The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-06-02
wha. Yves. Virginia Needs.
From The Pittsburg Times.

is easy to find obstacles there, as
everywhere else, but it is not wisdom
to dwell upon them, because, as ex-
perience has long shown, where OPP
portunities justify it the obstacles
are invariably overcome. Besides
it would not be to deal fairly with
the people of West Virginia TO dwell
upon the obstacles. They do not do
th is; they overcome them, and in a
fashion greatly to their credit
| Without attempting to summarize
the work for the correspondent, we
may mention some of the needs Of
the state, in the supplying of which
a liberal profit may be counted ON to
a reasonable certainty.
In needs capital. Its coal and
iron, it's limestone and clay, and it's
vast forests of hard and soft woods,
as well as its oil and gas, can be put
upon the market only after large out
lays. The extent of its mineral
wealth no man knows, but any man
may know from the developments
already made that it is almost meas
ureless.
1t needs railways. 1t is by no
means without them, but it needs
more in the interior, where much of
this wealth lies. 1t has numerous
fine rivers heading in this region,
which will some day be made navig-
able, but which cannot now be de-
pended on as means of transpor-
tation and the rugged surface puts
the earth road out of the question,
even if the day of the wagon and
team were not gone forever
1t needs scientific farming. Even
though much of it will yield rs bush
els of corn, and 40 of wheat, running
from &C to 70 pounds to the bushel,
per acre, it cannot compete with the
West or Northwest as a grain pro-
Queer. But with more advanced ag-
ricultnre it could greatly enlarge its
production, which would find a mar
ket among the men who are 30 hew
down its forests, carry on it's saw
mills, delve in its mines. No OBJ
servant person who travels through
the state can fail to see that it needs
men to introduce a more scientific
kind of farming And that would
pay; there can be no doubt about
! that.
1t needs men with modern ideas
who will devote themselves to small
fruits. Orchards are numerous and
bear well, with very little care, and
grapes will, too, but in the course of
700 miles of travel, on the rail and
off, through the state, the correspond
ent saw only one vineyard which de-
serves the names. On those noun
tains, where land is cheap, one can
select any slope he wants, of any
size he wants, and with any expos
ure wants. Close to railway, with
the four markets of Wheeling, Pitts
burg, Cincinnati and Baltimore &C
cessible, and home market among
the coal miners and woodsmen and
saw mill hands, one would think
there could not be more favorable
region for grape growing, especially
as the soil and climate are both
adapted to it. So of strawberries,
for fine ones are raised there, in
haphazard way generally. An in
stance is given of men who few
years ago bought piece of land on
the Tygart's Valley river for $500
and has since paid for it out of his
strawberries alone.
1t needs men ofspecial training in
the dairy business, and with knowl-
edge of modern methods. There are
creameries in West Virginia which
cannot meet their orders, and these
are sure cash, for good butter and
cheese are always in demand from
people who are able to pay for them
promptly and literally One may
travel the state from side to side
and from emo to end and not see
bare peak. AS soon as denuded of
trees it is covered with the nutri-
tious blue grass. 1t is an excellent
grazing country, and in it's moderate
climate and sheltered valleys cattle
are wintered at much less expense
than on the the rraries of the West
and Northwest.
For farming, fruit growing and
dairying, large capital is not needed
to begin on. One acquainted with
the state from observation will hard
ly refuse to agree that a man with
average resources who wishes to 90
into any of these callings can do so
with better promise in West Virgin
ia than in the more widely known
agricultural states, which, like the
manufacturing states, are crowd
ed becaure they are widely known.
This neighbor state of ours has been
and still is terra incognita to
thousands thinking of new homes.
1t has not grown as it should because
it has not been known as it should
have been. 1t was with the purpose
of making it better known that the
letters referred to were written.
The fact of Congressman w. L.
Wilson having returned to his post
in apparent good health, settles the
question of the action of the next
Congressional Convention in this
district. VIM. L. Wilson must be
the next nominee and all concede it.
The contest, no matter who the Re-
publicans may nominate against the
brilliant Tariff Reformer, will be an
| ardanf ona Mr William Ia Of ron cror