Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-24

wealth in timber and coal sold for 10 cents per
acre. and from that up to quarter Of dollar,
while tens of thousands Of acres were borne on
the tax duplicate at a valuation OF 5 cents But
OF late years a change has been wrought in
values. With the projection Of the Norfolk and
Western. and the certainty that other railroads
could not be much longer DELAYED. the price Of
land has mounted to figures far beyond even
the widest dreams OF the original owners.
Beginning about five years ago spectators an
capitalists from the north and east who had
obtained prior knowledge of the possibilities
of this region from trusted agents. began to
buy up the choicest tracts At SO cents 81 and
even up to 50 an acre. The prices were so far
removed from ANYTHING which had been paid
before for what is known in West Virginia as
wild land" that the natives were eager to
realize. and the former owners fairly fell over
each other in many instances to obtain what
to them was a most extraordinary price. A
few held on to the whole or part of their immense
farms. either from natural reluctance to sell or
from an instructive surmise that the old order
Of things WAS passing away, but offer after
offer. each successfully naming a higher price
than those going before. was made, they sue
eumbed to khe temptation until now, over large
sections, the control Of the land has passed into
the hands tof syndicates and associations Of
capitalists, while the former owners have either
moved away, have located in the new towns
which are springing up. there to live at
leisure upon the proceeds Of their suddenly
acquired wealth. or are lingering in the neigh
borhood where they and their fathers before
them were born. tillina little patches Of ground
and looking with something akin to awe upon
.ne s,"oinS oi rhuIoao oeos' tne boring OF
'unIeIs ana Tue puiiding OF coal topples. ihe
country rs oeihe transformed from howllng
formidable rival Of the great Pennsylvania coal
region. Already the counties / have named
are covered Win network OF coal roads In
.oui sc Vi coiis'tuc'ion. ana tne magnitude OF
.he enterprises attesls the great expectations In
'ne way Vi returns
THE WORK OF IMPROVEMENT.
Passing along the valley of Tug river.
throuoh nrimev,1 ,ores,s H. .r.,.,.- s,,aa..,,,,
co,nas mo-, .o,,;~,. 80 ....,.'.. '1Ne =.
.e,""o' VI e"nAa'on III 'ne
shape OF telegraph line attached to the great
tree trunks, aud short distance away finds the
negroes ,,bo ,orh. . ", =,
mile long beneath a gigantic mountain 10 ac-
commodate the railroad, the unfinished bed of
which winds away along the valley. A little
,;s;un aH1 VI e,ea. rauroad oriage are
six n,onths "amo. o M, az .ne 'oca.lon Q, "ha',
"a o nran, ueucs, VII oe = Msmmotn mime
ont "a a,.1, p'"n., Town nas oeen iaia q
,n.so, ""u .uaI a army % carpenters and
;nr ;,s u' o :. . VIII SNiLatloh is mus 1orc-
ing US way through ,ne valleys and over the
mo all over THIS region, cutting down
ah., moving mountains almost literally,
SnansInE tne course OF streams, build
ing Iaiiroaas ana seeing towns spring
up almost In day. Equally unusual
Is We heaV! ttavel-miners, lumber men, rail-
io"d men ana other artisans and laborers going
~ al utections Win Their families, and all ex-
press the greatest confidence In the country,
ano asserting ana oeiieving that Is has a great
iioustriai future and that they have come here
th;n., =. =. Is u s.aaioh winch partakes some