this great field are superior to
those of any other field in America,
and are of every kind necessary to the
arts and manufactures. West Vir-
ginia possesses the largest coal area Of
all the states through which it passes.
Forty-eight Of her counties out Of fif-
ty-four are rich in coal. Coal mining
in West Virginia has advantage over
that of other states, from the great
number of seams found accessible
above water level, and from the fact
that they contain Goals sof various
compositions adapted to theNrequire-
ments of trade and manufactures.
The rich coaking, gassy bitumin-
Gus, the hard and valuable splint, and
the oily camel ins7this highly favored
e region, are found in great, purity,
and made easily accessible to the
miner, through the agency Of running
water, which has made bare the seams
in many places, and in consequence
of this, and their size, coal; as a gen
eral rule, can be mined cheaper, and
with more economy, under the same
rates Of labor than in any part Of the
great coal field.
In Great Britain the coal is far
n below water-leyel and to reach it re-
4 rquiTes years upon years Of labor, and
thousands upon thousands Of dollars.
But in our own country and in ouI
own State mighty natural forces have
sunk pits which need neither repair
nor renewal. -s.4
The inclination Of the strata, as
SISTED BY the laws Of gravity, have
provided the most costless, perfect
] and permanent pumping machinery,
and the perfect ventilation OF most
of the mines is, but a matter of sim
pie and ordinary care.
Surely with such great advantages,
+ and such excellent fields al West Vir-
ginia possesses, it may with all reason
look forward to the time when com
paratively, it will be the wealthiest
STATEN the Union.
The hills Of West Virginia are Afll
ed not only with coal, but with iron
ore. These deposits are very numer
GUS and Of superior quality, but hayt
not vet been developed to any greal
extent, from the fact that transpor
tation has been lacking.
Al source of considerable wealth Il
the State is found in the productiono
petroleum. The main development
Of the oil districts, Of West Virgini;
commenced soon after the war III | 500
There had been partial Development
In different sections iof the State prio
to that period, but it was in a yer.